Sargon II 113 (Q006594)
Royal Inscription, Neo-Assyrian, Arslantepe (Melidu) · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE
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| Designation | Sargon II 113 |
|---|---|
| ID | Q006594 |
| Collection | Malatya Archaeological Museum, Malatya, Turkey |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Neo-Assyrian · c. 911 BCE–612 BCE |
| Genre | Royal Inscription |
| Find spot | Arslantepe (Melidu) |
| Coordinates | 38.3612, 38.3822 |
English translation
By ORACC project rinap/rinap2 · Via Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| Obverse [0:5] 1'1'–5'5' | [...] ... [... Iāmānī, i]ts [king], took fright at my weapons; the main force [of my army ...] property (and) possessions, the treasure of his palace, booty of his, [...]. Fear of the brilliance of the gods Aššur, Nabû, (and) Marduk, [my] lords, [overwhelmed Šapataku]ʾ (Shebitko), king of the land Meluḫḫa [and ...] their [...] I reorganized. People of the lands which are (located) in the mountain region to the east, the land Tišu[...] |
| Obverse [5:7] 6'6'–7'7' | [Mar]duk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-Baladan), king of Chaldea, who against the will of the gods [had come down to the territory of the land of Sumer and Akkad and appropriated for himself the kingship of Babylon], turned to Ḫumbanigaš (Ḫumban-nikaš I), the Elamite, for aid. [He put his trust] i[n the sea (and its) surging waves and withheld his audience gift]. |
| Obverse [7:12] 8'8'–12'12' | I mustered the numerous troops of Assyria and [crossed] the Tigris [(and) the Euphrates] River[s, as well as innumerable small streams. Like the Deluge, I overwhelmed the Chaldeans to their (lit.: its) full extent]. In the face of my advance (lit.: “before me”), Marduk-apla-iddina [gathered together] the inhabitants of his cities (lit.: “his inhabited cities”) and the gods [dwelling in them and brought (them) into the city Dūr-Yakīn. He then strengthened its enclosure walls] (10´) (and), moving back a distance of one measuring rope from in front of its [ma]in wall, [he made a moat two hundred cubits wide; he made (the moat) one and a half nindanu deep and reached ground water]. He cut a channel from the Euphrates River, (thereby) making (its water) flow (in)to [its] meadow[land. He flooded its fields, where battles (are fought), and made crossing difficult]. Together with his allies (and) his battle troops, he [pitched his royal tent] in [a bend of the river (lit.: “between rivers”) like a crane and assembled his (military) camp]. |
| Obverse [12:17] 13'13'–17'17' | At the command of the gods Aššur, Nabû, (and) Marduk I had a causeway constru[cted] (lit.: “trodden [down]”) across his canals [and I caught him, together with his fighting men, like a flying eagle in a net. I spread out like malt (spread for drying)] the corpses of his vanguard and of the Aḫlamû, the p[eople of the steppe who go at his side, and I filled the surroundings of his city (with them)]. (15´) The city Dūr-Yakīn — his treasure house — (and) the cities Iqbi-Bēl, Kapru, [Bīt-Zabidāya, Šāt-iddina, Zarāte, Raqqatu, Ekuššu, Ḫursaggalla], Dūr-Bēl-āliya, Dūr-Enlil, Bīt-Qiblāte, [Nēmed-Sîn, Limītu, (and) Mād-akālša, (a total of) fifteen fortified cities, together with the settlements in their environs, I turned into (ruin) mounds. I carried off as booty at the same time] (both) the people — young (and) old — who lived in the district [and the gods who helped them; I did not allow a (single) person to escape]. |
| Obverse [17:22] 18'18'–22'22' | (As for) the citizens of (the cities) Sippar, Nippur, Babylon, (and) Borsippa [who through no fault of their own had been held captive in them (the fifteen cities), I put an end to their imprisonment and let them see the light (of day)]. (With regard to) their fields, which long ago, [while the land was in disorder, the Sutians had taken away and appropriated for their own] — (20´) I struck down (those) Sutians, the people of the steppe, with the sword. [I (re)assigned to them (the citizens) their territories, (whose boundaries) had been forgotten (and) fallen into disuse during the troubled period in the land. I (re)-established the freedom (from obligations) o]f (the cities) Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Larsa, [Kullaba, Kissik, (and) Nēmed-Laguda]. Moreover, [I returned] their gods that had been carried off as booty to [their] cult centers [and I restored their regular offerings that had been discontinued]. |
| Obverse [22:24] 23'23'–24'24' | I restored [the land] Bīt-Yakīn and re[organized (its administration). I settled there people of the land of Kummuḫu that I had conquered and I had (them) occupy its (Bīt-Yakīn’s) abandoned regions]. I divided up [t]hat [land] into equal parts and [assigned (them) to the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of Babylon, and a(nother) eunuch of mine, the governor of the Gambulu (tribe)]. |
| Obverse [24:27] 25'25'–27'27' | [Happily, with a joyful heart (and) a radiant face, I entered] Babylon, the cult center of the En[lil of the gods (Marduk); I grasped hold of the hands of the great lord, the god Marduk, and brought (him) safely along the road to the akītu-house. (With regard to) 15]4 talents, 26 mi[nas, (and) 10 shekels of red gold, 1,604 talents (and) 20 minas of pure silver, copper, (and) iron in immeasurable quantities, obsidian], lapis-lazuli, [banded agate, ...] |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| 1' | [...] x x x x x [...] | |
| 2' | [... {m}ia-ma-ni MAN]-⸢šu₂ {giš⸣}TUKUL.MEŠ-ia e-du-ur-ma gi-⸢piš⸣ [...] | |
| 3' | [...] ⸢IM⸣ NIG₂.ŠU NIG₂.GA ni-ṣir-ti E₂.GAL-šu₂ šal-la-su x [...] | |
| 4' | {[m}ša₂-pa-ta-ku]-⸢uʾ⸣ LUGAL {kur}me-luḫ-ḫa pu-ul-ḫi me-lam-me ša₂ {d}aš-šur {d}AG {d}AMAR.UTU ⸢EN.MEŠ⸣-[ia ...] | |
| 5' | [x x]-⸢šu-nu⸣ a-na eš-šu-ti aṣ-bat UN.MEŠ KUR.KUR ša₂ qe₂-reb KUR-i ṣi-⸢it⸣ {d}UTU-ši {kur}ti-šu-[x ...] | |
| 6' | {[m}{d]}⸢AMAR.UTU⸣-IBILA-SUM.NA LUGAL {kur}kal-di ša₂ ki-i la lib₃-bi DINGIR.MEŠ [a-na er-ṣe-et KUR EME.GI₇ u₃ URI{ki} u₂-ri-dam-ma LUGAL-ut KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} pa-nu-uš u₂-ter-ru] | |
| 7' | {[m]}{⸢d⸣}ḫum-ba-ni-ga-aš₂ {lu₂}ELAM.MA{ki} a-na re-ṣu-ti is-ḫur ⸢UGU⸣ {[id₂}mar-ra-ti gu-pu-uš e-de-e it-ta-kil-ma ik-la-a ta-mar-tuš] | |
| 8' | ⸢um⸣-ma-na-at KUR aš-šur{ki} gap-ša₂-⸢a⸣-ti ad-ke-e-ma {id₂}⸢IDIGNA⸣ {[id₂}BURANUN{ki} a-di ID₂.MEŠ TUR.MEŠ la mi-na e-teb-bi-ra {lu₂}kal-du a-na paṭ gim-re-e-šu₂ a-bu-biš as-ḫu-up] | |
| 9' | ⸢ul⸣-la-nu-u₂-a {m}{d}AMAR.UTU-⸢IBILA-SUM.NA⸣ URU.MEŠ-šu₂ aš₂-bu-ti u₃ DINGIR.MEŠ [a-šib lib-bi-šu₂-un u₂-paḫ-ḫir-ma a-na {uru}BAD₃-{m}ia-ki-na u₂-še-rib-ma u₂-dan-ni-na ker-ḫe-e-šu₂] | |
| 10' | aš₂-la.TA.AM₃ la-pa-an ⸢BAD₃-šu₂ GAL⸣-e u₂-ne₂-⸢es⸣-si-ma 2 ME ina 1.KUŠ₃ DAGAL ḫa-ri-ṣi iš-kun-ma 1 1/2 NINDA u₂-šap-pil-ma ik-šu-da A.MEŠ nag-bi] | |
| 11' | bu-tuq-tu ul-tu qe₂-reb {id₂}⸢BURANUN⸣{ki} ib-tuq-ma u₂-šar-da-a ta-⸢mir⸣-[tuš A.GAR₃.MEŠ-šu₂ a-šar mit-ḫu-ṣi A.MEŠ im-ki-ir-ma u₂-šap-ši-qa ne₂-ber-tu₂] | |
| 12' | šu-u₂ a-di {lu₂}re-ṣe-e-šu₂ {⸢lu₂⸣}ERIM.⸢MEŠ ME₃-šu₂⸣ i-na [bi-rit ID₂.MEŠ ki-ma ku-me₂-e{mušen} za-ra-tu₂ LUGAL-ti-šu₂ iš-kun-ma u₂-pa-ḫi-ra ka-ras-su] | |
| 13' | i-na qi₂-bit {d}aš-šur {d}⸢AG⸣ {d}AMAR.UTU UGU ID₂.MEŠ-šu₂ a-ram-mu u₂-šak-⸢bi⸣-[is-ma ša₂-a-šu₂ ga-du {lu₂}mun-daḫ-ṣe-šu GIM TI₈{mušen} mut-tap-ri-ši a-bar-šu₂ ina še-e-ti] | |
| 14' | pag-re {lu₂}nu-bal-⸢le⸣-e-šu₂ ⸢u₃⸣ {lu₂}aḫ-la-mi-i ⸢ṣa⸣-[ab EDIN a-li-kut i-de-e-šu₂ ki-ma ŠE.MUNU₆ aš₂-ṭe-e-ma i-ta-at URU-šu₂ u₂-mal-li] | |
| 15' | {uru}BAD₃-{m}ia-ki-ni E₂ ni-ṣir-ti-šu₂ {uru}⸢iq-bi-{d}EN⸣ {uru}kap-ru {[uru}E₂-{m}za-bi-da-a-a {uru}ša₂-at-SUM.NA {uru}za-ra-a-ti {uru}raq-qa-tu {uru}e-ku-uš-šu₂ {uru}ḫur-sag-GAL₅.LA₂.MEŠ] | |
| 16' | {uru}BAD₃-{d}EN-⸢URU⸣-ia {uru}BAD₃-{d}EN.LIL₂ {uru}E₂-{m}qi₂-ib-la-te {uru}[ne₂-med-{d}30 {uru}li-mi-tum {uru}mad-a-kal-ša₂ 15 URU.MEŠ dan-nu-ti a-di URU.MEŠ ša li-me-ti-šu₂-un ti-la-niš u₂-še-me] | |
| 17' | UN.MEŠ ṣe-ḫer ra-bi a-ši-bu-ut na-ge-e [u₃ DINGIR.MEŠ ti-ik-le-šu₂-un iš-te-niš aš₂-lu-lam-ma la e-zi-ba mul-taḫ-ṭu] | |
| 18' | DUMU.MEŠ ZIMBIR{ki} NIBRU{ki} ⸢KA₂⸣.DINGIR.RA{ki} bar₂-⸢sipa⸣{[ki} ša i-na la an-ni-šu₂-nu i-na qer-bi-šu₂-un ka-mu-u₂ ṣi-bit-ta-šu₂-nu a-bu-ut-ma u₂-kal-lim-šu₂-nu-ti nu-u₂-ru] | |
| 19' | A.ŠA₃.MEŠ-šu₂-nu ša₂ ul-tu u₄-me ul-lu-ti [i-na i-ši-ti ma-a-ti {lu₂}su-ti-i e-ki-mu-u₂-ma ra-ma-nu-uš-šu₂-un u₂-ter-ru] | |
| 20' | {lu₂}su-ti-i ṣa-ab EDIN i-na {giš}TUKUL u₂-šam-⸢qit⸣ [ki-sur-ri-šu₂-nu ma-šu-u₂-ti ša i-na di-li-iḫ ma-a-ti ib-baṭ-lu u₂-šad-gi-la pa-nu-uš-šu₂-un] | |
| 21' | ⸢ša⸣ URI₂{ki} UNUG{ki} eridu{ki} ARARMA{ki} [kul-aba₄{ki} ki-sik{ki} {uru}ne₂-me-ed-la-gu-da aš₂-ku-na an-du-ra-ar-šu₂-un] | |
| 22' | ⸢u₃⸣ DINGIR.MEŠ-šu₂-nu šal-lu-u₂-ti a-na ma-ḫa-a-⸢zi⸣-[šu₂-nu u₂-ter-ma sat-tuk-ki-šu₂-nu ba-aṭ-lu-u₂-ti u₂-ter aš₂-ru-uš-šu₂-un] | |
| 23' | {[kur]}⸢E₂⸣-{m}ia-ki-ni u₂-ter-ma a-na eš-⸢šu⸣-[ti aṣ-bat UN.MEŠ {kur}kum₂-mu-ḫi ki-šit-ti qa-ti-ia qe₂-reb-šu₂ u₂-šar-me-ma u₂-še-ši-ba ni-du-us-su] | |
| 24' | [KUR] ⸢šu⸣-a-tum ma-al-ma-liš a-zu-uz-⸢ma⸣ [ina ŠU.II {lu₂}šu-ut SAG-ia {lu₂}GAR.KUR {lu₂}GAR.KUR KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} u₃ {lu₂}šu-ut SAG-ia {lu₂}GAR.KUR {lu₂}GAR.KUR {lu₂}gam-bu-li am-nu] | |
| 25' | [a]-⸢na⸣ KA₂.DINGIR.RA{ki} ma-ḫa-zu {⸢d}EN⸣.[LIL₂.LA₂ DINGIR.MEŠ i-na e-le-eṣ lib-bi nu-um-mur pa-ni ḫa-diš e-ru-um-ma ŠU.II EN GAL-i {d}AMAR.UTU aṣ-bat-ma u₂-šal-li-ma u₂-ru-uḫ E₂ a₂-ki-ti] | |
| 26' | 1 ME] 54 GUN⸣ 26 MA.[NA 10 GIN₂ KU₃.GI ḫuš-šu-u₂ 1 LIM 6 ME 4 GUN 20 MA.NA KU₃.BABBAR eb-bu URUDU.ḪI.A par-zil-la ša ni-ba la i-šu-u₂] | |
| 27' | {[na₄}ZU₂] {⸢na₄⸣}ZA.GIN₃ {⸢na₄⸣}[BABBAR.DILI ...] |
Sources & licences
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.