Chapter 07 · 911 – 609 BCE
Neo-Assyrian
Empire, library, terror, scholarship.
~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Ashurnasirpal II 036
“(1') [The god Ninurta, the lord of judgment and destruction] and (the god) Aššur, the great lord, [... will (then) listen to his prayers. May they establish] copious abundance in [his] land; (and) may they make him achieve success [in wars with kings on the battlefield]. (4'b) As for the one who erases my inscription and [writes] his (own) name [or] removes my commemorative inscription, [throws (it)] into water [(,...)], may the god Ninurta, the lord of judgment and destruction, (and) the god Aššur, [the great lord], overthrow [his kingship], take away from him his throne, [make him sit] in bondage before his [enemies, establish in his land distress, famine, (and) hunger, (and) make] his name (and) his seed [disappear] from the land.”
Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004490/
Read the full tablet entry~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Ashurnasirpal II 038
“(1) Ashurnasirpal (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nārārī (II), (who was) also great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria; the valiant man who acts with the support of (the god) Aššur, his lord, and who has no rival among the rulers of the four quarters (of the world), the king who subdued (the territory stretching) from the opposite bank of the Tigris River to Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea, the land Lāqê in its entirety, (and) the land…”
Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004492/
Read the full tablet entry~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Ashurnasirpal II 039
“(1) Ashurnasirpal (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nārārī (II), (who was) also great king, strong king, king of the world, (and) king of Assyria, conqueror from the opposite bank of the Tigris River as far as Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea, he made all of the lands from east to west bow down at his feet.”
Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004493/
Read the full tablet entry~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Ashurnasirpal II 040
“(1) Ashurnasirpal (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of all of the four quarters (of the world), sun(god) of [all of] the people, ruler, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, the valiant man who acts with the support of the gods Aššur and Šamaš and who has no rival among the rulers of the four quarters (of the world), who treads upon the mountain peaks in all of the mountains, subduer of those insubmissive to (the god) Aššur to the borders above and below, who marches about on mountain paths, (5) who has seen remote and rugged regions, magnificent king of lands,…”
Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004494/
Read the full tablet entry~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Ashurnasirpal II 041
“(1) Ashurnasirpal (II), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), appointee of the god Enlil, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur, son of Adad-nārārī (II), (who was) also appointee of the god Enlil (and) vice-regent of (the god) Aššur: (3b) conqueror from the opposite bank of the Tigris River to Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea [of] the land Amurru in the west, (who) has conquered the land Ḫatti in its entirety; [(I am the one who) have gained dominion over] (the region stretching) from the source of the Subnat River [to the land Urume, the wide [Naʾiri] lands. [...] … [...]”
Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004495/
Read the full tablet entry~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Ashurnasirpal II 042
“(1) Palace of Ashurnasir[pal (II), strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II)], strong king, king of [the world, king of Assyria], son of Adad-nārārī (II), (who was) also king of the world (and) king of Assyria: (2b) conqueror from [the opposite bank of the Tigris River] to Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea of the land Amurru [in the west], (who) has conquered the land Ḫatti [in its entirety; (I am the one who) have gained dominion over] (the region stretching) from the source of the S[ubnat Riv]er [to the land Urume (and) the wi]d[e] Naʾiri lands, in to [their…”
Source: Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo), Munich Open-access Cuneiform Corpus Initiative (MOCCI), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München; in association with the RINAP Project, University of Pennsylvania. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/Q004496/
Read the full tablet entry~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Ashurnasirpal II 043
In plain English
Only scattered phrases survive, but they belong to the king's opening self-presentation: he is the sun of all the peoples, the ruler who serves as the god Aššur's earthly deputy, a man who marches constantly on campaign, subdues his opponents, and pushes through mountain passes and difficult roads into the lands of his foes, striking down his enemies. He calls himself shepherd of the four quarters of the world and the avenger of Assyria. The text then begins a new section — 'When the god Anu...' — but everything after that is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(lines fragmentary throughout) [... sun(god) of al]l of the people, ruler, vice-regent of (the god) Aššur [...] [... who] constantly marches about and [...] [...] ... [...] (line too broken to read) [...] subduer of [...] [... who] travels through the mountain passes [...] [...] difficult routes [...] [...] the land of his foes [...] [...] his enemies he struck down [...] [...] ... distant [...] [... shepherd of the] four quarters (of the world), who ... the entirety of [...] [... avenger (lit. the one who returns] the favor) of [the land of] Assyria [...] [... When the god] Anu ...”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · medium confidence
Read the full tablet entry~875 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
Ashurnasirpal II 044
In plain English
Only shreds of this text survive. What can still be read sounds like the standard boilerplate of Ashurnasirpal II's inscriptions: a reference to 'all the mountains,' his royal pedigree as descendant of Adad-nārārī of Assyria, and campaign geography — the broad land of Urume, a stretch of territory 'from the city of Babitu as far as' some lost destination, and fortresses along the way. Near the end a verb meaning 'I returned' or 'I restored' survives, likely part of a claim about turning back with plunder or reorganizing conquered territory. Everything between these phrases is lost.
AI-generated reading paraphrase; compare with the translation below.
“(All lines fragmentary) [...] ... [...] [...] all the mount[ains ...] [... king of] Assyria, son of Adad-nārārī, [...] [... the] extensive [land of] Urume [...] [... from the city Ba]bitu as far as [...] [...] the fortresses [...] [...] great [...] which(?) [...] [... I re]turned/restored [...] [...] ... [...]”
Source: engine:claude-fable-5 (2026-07-12/v7-evolved) · claude-fable-5 · low confidence
Read the full tablet entry