Chapter 07 · 911 – 609 BCE
Neo-Assyrian
Empire, library, terror, scholarship.

~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 220. Military Operations in Mannea (CT 53 250)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) [...] our lord [...] (2) [...] have seiz[ed ...]. (3) His [troops are] in [...]. (4) [...] "Ullusun[u] (5) [...] "[His] army, [which] had come [..., has] en[tered ...]. (7) [Pe]rhaps h[e ......] (8) [...] my servants [...] (9) [... has not] emerged [...] in the p[ass ...] (10) not [......] (Rest destroyed)”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313665/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 221. News from Mannea (ABL 1416)
“(1) To [the king, my lord]: your servant [Adad-issiya]. Good he[alth to the king, my lord]! (4) As to what the king, [my] lo[rd, wrote me]: "Why have you [not sent me] an[y news] of the Mannean that you have h[eard]?" — (7) [he has come] to our border, [made] his sacrifices, and returned (home); [the ... have gone] to greet him. (11) The messengers o[f ... have come] from Bar[..., and presented him] the greetings of [...]. (Break) (r 2) [......] where they are [...]. (r 3) As to [NN] about whom the king, [my] lo[rd, wrote me]: "Wh[y does he not ...] to m[y] presen[ce]?" (r 7) He does not…”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334894/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 222. Military Movements in Mannea (CT 53 585)
“(Beginning destroyed) (2) [...... the Man]nean(s) (3) [...... the Ura]rṭian(s) (4) [......] our [hear]t (5) [...... NN] from the city of [...] (6) [......] the Urar[ṭ]ia[n] (Rest destroyed)”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313997/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 223. Preparing for Battle with Urarṭian Troops (ABL 0596)
“(Beginning destroyed) (1) as many as [...] remain in [......]... (4) "The Urarṭian troops advanced to the border; he went out to meet them in [...] of [......]" (Rest destroyed)”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334410/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 224. Buying Horses in the East (ABL 0529)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Adad-issiya. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) As to the merchants about whom the king my lord gave me orders, I met Šarî of Kannu' in Arzuhina. He had 70 horses. (11) I asked him where the rest of his horses were, and he said: "[I have bou]ght 200 horses over there and will b[ring them] (later)." (r 2) [I also met NN] and ask[ed him] about [the horses]; he said: "We have bought [all of them]; they are on their way towards yo[u ...]." (r 10) I encountered 21 horses and 2 mules of Nabû-eriba of Calah, a subordinate of Sanî, in Arzuhina.”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334361/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 225. Not All Reap What They Sow (CT 53 079)
“(1) [To the king, my lord: your servant Adad-issiya. Good health to] the king, [my] lo[rd]! (4) [As to] the seed corn [about wh]ich the king, my lord, wr[ote me]: "Nabû-[...] must cultivate 1,000 (homers of) seed, Mannu-ki-Adad must cultivate [1],000, and you too must cultivate [1],000 (homers of) seed corn" — [wh]ere? I cannot do it! (10) [I] cultivate corn in the face of harsh [...]. They, by contrast, having planted their seed, [e]at from it, feed [their] horses [fr]om it, and (even) cultiva[te s]eed fro[m it]. (16) [They] have seized [...] from the Med[es ......] (Rest destroyed)”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313494/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 226. Orders to Magnates (ABL 0884)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-ahu-uṣur. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) The king, my lord, sent me to the magnates; I have (now) communicated them all the orders that the king, my lord, gave me. (10) As to the town where they are encamped, Ir[š]umu is in their hands; they are soon to leave for the king, my lord. (16) As [to] Šarru-emuranni, about whom the king, [my] lo[rd], gave me [or]ders, (I told him): "Not one of your horses and men may be missing if they are to pass before the king." (r 5) As to Nabû-hamatua, about whom the king, my lord, told me: "Let him come and…”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334607/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 227. Post Stations and Criminals (ABL 0408)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Šamaš-belu-uṣur. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) As to the express service about which the king, my lord, wrote me through Arbailayu: "Why isn't there any express service?" — (7) When he came to me with the royal bodyguard Ubru-Harran, I harnessed before their coming two mules in Arzuhina for the use of Ubru-Harran. He took them to Arrapha, harnessed two mules for the use of Arbailayu, and went on to Mazamua. (14) Let the king, my lord, a[sk whet]her I did not station a team of [mules] in Dur-Taliti and another one in Tagalagi! When he departed…”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334279/
Read the full tablet entry