Shalmaneser III 010

(i 1) Aššur, great lord; Anu, exalted god; god Enlil, perfectly magnificent; god Adad, canal-inspector of heaven and underworld; god Ninurta, foremost among the gods, lord of battle and strife; (i 5) goddess Ištar, foremost in heaven and underworld; god Ea, king of the apsû, lord of wisdom (and) understanding; god Sîn, king of the lunar disk, lord of brilliance; god Marduk, sage of the gods (and) lord of omens; great gods who decree destinies:

(i 10) Shalmaneser, king of all people, prince, vice-regent of Aššur, strong king, king of all the four quarters, sun(god) of all people, ruler of all lands; son of Ashurnasirpal (II), exalted priest whose priesthood was pleasing to the gods and (who) subdued (i 15) all lands at his feet, pure offspring of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), who slew all his enemies and annihilated (them) like a flood:

(i 19) At the beginning of my reign, after I ascended the royal throne, I mustered my chariots (and) troops. I entered the pass of the land Simesi (and) captured the city Aridu, the fortified city of Ninnu.

(i 23b) In my first regnal year I crossed the Euphrates (and) marched to the western sea. I washed my weapons in the sea (and) made sacrifices to my gods. I climbed up the Amanus range (and) cut beams of cedar (and) juniper. I climbed up Mount Lallar (and) erected therein my royal statue.

(i 30b) In my second regnal year I approached the city Tīl-Barsip (Barsaip), captured the cities of Aḫunu, the man of Bīt-Adini, (and) confined him to his city. I crossed the Euphrates in flood (and) captured the city Dabigu, fortress of the land Ḫatti, together with cities in its environs.

(i 36b) In my third regnal year Aḫunu, the man of Bīt-Adini, became frightened in the face of my mighty weapons and abandoned the city Tīl-Barsip (Barsaip), his royal city. He crossed the Euphrates. I took as my own (i 40) the city Ana-Aššur-utēr-aṣbat, which is on the other side of the Euphrates by the River Sagura, which the people of Ḫatti call the city Pitru. On my return (i 45) I entered the pass of Alzu (and) captured Alzu, the lands Suḫme, Daiēnu, Tummu, the city Arṣaškun, the land Gilzānu, (and) the city Ḫubuškia.

(i 48b) In my fourth regnal year I crossed the Euphrates in flood in pursuit of Aḫunu, the man of Bīt-Adini. (ii 1) He had made as his stronghold Mount Šītamrat, a mountain peak on the bank of the Euphrates. I besieged (and) captured the mountain peak. Aḫunu, together with his gods, his chariots, his horses, (and) 22,000 of his troops I uprooted (and) brought to my city, Aššur.

(ii 6b) In this same year I crossed Mount Kullar, went down to the interior of the land Zamua, (and) captured the cities of Nikdêra and Nikdēme.

(ii 9b) In my fifth regnal year I ascended Mount Kašiyari (and) captured eleven fortified cities. I confined Anḫitti, the Šubraean, to his city (and) received his tribute. ii 13-25) In my sixth regnal year I approached the cities on the banks of the River Baliḫ. They killed Giammu, their city ruler. I entered the city Tīl-turaḫi. I crossed the Euphrates in flood (and) received tribute from the kings of the land Ḫatti. Hadad-ezer (Adad-idri), the Damascene, Irḫulēnu, the Ḫamatite, together with twelve kings on the shore of the sea, (ii 20) trusting in their united forces, attacked me to wage war and battle. I fought with them (and) defeated them. I captured from them their chariotry, cavalry, (and) military equipment (and) put to the sword 25,000 of their fighting men.

(ii 26) In my seventh regnal year I marched to the cities of Ḫabinu, the Tīl-anbian. I captured Tīl-anbi, his fortified city, together with the cities in its environs. I marched to the source of the Tigris, the place where the water comes out.

(ii 31) In my eighth regnal year (at the time of) Marduk-zākir-šumi (I), king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), Marduk-bēl-usāte, his brother, rebelled against him. I marched out for vengeance (and) captured the cities Mê-turnat (and) Laḫiru.

(ii 35) In my ninth regnal year, in my second campaign (to Babylonia), I captured the city Gannanāte. To save his life Marduk-bēl-usāte ascended a mountain. I pursued him (and) (ii 40) put to the sword Marduk-bēl-usāte, together with the treacherous soldiers who were with him. I made sacrifices in Babylon, Borsippa, (and) Cutha. I went down to Chaldea (and) captured their cities. I received tribute from the kings of Chaldea in Babylon.

(ii 45) In my tenth regnal year I crossed the Euphrates for the eighth time. <I captured> the cities of Sangara, the Carchemishite. Moving on from the cities of the Carchemishite I approached the cities of Aramu (and) captured Arne, his royal city, together with one hundred cities in its environs.

(ii 51) In my eleventh regnal year I crossed the Euphrates for the ninth time. I captured ninety-seven cities of Sangara (and) one hundred cities of Aramu. I took to the slopes of the Amanus range, (ii 55) crossed Mount Iaraqu, (and) descended to the cities of the people of Ḫamat. I captured the city Abšimaku (Aštammaku?), together with eighty-nine cities. At that time (iii I) Hadad-ezer (Adad-idri), the Damascene, (and) Irḫulēnu, the Ḫamatite, together with twelve kings on the shore of the sea, trusting in their united forces, (attacked me) and I fought with them (and) defeated them. I put to the sword [10],000 of their fighting men.

(iii 6) In my twelfth regnal year I crossed the Euphrates for the tenth time (and) marched to the city Paqaraḫubunu. The people took to a rugged mountain. I massacred them (and) brought plunder (and) possessions of theirs down from the mountain.

(iii 10b) In my thirteenth regnal year I entered the Pass of the Goddesses, marched to Matiātu, captured all of Matiātu, (and) plundered it.

(iii 14) In my fourteenth regnal year I mustered (the troops of my) extensive land in countless numbers (and) crossed the Euphrates in flood with 120,000 of my troops. At that time Hadad-ezer (Adad-idri), the Damascene, (and) Irḫulēnu, the Ḫamatite, together with twelve kings on the shore of the sea, (iii 20) above and below, mustered their troops, which were too numerous to be counted. They attacked me, I fought with them, (and) defeated them. I took away their chariotry, cavalry, (and) military equipment. To save their lives they ran away.

(iii 26) In my fifteenth regnal year I marched to the land Nairi. I erected my royal statue at the source of the Tigris on a mountain cliff. (iii 30) I entered the pass of Mount Ṭubunu (and) captured the cities of Aramu, the Urarṭian, as far as the source of the Tigris (and) as far as the source of the Euphrates.

(iii 33b) In my sixteenth regnal year I crossed Mount Kullar (and) conquered the lands Munna, Allabria, Parsua, Abdadānu, Ḫaban, Namri, (and) Tugliaš.

(iii 37b) In my seventeenth regnal year I crossed the Euphrates (and) received tribute from the kings of the land Ḫatti. I ascended the Amanus range, (iii 40) cut down cedar timbers, (and) brought (them) to my city, Aššur. On my return from the Amanus range I slew sixty-three perfect specimens of strong, horned, wild bulls by the city Zuqarru, on the opposite bank of the Euphrates, (and) captured four alive.

(iii 45b) In my eighteenth regnal year I crossed the Euphrates for the sixteenth time. Hazael of Damascus, trusting in the might of his soldiers, carried out an extensive muster of his troops. (iii 50) He fortified Mount Saniru, the mountain peak, which is before Mount Lebanon. I put to the sword 16,020 of his fighting men (and) took away from him 1,121 of his chariots (and) 470 of his cavalry with his military camp. (iv 1) To save his life he ran away (but) I pursued him. I imprisoned him in Damascus, his royal city, cut down his gardens, (and) burned his shocks. (iv 5) I marched to Mount Ḫaurānu (and) razed, destroyed, burned, (and) plundered cities without number. I marched to Mount Baʾaliraʾasi, which is a cape (jutting out into) the sea before the land of Tyre, (and) (iv 10) erected my royal statue there. I received tribute from Baʾali-manzēri of Tyre (and) from Jehu (Iāu) of the house of Omri (Ḫumrî). On my return I ascended Mount Lebanon (and) erected my royal statue with the statue of Tiglath-pileser, a strong king who preceded me.

(iv 15b) In my nineteenth regnal year I crossed the Euphrates for the seventeenth time (and) received tribute from the kings of the land Ḫatti. I ascended the Amanus range, cut down cedar and juniper timbers, (and) brought (them) to my city Aššur. On my return (iv 20) from the Amanus range I slew ten perfect specimens of strong, horned, wild bulls (and) two calves by the city Zuqarru, on the opposite bank of the Euphrates.

(iv 22b) In my twentieth regnal year I crossed the Euphrates for the twentieth time (and) mustered with my (forces) all the kings of the land Ḫatti. I crossed the Amanus range (and) went down (iv 25) to the cities of Katê, the Quean (Qau). I captured the cities Lusanda, Abarnānu, Kisuatnu, fortified cities together with innumerable cities from the nearest of his cities to the farthest of his cities. (iv 30) I massacred (and) plundered them. I fashioned two royal statues of myself, inscribed thereon my mighty praises (and) erected one in the nearest of his cities (and) the second in the farthest of his cities on a cape (jutting) into the sea. (Thus) I prevailed over the land (lit. “city”) Que (Qau) with might and main.

(iv 34b) The booty from the beginning of my sovereignty to my twentieth regnal year: 110,610 prisoners, 82,600 killed, 9,920 horses (and) mules, 35,565 oxen, 19,690 donkeys, (and) 184,755 sheep.

(iv 40b) At that time the ancient wall of my city, Aššur, of New City, which had been built previously by Puzur-Aššur (III), son of Aššur-nārārī (I), Adad-nārārī (I), son of Arik-dīn-ili, Tukultī-Ninurta (I), son of Shalmaneser (I), (and) Tiglath-pileser (I), (iv 45) son of Aššur-rēša-iši (I), kings who preceded me: this wall had become dilapidated and I removed its damaged (portions), digging down to its foundation in bedrock. I completely rebuilt it from top to bottom (and) (iv 50) decorated (it) more splendidly than before. I made it <N> layers of brick high and thirteen bricks wide, using the large brick mold (as standard). I mixed its clay with honey, fine oil, cedar resin, beer, (and) wine. I made its bricks with trowels (and) molds of cedar. I deposited in its foundation silver, gold, (Lower edge I) lapis lazuli, pappardilû-stone, carnelian, shells, aromatics, all kinds of things. I used baked bricks of ... on its towers. I deposited my monumental and clay inscriptions therein.