The History of Antiquity, Vol. 2 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 2 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
Assurnasirpal also chiefly directed his arms against the mountain-land
in the north. On his first campaign he fought on the borders of Urarti,
_i.e._ of the land of Ararat, the region of the Upper Araxes. In the
second year of his reign (881 B.C.) he marched out of the city of
Nineveh, crossed the Tigris, and imposed tribute on the land of Kummukh
(Gumathene, p. 41), and the Moschi, in asses, oxen, sheep, and goats. In
the third year he caused his image to be hewn in the place where
Tiglath Pilesar and Tiglath Adar his fathers had chosen to set up their
images; he tells us that his own was engraved beside the others.[555]
Only the image of Tiglath Pilesar I. is preserved at Karkar.
Assurnasirpal received tribute from the princes of the land of
Nairi--bars of gold and silver, iron, oxen and sheep; and placed a
viceroy over the land of Nairi. But the subjugation was not yet
complete; Assurnasirpal related that on a later campaign he destroyed
250 places in the land of Nairi.[556] He tells us further, that on his
tenth campaign he reduced the land of Kirchi, took the city of Amida
(now Diarbekr), and plundered it.[557] Below this city, on the bank of
the Tigris at Kurkh (Karch), there is a stone tablet which represents
him after the pattern of Tiglath Pilesar at Karkar (p. 40.)
Between these conflicts in the north lie campaigns to the south and
west. In the year 879 B.C. he marched out, as he tells us, from Chalah.
On the other bank of the Tigris he collected a heavy tribute, then he
marched to the Euphrates, took the city of Suri in the land of Sukhi,
and caused his image to be set up in this city. Fifty horsemen and the
warriors of Nebu-Baladan, king of Babylon (Kardunias), had fallen into
his hand, and the land of the Chaldæans had been seized with fear of his
weapons.[558] We must conclude therefore that the king of Babylon had
sent auxiliary troops to the prince of the land of Sukhi (whom the
inscriptions call Sadudu). In the following year he occupied the region
at the confluence of the Chaboras with the Euphrates, crossed the
Euphrates on rafts, and conquered the inhabitants of the lands of Sukhi,
Laki, and Khindani, which had marched out with 6000 men to meet him. On
the banks of the Euphrates he then founded two cities; that on the
further bank bore the name of "Dur-Assurnasirpal," and that on the
nearer bank the name of "Nibarti-Assur." During this time he pretends to
have slain 50 Amsi (p. 43) on the Euphrates, and captured 20; to have
slain 20 eagles and captured 20.[559] Then he turned against Karchemish,
in the land of the Chatti (p. 43). In the year 876 B.C. he collected
tribute in the regions of Bit Bakhian and Bit Adin in the neighbourhood
of Karchemish, and afterwards laid upon Sangar, king of Karchemish, a
tribute of 20 talents of silver, and 100 talents of iron. From
Karchemish Assurnasirpal marched against the land of Labnana, _i.e._ the
land of Lebanon. King Lubarna in the land of the Chatti submitted, and
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