All tablets.

SAA 15 365. Let them Give me Troops (ABL 1188)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [... t]his [......] (2) [...] him. Let the king [do] a[s he deems best]. (3) [Perhap]s the king, my lord, will sa[y: "Where] is it [deposit]ed?" It is [...] in the storehouse of [NN]. (5) [Pre]viously, when [NN] was living [ther]e, his messenger s[poke] there with my messenger [abo]ut the earlier matters, a[bout the troops] he had requested, saying, "[Let] them give me [...] m[en], and I will g[o and] conquer [......]." (12) [...] his servant [......] (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 366. Gathering Troops (CT 53 368)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [c]am[e ......] (2) [str]ong [......] (3) the troops [......] (4) get assembled [......] (5) spea[k ......] (6) who wen[t ......] (7) the town Si[......] (8) "[......] (Break) (r 1) w[e ......] (r 2) 300 [......] (r 3) w[ent ......] (r 4) t[o ......] (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 367. Giving away Elite Troops (CT 53 067)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [... about] whom [... the ki]ng, my lord, wrote me: "Give (them) to the chief [...!" — I] am giving [I]tu'[eans] to him. Now in place of what [is he s]eizing [...] Gurreans of mine?

SAA 15 368. Ropes for the Cohort Commander (CT 53 345)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [NN] the commander-of-fifty [...]. (2) Concerning the [... about whom the king], my lord, gave me this order: "Give ropes [to] one cohort commander! [...] Let him constantly go in and out [...]" — he is [constantly] going in and out [..., as the king, my lo]rd ordered me. (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 369. Who Chased Away the Bodyguard? (CT 53 453)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [Now th]en Man[nu-...... has c]ome [to me], saying: "Find out in detail those who chased away [...... the body]guard, and write to me [...]!" (4) A chariot fighter of mine [na]med Abu-[...] — for the second year [now] he has not g[one to] a campaign with me (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 370. A Terrible Letter (CT 53 086)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [...], saying: "[...] these [me]n [...]." (3) [Now t]hen [I a]m writing to the kin[g, my lord]; what [is it that the king, my lord], commands reg[arding] these [...]? (7) I am [n]ow se[nding] the let[ter t]o the Palace. The terr[ible word]s [f]rom the lett[er of] Il-pada the [...ean] (Break) (r 3) [... O]pis [...] (r 4) [...] ... of I[l-pada] (r 5) [wou]nde[d ...] (Rest too broken for translation)

SAA 15 371. Fragment of a Private Letter (CT 53 611)

(1) [A tablet of ...]ya to Bel-abu-uṣur. Good health to m[y] brother! (Break) (r 1) ...[...]... (r 2) I listen much to my brother.

SAA 15 372. Fragment Mentioning a Golden Seal (CT 53 179)

(1) [To the king, m]y [lord: your servant ...]aya. [Good health to] the king, my lord! (4) [When] the king's [...]s [came to] my [presence] (7) [...]... (8) [...] the golden signet ring (9) [...]... (10) [... not y]et (11) [...]

SAA 15 373. (no title) (CT 53 198)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [about which the king, my] lo[rd, wrote] to [me]: "Why [did you] send those [...]?" — I am now dispatching a letter. (9) Nabû-bal[liṭ the] wine [mast]er (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 375. (no title) (CT 53 258)

(1) [To the king, my lord: yo]ur [servant NN. Good he]alth t[o the king, my lord]! (4) [Concerning wh]at the king, my lord, [wrote to me]: (5) "Why [......]? (6) "Write to me!" [......] (7) is afraid [......] (8) we[nt ......] (9) does [......] (10) does not [......] (11) wri[ting-board ......] (12) and [NN ...] (Break) (r 3) [The king, my lord, can] be g[lad].

SAA 15 376. (no title) (CT 53 303)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [...] 20 town[s] (2) [...]eans (3) [...]s (4) [...a]lseans (5) [...]... (6) [...] the 'mule-house man' (7) [...] (8) [... o]f the king (Remainder too broken for translation)

SAA 15 377. (no title) (CT 53 318)

(1) [To the king, my lord: yo]ur servant [NN]. (3) Concerning [the ...] about which [I said] to [the king, my lord]: (5) "[......] to the land A[...] (7) "the [...... who] fro[m ......] (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 378. (no title) (CT 53 543)

(1) To [the king, my lord]: your servant [NN]. Good heal[th to the king, my lord]! (4) The king, [my] lo[rd, ......] (5) fo[rts ......] (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 380. (no title) (CT 53 561)

(1) [To the king, my lord]: your servant [NN]. Good heal[th to the king, my lord]! (4) Sîn-bu[na'i ...] c[ame and told me]: "[......] in the house [...]" (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 381. (no title) (CT 53 574)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [......] Now he (2) [......] of the distric[t] (3) [......] he (and) the govern[or] (4) [......] this (5) [......]s of the town Ib[...] (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 382. (no title) (CT 53 592)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [t]he village mana[ger ...] (2) [w]ho [...] to the left (3) [the k]ing, my lord [...] (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 383. (no title) (CT 53 602)

(Beginning destroyed) (7) [...] Aššur-be[lu-...] (8) [... wr]it[ing-board ...] (Break) (r 2) they (are) th[ere. The ... which] (r 3) I had fetched [...] under the kin[g's] aegis, (r 5) I have le[ft in] the province.

SAA 15 384. (no title) (CT 53 710)

(Beginning destroyed) (2) [......] the governors (3) [...... does n]ot agree (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 385. (no title) (CT 53 743)

(1) T[o the king, my lord]: your servant [NN]. Good health t[o the king, my lord]! (4) Concerning [......] (Remainder too broken for translation)

SAA 15 386. (no title) (CT 53 805)

(1) To [the king, my lord]: your servant [NN]. Good he[alth to the king, my lord]! (4) On the 12t[h] day [......] (5) of the king, my lord [......] (6) as [......] (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 387. (no title)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) [...] the road which [...] (2) [...] her [...] (3) Perha[ps the king, my lord, will say]: "[... the ...]-man [...]" (Remainder too broken for translation)

SAA 15 388. (no title)

(Beginning destroyed) (1) and [......] (2) alongsi[de ......] (3) again[st ......] (4) and [NN ......] (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 389. (no title)

(1) [To the king, my lord]: yo[ur] servant [NN]. Good heal[th to the king, my lord]! (4) Concerning what the king, [my lord, wrote to me]: "Why is [the ......] delay[ed]?" (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 390. (no title)

(Beginning destroyed) (r 1) [...] a 'third man' (and) a shield-bearer (r 2) [... x] homers of corn rations the governor (r 3) [of Zab]ban from my threshing floor (r 4) [...] Der ...[...] (Rest destroyed)

SAA 15 391. (no title)

(Beginning destroyed) (r 1) "they will g[o ......] (r 2) they will dra[g ......] (Rest destroyed)

Sargon II 001

(1) [Sargon (II), appointee of the god Enlil, nešakku-priest (and) desired object of the god Aššur, chosen of the gods Anu and Dagān, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), favorite of the great gods]; (2b) [just shepherd, (one) to whom the gods Aššur (and) Marduk granted a reign without eq]ual [and whose reputation (these gods) exalt/exalted to the heights]; (3) [who (re)-established the šubarrû-privileges of (the cities) Sippar, Nippur, (and) Babylon, protects the weak among them (lit.: “their weak ones”), (and) made…

Sargon II 002

Lines 1–68 are not preserved (69) [The people of the cities Pāpa (and) Lalluknu, dogs who had been bro]ught up in my palace (and) who [had conspired wi]th the land Kakmê [for the purpose of separating (from Assyria), I had deported them from their (own) places and] (re)settled them [in the city Damas]cus of the land [A]murru. (70b) I[n my] si[xth regnal year, Ursâ (Rusâ), the Urarṭian, sent his mounted messenger with a mendacious message to Bag-dāti of the land Uišdiš (and) KAR...] of the land Zikirtu, governors of the land Mannea. He ma[de them hostile to (me), Sar]gon, (and) to A[zâ, the…

~715 BCE·Neo-AssyrianRIAo

Sargon II 003

Continued from several unpreserved slabs (1') [In my eleventh regnal year, (...) Tarḫu-lara of the land Gurgum ...] whose [he]ir [Mu]tallu had cut (him) down with the sword and tak[en away ...] my [...] in ... in order to avenge him (Tarḫu-lara) [... Tarḫu-l]ara, his heir Mut[al]lu, in/with ... of the body before the god Šam[aš ... Because of] his [... that] he had done, I/he burned his hands (and) showed [(...)]. I cou[nted] as boo[ty] his heir Mutallu, together with the (royal) family of the land [Bīt-Paʾalla, as many as] the[re were (of them), (along) with gold, silver, (and)] countless…

Sargon II 004

Continued from several unpreserved slabs (1') I shattered their very strong walls [wi]th a mighty battering ram, leveling (them) to the gr[ou]nd. I took as booty [the people], [together] with their property. I destroyed, demolished, (and) burned down those cities with fire. (3') The people of the cities Sukkia, Bāla (and) Abitikna conceived (lit.: “deliberated”) an evil plan [that] was to eradicate (lit.: “to tear out the root of”) (their own) land and [g]ave [the]ir word to Ursâ (Rusâ), the Urarṭian, to do obeisance (to him). Because of the crime that they had committed, I deported them…

Sargon II 005

Continued from several unpreserved slabs (1') [... I offe]red [before them ... geese (and) ducks. I appealed to them (the gods)] in order to bring about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-Baladan), descendant of Yakīn, of Chalde[an] extraction, [the (very) image of an evil gallû-demon;] I prayed t[o the]m [with supplications and entre]aties. After I had carried out in full the festival of the great lord, the god Marduk, [...] Continued on several unpreserved slabs

Sargon II 006

Continued from several unpreserved slabs (1') [At the command of the gods Aššur, Šamaš, and Marduk], I had [my] choice [fighting men] fly over [its] water [channel]s like [ea]gles [and they brought about his defeat. I surrounded him together with his royal (military) contingent and] slaughtered [his warriors like sheep a]t his feet. [I pierced] the horses trained to [his] yoke [with arrows. Then, (as for) him, I pierced (lit.: “loosened”) his hand with the point of an arrow and] he (then) entered the gate of his city <ste>althfully, like a mongoose. [I cut down] the Puqudians, [his]…

Sargon II 007

(1) Pal[ac]e of Sargon (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Ak[k]ad, favorite of the great gods. (3b) The gods Aššur, Nabû (and) Marduk granted me a reign without equal and exalted my good reputation to the heights. (5b) I continually acted as provider for (the cities) Sippar, Nippur, Babylon, and Borsippa (and) I made restitution for the wrongful damage suffered by the people of privileged status, as many as there were (of them); I abolished corvée duty for (the cities) Dēr, Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Larsa, Kullaba,…

Sargon II 008

(1) Palace of Sargon, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters (of the world), favorite of the [great] god[s]. (2) The gods Aššur, Nabû, (and) Marduk, the gods, my helpers, granted me a reign without equal and exalted my [go]od reputation to the h[eights]. (3) I continually acted as provider for (the cities) Sippar, Nippur, Babylon, and Borsippa (and) [I made restitution for] the wrongful damage suffered by the people of privileged status, as many as there were (of them); I (re)-established…

~715 BCE·Neo-AssyrianRIAo

Sargon II 009

Claims Sargon II restored the šubarrû-tax exemptions and abolished corvée in seven southern Babylonian cities, documenting how an Assyrian king legitimised rule over Babylon by presenting himself as guardian of ancient urban privileges.

Sargon II 010

(1) Palace of Sargon (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad; (5) the king who with the support of the gods Aššur, Nabû, (and) Marduk ruled all together from the land Yadnana (Cyprus), which is in the middle of the sea, as far as the border(s) of Egypt (and) the land Musku, the wide land Amurru, the land Ḫatti (Syria) in its entirety, (10) all of (the land) Gutium, the distant Medes (who live) on the border of Mount Bikni, the lands Ellipi (and) Rāši on the border of the land Elam, all the Arameans who live…

Sargon II 011

(1) Palace of Sargon (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad; (3) the king who with the support of the gods Aššur, Nabû, (and) Marduk ruled all together from the land Yadnana (Cyprus), which is in the middle of the Western Sea, (5) as far as the border(s) of Egypt and the land Musku, the wide land Amurru, the land Ḫatti (Syria) in its entirety, all of (the land) Gutium, the distant Medes (who live) on the border of Mount Bikni, the lands Ellipi (and) Rāši on the border of the land Elam, (10) all the Arameans who live beside the…

Sargon II 012

(1) Palace of Sargon (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad; (4) the king who with the support of the gods Aššur, Nabû, (and) Marduk, ruled (lit.: “I ruled”) all together from the land Yadnana (Cyprus), which is in the middle of the Western Sea, as far as the border(s) of Egypt and the land Musku, the wide land Amurru, the land Ḫatti (Syria) in its entirety, (10) all of (the land) Gutium, the distant Medes (who live) on the border of Mount Bikni, the lands Ellipi (and) Rāši on the border of the land Elam, all the Arameans who live…

Sargon II 013

(1) Palace of Sargon (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, favorite of the great gods; (5) who provides for (the cities) Sippar, Nippur, (and) Babylon; who abolished corvée duty for (the cities) Dēr, Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Larsa, Kullaba, Kissik, (and) Nēmed-Laguda (and) who gave relief to their people; who (re)-established the privileged status (10) of (the city) Baltil (Aššur) that had lapsed; who extended his protection over the city Ḫarrān and recorded their exemption (from obligations) as if (its people…

Sargon II 014

(1) Palace of Sargon (II), great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, favorite of the great gods. (4b) I continually act[ed] as provider for (the cities) Sippar, Nippur, Babylon, and Borsippa; I [(re)-established] the freedom (from obligations) of (the cities) Dēr, Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Larsa, Kulla[ba], Kissik, (and) Nēmed-La[gu]da. I restored the exemption (from obligations) of (the city) [Bal]til (Aššur) (10) and [the city] Ḫarrā[n], which had fallen into [oblivion] in the distant [pa]st, and [their privile]ged status…

Sargon II 015

(1') [With ... provincial governors of] my [land], ov[erseers, command]ers, noble[s, eunuch]s, and el[ders of Assyria, I sat down] insi[de my palace and h]eld a fest[ival.

Sargon II 016

(1) O god Ninurta, the one endowed with (lit.: “lord of”) power, whose strength is supreme, with regard to S[ar]gon (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Su[me]r and Akkad, the one who constructed your cella, make him attain old age. May he be fully satisfied with (his) good fortune. (5) Establish his reign firmly [in]side Esagila and Ešarra. Keep his thoroughbred horses in good order (and) his (chariot) teams in good condition. Grant him [un]equaled strength (and) manly might. Mobilize his weapons so that he might strike down his foes.

Sargon II 017

(1) O god Ninšiku (Ea), the lord of wisdom who fashions absolutely everything, make your springs open up for Sargon (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, the one who constructed your cella. (5) Send forth (water from) his wells (and) provide water in great abundance for his meadowland(s). Determine as his fate wide intelligence (and) broad understanding. Bring his undertaking(s) to completion so that he might attain his desire.

Sargon II 018

(1) O god Sîn, the holy god, who renders decisions (and) reveals (ominous) signs, with regard to Sargon (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, the one who constructed your cella, duly look at him with your steadfast heart and (5) direct your just countenance upon him. Grant him a long life (lit.: “distant days”) of physical well-being. Determine as his fate years of happiness. Make his reign last as long as heaven and netherworld. Establish his throne firmly over the four quarters (of the world).

~715 BCE·Neo-AssyrianRIAo

Sargon II 019

(1) O god Adad, the canal inspector of heaven and netherworld, who illuminates the daises, with regard to Sargon (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, the one who constructed your cella, bring him at the right times rain from the sky (and) (5) floods from the depths. Pile up grain and oil in his meadowland(s). Have his people dwell (as safely) as in a meadow in great prosperity. Establish the foundation of his throne firmly (and) prolong his reign.

Sargon II 020

(1) O most honored of ladies, exalted goddess Ningal, with regard to Sargon (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, the one who constructed your cella, intercede for him in the presence of the god Sîn, your beloved husband. (5) Say good thing(s) about him for the [firm] establishment of his reign. May he (Sîn) determine as his fate good health (and) a long life (lit.: “distant days”). May his (Sargon’s) descendants rule every inhabited region forever.

Sargon II 022

(1) O god Nabû, the scribe of all (the universe), who makes opposing forces agree, with regard to Sargon (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, (and) king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, the one who constructed your cella, (5) duly look at him with your steadfast heart and direct your just countenance upon him. Grant him a long life (lit.: “distant days”) of physical well-being. Determine as his fate years of happiness. Make his reign last as long (10) as heaven and netherworld. May he continually exercise the shepherdship of all lands. May his foundation be as firm as (this) edifice (lit.: “place”) and (its) platform.

Sargon II 034

(1) ... of the city Pad[dira] ... of the city [... (and)] Aššur-lēʾi [of the land] Karal[la ...] I put ir[on] fetters on th[eir] hands and feet [...]

Sargon II 035

(1) I flayed [the sk]in from Ia<ū>-biʾ[dī (Ilu-biʾdī) of the land Hama]th.

Sargon II 036

(1) I surrounded (and) conquered the city Muṣaṣir.

Sargon II 037

(1) The city Pazaši, a fortress of the land Mannea which is (located) in front of the p[a]ss (leading) to the land Zikirtu.