Šamši-Adad V 01

(i 1) To the god Ninurta, the strong lord, the majestic, the exalted, the noble, the warrior of the gods, the one who holds the bond of heaven and underworld, commander of all, (i 5) noble among the Igīgū gods, the hero, the splendid one whose strength cannot be matched, foremost among the Anunnakū gods, the brave one of the gods, the magnificent one whose might is unrivalled, the god Utulu, (i 10) the exalted lord, the rider of the Deluge, the one who, like the god Šamaš, light of the gods, watches the (four) quarters, the hero of the gods who is bedecked with brilliance (and) full of awesomeness, the one consummate in (i 15) tremendous power, son of the god Enlil, the support of the gods his fathers, offspring of Ešarra, victorious son whose position is resplendent in the bright starry heaven, child of the goddess Kutušar, the lady equal to the gods Anu and Dagan, (i 20) whose command cannot be altered, mighty, exalted, gigantic, the one who possesses strength (and) whose limbs are magnificent, wide in understanding (and) clever in conception, powerful among the gods, the noble who resides in the city Kalḫu, the holy shrine (and) spacious sanctuary, dwelling of the god Utulu:

(i 26) (I), Šamšī-Adad, strong king, unrivalled king of the universe, shepherd of shrines, bearer of the just scepter, ruler of all lands, commander of all, eternal royal seed, (i 30) whose name the gods designated from ancient times, holy priest who provides unremittingly for Ešarra (and) who maintains the rites of Ekur, who is dedicated heart and mind to the work of Eḫursagkurkurra (and) the temples of his land;

(i 34) son of Shalmaneser (III), king of the four quarters, (i 35) rival of princes everywhere, trampler of the lands, grandson of Ashurnasirpal (II), receiver of tribute and tax from all the (four) quarters:

(i 39) When Aššur-daʾʾin-apla, at the time of Shalmaneser (III), his father, acted treacherously by inciting insurrection, uprising, and criminal acts, caused the land to rebel and prepared for battle; (at that time) the people of Assyria, above and below, he won over to his side, and made them take binding oaths. He caused the cities to revolt and made ready to wage battle and war. (i 45) The cities Nineveh, Adia, Šibaniba, Imgur-Enlil, Iššabri, Bīt-Šaširia, Šimu, Šibḫiniš, Tamnuna, Kipšuna, Kurbail, Tīdu, Nabulu, Kaḫat, Aššur, Urakka, Raqmat, Ḫuzirina, Dūr-balāṭi, Dariga, Zaban, Lubdu, Arrapḫa, (and) Arbela, together with the cities Amedu, Tīl-abnī, (and) Ḫindānu — altogether twenty-seven towns with their fortresses which had rebelled against Shalmaneser (III), king of the four quarters, my father, sided with Aššur-da”in-apla. By the command of the great gods, my lords, I subdued (them). i 53b- ii 16a) On my first campaign, upon which (ii 1) I went up to the land Nairi, I received booty of teams of horses from all the kings of Nairi. At that time, I spread over the (ii 5) entire land Nairi like a net. The land of Assyria, which (stretches) from the city Paddira of the land Nairi to the city Kār-Shalmaneser, which is opposite (ii 10) Carchemish, from the city Zaddi on the border of the land Akkad to the land Enzi, from the city Aridu to the land Sūḫu, — (this area) by the command of the deities Aššur, Šamaš, Adad, (and) Ištar, the gods who support me, bowed down at my feet as though they were footstools.

(ii 16b) On my second campaign I issued orders and sent Mutarriṣ-Aššur, the chief eunuch, one clever and experienced in battle, a sensible man, with my troops and camp (ii 20) to the land Nairi. He marched as far as the sea of the west. He overcame (and) defeated 300 cities of Šarṣina, son of Meqdiara, (and) eleven (ii 25) fortified cities together with 200 cities of Ušpina. He carried off from them booty, property, possessions, their gods, their sons, (and) their daughters. He razed, (ii 30) destroyed, (and) burned their cities. On his return he defeated the people of the land Sunbu. He received tribute of teams of horses from all the kings of the land Nairi.

ii 34b-59a) [On] my third campaign I crossed the river Zab, traversed Mount Kullar, (and) went up to the land Nairi. I received tribute of teams of horses from Dadî, the Ḫubuškaean, from Šarṣina, son of Meqdiara, (and) from the people of Sunbu, Mannaea, (ii 40) Parsua, (and) Taurla. As for the people of Mēsu, the awesome brilliance of Aššur, my lord, overwhelmed them so that out of fright, in the face of the flash of my strong weapons, (ii 45) they abandoned their cities (and) took to a rugged mountain. They took up fortified positions on three mountain peaks, which hovered like clouds in the sky (and) which no bird on the wing could reach. (ii 50) I pursued them (and) surrounded those mountain peaks. In one day I sought them out like an eagle (and) massacred many of them. I brought down from the mountain countless quantities of booty, property, possessions, oxen, donkeys, (ii 55) sheep, teams of horses, (and) camels with two humps. I razed, destroyed, (and) burned 500 cities in their environs.

ii 59b - iii 27 a) I marched to the land Gizilbunda (and) conquered the city Kinaki. I razed, destroyed, (and) burned it. I crossed the mountain of antimony (and) received tribute of teams of horses from Titamaška of the city (iii 5) Sassiašu (and) from Kiara of the city Karsibuta. The brilliance of my rule and mighty attack in battle overwhelmed all of the land Gizilbunda and they abandoned their numerous cities. (iii 10) They entered Uraš, their fortified city, and I surrounded that city, captured it, (and) with the blood of their warriors I dyed their city square red like red wool. I massacred 6,000 of them. (iii 15) I captured Pirišāti, their king, together with 1,200 of his fighting men. I carried off from them countless quantities of booty, possessions, property, oxen, sheep, horses, utensils of silver (and) gold, (and) pieces of bronze. I razed, destroyed, (and) burned. I received tribute from Bēl-āli (iii 20) of the city Ṣibara. I made my colossal royal statue (and) wrote thereon the victories of Aššur, my lord, praises of my heroic deeds, and all the things which I had achieved in the land Nairi. I erected (it) (iii 25) in Ṣibara, the fortified city of the Gizilbundaeans.

(iii 27b) I marched to the land of the Medes. They took fright in the face of the angry weapons of Aššur and of my strong warfare, which have no rival, (iii 30) and abandoned their cities. They ascended a rugged mountain (and) I pursued them. I massacred 2,300 soldiers of Ḫanaṣiruka the Mede. I took away from him 140 of his cavalry (and) (iii 35) carried away his property and possessions in countless quantities. I razed, destroyed, (and) burned Sagbita, (his) royal city, together with 1,200 of his cities.

(iii 37) On my return I crossed the mountain of mūṣu-stone. I felled with the sword Munirsuarta of the land Araziaš, together with 1,070 of his fighting men, (and) filled (iii 40) the ravines and crevices of the mountain with their corpses. The numerous troops of my land plundered them of their sons, daughters, property, possessions, oxen, (and) sheep. I razed, destroyed, (and) burned their cities.

(iii 44b) At that time, by the command of the gods Aššur, Šamaš, (and) Adad, the gods who support me, I imposed tribute and tax of teams of horses forever upon (iii 45) Sirašme of the land Babarura, Amaḫar of the city Ḫarmišanda, Zarišu of the land Parsania, Zarišu of the city Ḫundura, Sanašu of the land Kipabarutaka, Ardarā of the land Uštašša, Šumā of the land Kinuka, (iii 50) Tāitāi of the land Gingibira, Bisirain of the land Arima, Parušta of the land Kibaruša, Ašpaštatauk of the land Uila, Amamaš of the land Kingištilenzaḫa, Tarsiḫu of the land Maṣirauša, Mamaniš (iii 55) of the land Luksa, Zanzar of the land Dimama, Sirāšu of the land Simguria, Gišta of the land Abdana, Adadānu of the land Asatia, Ursi of the land Ginḫuḫta, Bara of the land Ginzina, Arua of the land Kindutauša, (iii 60) Kirnakuš of the land Dagrūa, Zabanu of the land Zuzarura, Irtiṣati of the land Gingirda, Barzuta of the land Taurla, Šūa of the land Nanituma, Satiriā (and) Artasirari, all the kings of the land Nairi.

(iii 67b) At that time I thundered like the god Adad, the thunderer, over (the people in the area) from Mount Kullar, the mighty mountain, to the sea of the west. I spread over them my awesome light.

(iii 70b) On my fourth campaign, on the fifteenth day of the month Simānu, I crossed the river Zab en route to Karduniaš (Babylonia). While traversing the gorge between the cities Zaddi and Zaban I killed three startled lions. I crossed Mount Ebiḫ (and) surrounded the city Mê-turnat. (iv 5) The awe some brilliance of Aššur and Marduk, the great gods, my lords, overwhelmed them (and) they submitted to me. I led those people out and brought them with their property (and) gods into my land. I regarded them as people of my land. I crossed the river Turn at in flood (and) razed, destroyed, (and) burned Qarnê, (iv 10) a royal city, together with 200 cities in its environs.

(iv 11) I crossed Mount Ialman (and) surrounded the city Diʾbina. The radiance of Aššur overwhelmed them (and) they submitted to me. I took from that city 3,000 troops, together with their people, property, (and) possessions. I conquered the cities Datēbir (and) Izduia, (iv 15) which are beside the city Gannanāte, together with 200 cities in their environs. I massacred 330 of their fighting men (and) carried off from them captives, property, possessions, (and) gods. I cut down their orchards (and) razed, destroyed, (and) burned their cities. The people who had fled in the face of my fierce weapons entered Qerebti-ālāni, their fortified city. (iv 20) I surrounded (and) captured that city. I massacred 500 of their fighting men (and) carried off from them captives, property, possessions, gods, oxen, (and) sheep. I razed, destroyed, (and) burned the city.