Kings of Assyria
Encyclopedia
The list of Assyrian kings is compiled from the Assyria
n King List, an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia
(modern northern Iraq
) with information added from recent archaeological findings. The Assyrian King List includes regnal lengths that appear to have been based on now lost limmu
lists (which list the names of eponym
ous officials for each year). These regnal lengths accord well with Hittite, Babylonian and ancient Egyptian king lists and with the archaeological record
, and are considered reliable for the age.
Prior to the discovery of cuneiform
tablets listing ancient Assyrian kings, scholars before the 19th century only had access to two complete Assyrian King Lists, one found in Eusebius of Caesarea
's Chronicle
(c. 325 AD), of which two editions exist and secondly a list found in the Excerpta Latina Barbari
.
An incomplete list of 16 Assyrian kings was also discovered in the literature of Sextus Julius Africanus
. Other very fragmentary Assyrian king lists have come down to us written by the Greeks and Romans such as Ctesias of Cnidus (c. 400 BC) and the Roman authors Castor of Rhodes
(1st century BC) and Cephalion
(1st century AD).
Unlike the cuneiform tablets, the "other" Assyrian King Lists are not considered to be wholly factual (since they contain some mythological figures) and thus are only considered to contain minor historical truths. Some scholars argue further that they are either entire fabrications or fiction.
tablet versions of the King List, and two fragments. They date to the early first millennium BC—the oldest, List A (8th century BC) stopping at Tiglath-Pileser II
(ca. 967–935 BC) and the youngest, List C, at Shalmaneser V
(727–722 BC). Assyriologists believe the list was originally compiled to link Shamshi-Adad I
(fl. ca. 1700 BC (short)), an Amorite
who had conquered Assur
, to the native rulers of the land of Assur. Scribes then copied the List and added to it over time.
, Nicolaus of Damascus
and Photius. From these fragments it is known Ctesias dated the founding of the Assyria to c. 2166 BC, by king Ninus
, husband of Queen Semiramis
, and 30 further Assyrian kings followed for 1300 years in succession to Sardanapalus
(c. 866 BC). Ctesias' list of 30 successors from Ninus (and Semiramis
) to Sandanapalus is lost.
compiled an Assyrian King List, similar to that of Ctesias'. However fragments only remain in mutilated form, but it is known from these fragments that Castor's Assyrian king list started with Belus
, but like Ctesias' included Ninus
, also said to be the husband of Semiramis
. However Ninus equates in Castor's list to the second king, not the first and is said to have ruled for 52 years. Castor further dated Belus to 2123 BC. A fragment from Cephalion
, names Ninus' successor to be Ninyas, his son.
' Chronographiai (early 3rd century AD):
's Chronicle
(c. 325 AD), contains a complete list of 36 Assyrian kings. Eusebius' King List
. The list can be found in Scaliger
's Thesaurus temporum (1606). The list dates Belus
, the first Assyrian king to c. 2206 BC.
(965-936), Ninūs/Tukulti-Ninurta II
(890-884), Lāwasnasir/Assurnasirpal II (883-859) and Shamīram/Semiramis
(810-806).
.
.
(ca. 1420–1415 BC (short)) prevents the calculation of approximate regnal dates from Erishum I to this point. Additionally, three kings attested elsewhere from this period are not included in the standard King List. The remainder of the King List then has an unbroken chain of regnal lengths from Enlil-nasir II on. Disparities between the different versions of the King List for the reigns of Ashur-nadin-apli
(ca. 1196–1194 BC (short)) and Ninurta-apal-Ekur
(ca. 1182–1180 BC (short)) contribute to the debate over the chronology of the ancient Near East
. Georges Roux
and A. Leo Oppenheim
provide dates in their King Lists, but these are open to debate
(ca. 1182–1180 BC) are subject to debate, as some of the regnal lengths vary over the different versions of the King List. The dates given below are based on Assyrian King Lists B and C, which give only three years to Ashur-nadin-apli
, and the same to Ninurta-apal-Ekur
. (Assyrian King List A gives four years to Ashur-nadin-apli and 13 years to Ninurta-apal-Ekur.) This timeframe is also subject to the overall debate about the chronology of the ancient Near East
; the short (or low) chronology is used here.
Dates from 1179 to 912 BC, although less secure than dates from 911 BC onwards, are not subject to the chronology debate.
Synchronisms between the limmu
lists and absolute dates known from Babylonian chronology provide good absolute dates for the years between 911 BC and 649 BC.
The dates for the very end of the Assyrian period are uncertain due to the lack of limmu lists after 649 BC. Some sources list Ashurbanipal
's death in 631 BC, rather than 627 BC; Ashur-etil-ilani
then reigns from 631 to 627, and Sin-shar-ishkun reigns until 612 BC, when he is known to have died in the sack of Nineveh
.
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n King List, an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
(modern northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
) with information added from recent archaeological findings. The Assyrian King List includes regnal lengths that appear to have been based on now lost limmu
Limmu
Limmu was an Assyrian eponym. At the beginning of the reign of an Assyrian king, the limmu, an appointed royal official, would preside over the New Year festival at the capital. Each year a new limmu would be chosen. Although picked by lot, there was most likely a limited group, such as the men of...
lists (which list the names of eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous officials for each year). These regnal lengths accord well with Hittite, Babylonian and ancient Egyptian king lists and with the archaeological record
Archaeological record
The archaeological record is the body of physical evidence about the past. It is one of the most basic concepts in archaeology, the academic discipline concerned with documenting and interpreting the archaeological record....
, and are considered reliable for the age.
Prior to the discovery of cuneiform
Cuneiform
Cuneiform can refer to:*Cuneiform script, an ancient writing system originating in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC*Cuneiform , three bones in the human foot*Cuneiform Records, a music record label...
tablets listing ancient Assyrian kings, scholars before the 19th century only had access to two complete Assyrian King Lists, one found in Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon...
's Chronicle
Chronicon (Eusebius)
The Chronicon or Chronicle was a work in two books by Eusebius of Caesarea. It seems to have been compiled in the early 4th century. It contained a world chronicle from Abraham until the vicennalia of Constantine I in 325 AD...
(c. 325 AD), of which two editions exist and secondly a list found in the Excerpta Latina Barbari
Excerpta Latina Barbari
Excerpta Latina Barbari is a Latin translation of a 5th or early 6th century Greek chronicle.-Origin:The Excerpta Latina Barbari is a Latin translation of a Greek chronicle composed in Alexandria during the reign of Zeno or Anastasius .The original Greek chronicle was a variation of the Chronica...
.
An incomplete list of 16 Assyrian kings was also discovered in the literature of Sextus Julius Africanus
Sextus Julius Africanus
Sextus Julius Africanus was a Christian traveller and historian of the late 2nd and early 3rd century AD. He is important chiefly because of his influence on Eusebius, on all the later writers of Church history among the Fathers, and on the whole Greek school of chroniclers.His name indicates that...
. Other very fragmentary Assyrian king lists have come down to us written by the Greeks and Romans such as Ctesias of Cnidus (c. 400 BC) and the Roman authors Castor of Rhodes
Castor of Rhodes
Castor of Rhodes was a Greek grammarian and rhetorician, surnamed Philoromaeus, and is usually believed to have lived about the time of Cicero and Julius Caesar....
(1st century BC) and Cephalion
Cephalion
Cephalion may be:*another name of Caphaurus, son of Amphithemis and the nymph Tritonis, killed the Argonauts Canthus and Euribates*Roman historian of the time of Hadrian. Wrote a history of Assyria from the time of Ninus and Semiramis to that of Alexander the Great...
(1st century AD).
Unlike the cuneiform tablets, the "other" Assyrian King Lists are not considered to be wholly factual (since they contain some mythological figures) and thus are only considered to contain minor historical truths. Some scholars argue further that they are either entire fabrications or fiction.
Cuneiform Sources
There are three extant cuneiformCuneiform
Cuneiform can refer to:*Cuneiform script, an ancient writing system originating in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC*Cuneiform , three bones in the human foot*Cuneiform Records, a music record label...
tablet versions of the King List, and two fragments. They date to the early first millennium BC—the oldest, List A (8th century BC) stopping at Tiglath-Pileser II
Tiglath-Pileser II
Tiglath-Pileser II was King of Assyria from 967 BCE, when he succeeded his father Ashur-resh-ishi II until his death in 935 BCE, when he was succeeded by his son Ashur-dan II. Little is known about his reign.-References:...
(ca. 967–935 BC) and the youngest, List C, at Shalmaneser V
Shalmaneser V
Shalmaneser V was king of Assyria from 727 to 722 BC. He first appears as governor of Zimirra in Phoenicia in the reign of his father, Tiglath-Pileser III....
(727–722 BC). Assyriologists believe the list was originally compiled to link Shamshi-Adad I
Shamshi-Adad I
Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I (fl. late 18th century BC (short chronology) was an Assyrian king. He rose to prominence when he carved out an empire encompassing much of Mesopotamia, Syria and Asia Minor...
(fl. ca. 1700 BC (short)), an Amorite
Amorite
Amorite refers to an ancient Semitic people who occupied large parts of Mesopotamia from the 21st Century BC...
who had conquered Assur
Assur
Assur , was one of the capitals of ancient Assyria. The remains of the city are situated on the western bank of river Tigris, north of the confluence with the tributary Little Zab river, in modern day Iraq, more precisely in the Al-Shirqat District .Assur is also...
, to the native rulers of the land of Assur. Scribes then copied the List and added to it over time.
Ctesias
Ctesias as court physician to Artaxerxes II, claimed to have access to the royal historical records. Ctesias' list of Assyrian kings was included in his Persica, a work covering the history of Persia, but the first 3 books were dedicated to pre-Persian Assyria entitled "The History of the Assyrians". How much of Ctesias' king list is factual history is still debated, while most scholars agree large parts are fiction, it is generally agreed that there is historical truth based on the probability his list was rooted in transmitted oral tradition. Classical scholar Robert Drews however has argued that Ctesias' list contains information from Babylonian tablets. Although Ctesias's entire work is lost, fragments of it are found preserved in Diodorus SiculusDiodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
, Nicolaus of Damascus
Nicolaus of Damascus
Nicolaus of Damascus was a Greek historian and philosopher who lived during the Augustan age of the Roman Empire. His name is derived from that of his birthplace, Damascus. He was born around 64 BC....
and Photius. From these fragments it is known Ctesias dated the founding of the Assyria to c. 2166 BC, by king Ninus
Ninus
Ninus , according to Greek historians writing in the Hellenistic period and later, was accepted as the eponymous founder of Nineveh , Ancient capital of Assyria, although he does not seem to represent any one personage known to modern history, and is more likely a conflation of several real and/or...
, husband of Queen Semiramis
Semiramis
The real and historical Shammuramat , was the Assyrian queen of Shamshi-Adad V , King of Assyria and ruler of the Neo Assyrian Empire, and its regent for four years until her son Adad-nirari III came of age....
, and 30 further Assyrian kings followed for 1300 years in succession to Sardanapalus
Sardanapalus
Sardanapalus was, according to the Greek writer Ctesias of Cnidus, the last king of Assyria. Ctesias' Persica is lost, but we know of its contents by later compilations and from the work of Diodorus...
(c. 866 BC). Ctesias' list of 30 successors from Ninus (and Semiramis
Semiramis
The real and historical Shammuramat , was the Assyrian queen of Shamshi-Adad V , King of Assyria and ruler of the Neo Assyrian Empire, and its regent for four years until her son Adad-nirari III came of age....
) to Sandanapalus is lost.
Castor of Rhodes and Cephalion
In the 1st century BC, Castor of RhodesCastor of Rhodes
Castor of Rhodes was a Greek grammarian and rhetorician, surnamed Philoromaeus, and is usually believed to have lived about the time of Cicero and Julius Caesar....
compiled an Assyrian King List, similar to that of Ctesias'. However fragments only remain in mutilated form, but it is known from these fragments that Castor's Assyrian king list started with Belus
Belus (Assyrian)
Belus or Belos in classical Greek or classical Latin texts in an Assyrian context refers to one or another purportedly ancient and historically nonexistent Assyrian king, such king in part at least a euhemerization of the Babylonian god Bel Marduk.Belus most commonly appears as the father of...
, but like Ctesias' included Ninus
Ninus
Ninus , according to Greek historians writing in the Hellenistic period and later, was accepted as the eponymous founder of Nineveh , Ancient capital of Assyria, although he does not seem to represent any one personage known to modern history, and is more likely a conflation of several real and/or...
, also said to be the husband of Semiramis
Semiramis
The real and historical Shammuramat , was the Assyrian queen of Shamshi-Adad V , King of Assyria and ruler of the Neo Assyrian Empire, and its regent for four years until her son Adad-nirari III came of age....
. However Ninus equates in Castor's list to the second king, not the first and is said to have ruled for 52 years. Castor further dated Belus to 2123 BC. A fragment from Cephalion
Cephalion
Cephalion may be:*another name of Caphaurus, son of Amphithemis and the nymph Tritonis, killed the Argonauts Canthus and Euribates*Roman historian of the time of Hadrian. Wrote a history of Assyria from the time of Ninus and Semiramis to that of Alexander the Great...
, names Ninus' successor to be Ninyas, his son.
Africanus' List
An incomplete list of 16 Assyrian kings is found in Sextus Julius AfricanusSextus Julius Africanus
Sextus Julius Africanus was a Christian traveller and historian of the late 2nd and early 3rd century AD. He is important chiefly because of his influence on Eusebius, on all the later writers of Church history among the Fathers, and on the whole Greek school of chroniclers.His name indicates that...
' Chronographiai (early 3rd century AD):
Eusebius' List
Eusebius of CaesareaEusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon...
's Chronicle
Chronicon (Eusebius)
The Chronicon or Chronicle was a work in two books by Eusebius of Caesarea. It seems to have been compiled in the early 4th century. It contained a world chronicle from Abraham until the vicennalia of Constantine I in 325 AD...
(c. 325 AD), contains a complete list of 36 Assyrian kings. Eusebius' King List
Excerpta Latina Barbari
A final list is found in the Excerpta Latina BarbariExcerpta Latina Barbari
Excerpta Latina Barbari is a Latin translation of a 5th or early 6th century Greek chronicle.-Origin:The Excerpta Latina Barbari is a Latin translation of a Greek chronicle composed in Alexandria during the reign of Zeno or Anastasius .The original Greek chronicle was a variation of the Chronica...
. The list can be found in Scaliger
Joseph Justus Scaliger
Joseph Justus Scaliger was a French religious leader and scholar, known for expanding the notion of classical history from Greek and Ancient Roman history to include Persian, Babylonian, Jewish and Ancient Egyptian history.-Early life:He was born at Agen, the tenth child and third son of Italian...
's Thesaurus temporum (1606). The list dates Belus
Belus
Belus or Belos may be:* The classical Latin or Greek rendition of Bel the Semitic honorific**Ba`al as a Semitic deity** Belus , the Greek Zeus Belos and Latin Jupiter Belus as translations of the Babylonian god Bel Marduk...
, the first Assyrian king to c. 2206 BC.
List in Arabic
The Arab historian al-Ya'qūbī included in his Kitāb al-ta'rīkh written in 873 CE a list of kings of "Mosul and Nineveh" comprising four identifiable Assyrian kings: Palūs/Tiglath-pileser IITiglath-Pileser II
Tiglath-Pileser II was King of Assyria from 967 BCE, when he succeeded his father Ashur-resh-ishi II until his death in 935 BCE, when he was succeeded by his son Ashur-dan II. Little is known about his reign.-References:...
(965-936), Ninūs/Tukulti-Ninurta II
Tukulti-Ninurta II
Tukulti-Ninurta II was King of Assyria from 891 BC to 884 BC. He was the second king of the Neo Assyrian Empire.-Family:His father was Adad-nirari II, the second king of the Neo-Assyrian period. His son succeeded him and was named Ashurnasirpal II...
(890-884), Lāwasnasir/Assurnasirpal II (883-859) and Shamīram/Semiramis
Semiramis
The real and historical Shammuramat , was the Assyrian queen of Shamshi-Adad V , King of Assyria and ruler of the Neo Assyrian Empire, and its regent for four years until her son Adad-nirari III came of age....
(810-806).
Kings who Lived in Tents
This section shows marked similarities to the ancestors of the first Babylonian dynasty.Kings whose Fathers are Known
These list the ancestors of Shamshi-Adad IShamshi-Adad I
Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I (fl. late 18th century BC (short chronology) was an Assyrian king. He rose to prominence when he carved out an empire encompassing much of Mesopotamia, Syria and Asia Minor...
.
Kings whose Eponyms are not Known
These are early rulers of AssyriaAssyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
.
| Old Assyrian Period | ||
| King name | Reigned | |
|---|---|---|
| Sulili Sulili Sulili was the name of an ancient Assyrian king. He was the son of the forefather Aminu, and would have ruled ca. 2000 BC.... |
unknown 21st c BC | "son of Aminu" |
| Kikkiya | unknown 21st c BC | "son of Sulili" |
| Akiya | unknown 21st or early 20th C BC | "son of Kikkiya" |
| Puzur-Ashur I Puzur-Ashur I Puzur-Ashur I was a king of Assyria circa 1975 BC Assyrian king list. According to Georges Roux he founded a new dynasty in Assyria, and left inscriptions and dedications to the gods Ashur, Adad and Ishtar in his capital city. The date of his death has not survived on record, but he was succeeded... |
fl. ca. 1975 BC | Founded new Dynasty, dedicated temples in Ashur Ashur Ashur |Shin]]) in the Masoretic text, which doubles the 'ש'), was the second son of Shem, the son of Noah. Ashur's brothers were Elam, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.... , founded colonies in Asia Minor Asia Minor Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey... Contemporary of Ishbi-Erra Ishbi-Erra Ishbi-Erra was the first king in the Dynasty of Isin. When the Third Dynasty of Ur collapsed during the reign of Ibbi-Sin, and the former empire was overrun by invaders from Elam and elsewhere, Ishbi-Erra, who had until then served as governor of Isin, set-up an independent kingdom. This kingdom... of Larsa Larsa Larsa was an important city of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult of the sun god Utu. It lies some 25 km southeast of Uruk in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate, near the east bank of the Shatt-en-Nil canal at the site of the modern settlement Tell as-Senkereh or Sankarah.-History:According to... |
| Shalim-ahum Shalim-ahum Shalim-ahum was an early king of Assyria who died in 1946 BC according to the Assyrian king list. He succeeded Puzur-Ashur I. Little has been discovered about his rule thus far.... |
died 1946 BC | "son of Puzur-Ashur I" |
| Ilu-shuma | fl. ca. 1945 - 1906 BC | raided Sumero-Akkadian City States in southern Mesopotamia |
Old Assyrian Period
Damage to the tablets in all three extant King Lists before Enlil-nasir IIEnlil-Nasir II
Enlil-Nasir II was the king of Assyria from 1420 BC to 1414 BC. The brother of Ashur-nadin-ahhe I, he seized the throne in a successful coup....
(ca. 1420–1415 BC (short)) prevents the calculation of approximate regnal dates from Erishum I to this point. Additionally, three kings attested elsewhere from this period are not included in the standard King List. The remainder of the King List then has an unbroken chain of regnal lengths from Enlil-nasir II on. Disparities between the different versions of the King List for the reigns of Ashur-nadin-apli
Ashur-nadin-apli
Ashur-nadin-apli was king of Assyria . The alternate dating is due to uncertainty over the length of reign of a later monarch, Ninurta-apal-Ekur, where conflicting king lists differ by ten years. His name meant “Ashur has given an heir” in the Akkadian language...
(ca. 1196–1194 BC (short)) and Ninurta-apal-Ekur
Ninurta-apal-Ekur
Ninurta-apal-Ekur, meaning “Ninurta is the heir of the Ekur,” was a King of Assyria in the early 12th Century BC who usurped the throne and styled himself king of the universe and priest of the gods Enlil and Ninurta...
(ca. 1182–1180 BC (short)) contribute to the debate over the chronology of the ancient Near East
Chronology of the ancient Near East
The chronology of the Ancient Near East provides a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Individual inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers, taking forms like "in the year X of king Y". Thus by piecing together many...
. Georges Roux
Georges Roux
Georges Roux was a French artist and book illustrator. His best-known works today are a large number of illustrations he created for the science-fiction novels of Jules Verne, in the series Les voyages extraordinaires...
and A. Leo Oppenheim
A. Leo Oppenheim
A Leo Oppenheim , one of the most distinguished Assyriologists of his generation was editor-in-charge of the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute 1955-1974 and John A. Wilson Professor of Oriental Studies at the University of Chicago.Oppenheim was born in Vienna, where he received...
provide dates in their King Lists, but these are open to debate
| Old Assyrian Period | ||
| King name | Reigned | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Erishum I Erishum I Erishum I was the king of Assyria between 1906 BC to 1867 BC. He was the son of the previous Assyrian king, Ilushuma. He built a temple for the deity Assur... |
fl. ca. 1905-1867 BC (30 or 40 years) |
"son of Ilu-shuma"; contemporary of Sumuabum first ruler of Babylonia Babylonia Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as... ; said to have built the temple of Ashur Ashur Ashur |Shin]]) in the Masoretic text, which doubles the 'ש'), was the second son of Shem, the son of Noah. Ashur's brothers were Elam, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.... |
| Ikunum Ikunum Ikunum was a king of Assyria between 1867 BC to 1860 BC and the son of Ilushuma.- Reign :He built a temple for the god Ninkigal., strengthened the fortifications of the city of Assur and maintained commercial colonies in Asia Minor.... |
1867 - 1860 BC (damaged text) | "son of Ilushuma" 1867 - 1860 BC |
| Sargon I Sargon I Sargon I or Sharru-ken reigned as king of the old-Assyrian Kingdom from ca. 1920 BC to 1881 BC. The name 'Sargon' means 'the king is legitimate' in Akkadian. He is known for his work refortifying Assur. The name "Sargon I" has also been used to refer to Sargon of Akkad, and the Assyrian Sargon... |
ca. 1859 BC - ?(damaged text) | "son of Ikunum" |
| Puzur-Ashur II Puzur-Ashur II Puzur-Aššur II was King of Assyria for 8 years between 1865 BC to 1857 BC. He was the son and successor of Šarru-kin I . Due to his father's long reign he came to the throne at a late age since one of his sons, named Ili-bani, was a witness in a contract eleven years before... |
(damaged text) | "son of Sargon (I)" |
| Naram-Suen (Naram-Sin Naram-Sin Naram-Sin , reigned ca. 2254–2218 BCE, short chronology, was the third successor and grandson of King Sargon of Akkad. Under Naram-Sin the Akkadian Empire reached its zenith... ) |
(damaged text) | "son of Puzur-Ashur (II)" |
| Erishum II Erishum II Erishum II was the King of Assyria from 1815 BC to 1809 BC. After reigning only for 6 years, he was overthrown by Shamshi-Adad I.-See also:*Assyria... |
1819 - 1814 BC (damaged text) | "son of Naram-Suen" |
| Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I (fl. late 18th century BC (short chronology) was an Assyrian king. He rose to prominence when he carved out an empire encompassing much of Mesopotamia, Syria and Asia Minor... |
fl. ca. 1813 - 1791 BC | "son of (local ruler) Ila-kabkabu Ila-kabkabu Ila-kabkabu was a local king in Assyria during the late 19th century BC. His ancestors were probably Semitic nomads. He was at one point allied with the neighbouring king Iagitlim of Mari, but this alliance later fell apart and they came into open conflict. Ila-kabkabu was the father of the famous... , went to Karduniash in the time of Naram-Suen Naram-Suen Naram-Suen may refer to any of four kings in the history of Mesopotamia:* Naram-Sin of Akkad , an Akkadian king, the most famous of the four* Naram-Sin of Assyria , an Assyrian king* Naram-Sin of Uruk , a king of Uruk known from... . In the eponym Eponym An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named... y of Ibni-Adad, Shamshi-Adad went up from Karduniash. He took Ekallatum Ekallatum Ekallatum was an ancient Assyrian city of upper Mesopotamia. The exact location of it has not yet been identified, but it was located somewhere along the left bank of the Tigris, south of Assur.... , where he stayed three years. In the eponymy of Atamar-Ishtar, Shamshi-Adad went up from Ekallatum. He ousted Erishum II Erishum II Erishum II was the King of Assyria from 1815 BC to 1809 BC. After reigning only for 6 years, he was overthrown by Shamshi-Adad I.-See also:*Assyria... , son of Naram-Suen, from the throne and took it."; |
| Ishme-Dagan I | 1790 - 1751 BC | "son of Shamshi-Adad (I)" |
| Mut-Ashkur Mut-Ashkur Mut-Ashkur was the king of Assyria from 1730 BC to 1720 BC. He was the son and successor of Ishme-Dagan. His father arranged for him to marry the daughter of the Hurrian king Zaziya.... |
1750 BC - (unknown) | Vassal of Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian from Amorite ʻAmmurāpi, "the kinsman is a healer", from ʻAmmu, "paternal kinsman", and Rāpi, "healer"; (died c... , son of Ishme-Dagan I, married to a Hurrian queen; not included in the standard King List, but attested elswhere |
| Rimush Rimush Rimush was the second king of the Akkadian Empire. He was the son of Sargon of Akkad and Queen Tashlultum. He was succeeded by his brother Manishtushu and was an uncle of Naram-Sin of Akkad.... |
(unknown) | included in the alternative King List fragment, last part of name lost; (believed to be Rimush Rimush Rimush was the second king of the Akkadian Empire. He was the son of Sargon of Akkad and Queen Tashlultum. He was succeeded by his brother Manishtushu and was an uncle of Naram-Sin of Akkad.... by Georges Roux) not included in the standard King List Was a vassal of Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian from Amorite ʻAmmurāpi, "the kinsman is a healer", from ʻAmmu, "paternal kinsman", and Rāpi, "healer"; (died c... |
| Asinum Asinum Asinum was an Assyrian king, grandson of Shamshi-Adad I, driven out by vice-regent Puzur-Sin because he was of Amorite extraction; not included in the standard King List, but attested in Puzur-Suen's inscription... |
(unknown) | grandson of Shamshi-Adad I, driven out by vice-regent Puzur-Sin Puzur-Sin Puzur-Sin was an Assyrian vice regent who according to the Assyrian King List was responsible for driving out Asinum the Amorite vassal king of the Babylonians from Assyria, and allowing the native Ashur-dugul to seize the throne.... because he was of Amorite Amorite Amorite refers to an ancient Semitic people who occupied large parts of Mesopotamia from the 21st Century BC... extraction; not included in the standard King List, but attested in Puzur-Sin Puzur-Sin Puzur-Sin was an Assyrian vice regent who according to the Assyrian King List was responsible for driving out Asinum the Amorite vassal king of the Babylonians from Assyria, and allowing the native Ashur-dugul to seize the throne.... 's inscription |
Seven usurpers:
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| Adasi Adasi (Assyria) Adasi was an Assyrian king, the last in a line of 7 usurpers of the Assyrian throne, who reigned from 1720 - 1701 BC after the ejection of the Amorite ruled Babylonians from Assyria. He is credited in the Assyrian King List with stabilising Assyria and freeing it from civil war and Amorite... |
circa 1720 - 1701 BC | Drove Babylonians and Amorites from Assyria circa 1720 BC |
| Bel-bani | 1700 - 1691 BC (10 years) | "son of Adasi" |
| Libaya | 1690-1674 BC (17 years) | "son of Bel-bani" |
| Sharma-Adad I | 1673-1662 BC (12 years) | "son of Libaya" |
| Iptar-Sin Iptar-Sin IB.TAR.SînmIB.TAR-d30. , was the 51st Assyrian king according to the Assyrian King List.Ḫorsābād King List ii 18. He reigned for 12 years some time during the 17th century BC.-Biography:... |
1661-1650 BC (12 years) | "son of Sharma-Adad (I)" |
| Bazaya | 1649-1622 BC (28 years) | "son of Iptar-Suen" |
| Lullaya | (1621-1618 BC (6 years) | "son of a nobody" |
| Shu-Ninua | 1615-1602 BC (14 years) | "son of Bazaya" |
| Sharma-Adad II | 1601-1599 BC (3 years) | "son of Shu-Ninua" |
| Erishum III | 1598-1586 BC (13 years) | "son of Shu-Ninua" |
| Shamshi-Adad II | 1585-1580 BC(6 years) | "son of Erishum (III)" |
| Ishme-Dagan II | 1579 - 1562 BC (16 years) | "son of Shamshi-Adad (II)" |
| Shamshi-Adad III Shamshi-Adad III Shamshi-Adad III was the King of Assyria from 1545 BC to 1529 BC. He was the son of Ishme-Dagan II.... |
1562 - 1548 BC (16 years) | " son of (another) Ishme-Dagan, brother of Sharma-Adad (II), son of Shu-Ninua" |
| Ashur-nirari I Ashur-nirari I Ashur-nirari I was the king of Assyria from 1529 BC to 1503 BC and the son of the former king Ishme-Dagan II. Under his reign, he helped construct the langraum of the Sin-Shamash temple at the Assyrian capital of Ashur. - References :... |
1547 - 1522 BC (26 years) | "son of Ishme-Dagan II" |
| Puzur-Ashur III Puzur-Ashur III Puzur-Ashur III was the king of Assyria from 1503 BC to 1479 BC. According to the Assyrian King List, he was the son and successor of Ashur-nirari I and ruled for 24 years. He is also the first Assyrian king to appear in the synchronistic history, where he is described as a contemporary of... |
1521-1498 BC | "son of Ashur-nirari (I)"; contemporary of Burna-Buriash I Burnaburiash I Burna-Buriyåš I, meaning servant of the Lord of the lands, was the first Kassite who really ruled over Babylonia, possibly the first to occupy the city of Babylon proper around 1510 BC, culminating a century of creeping encroachment by the Kassite tribes. He was the tenth king of the Babylonian... of Babylonia Babylonia Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as... Fortified Ashur Ashur Ashur |Shin]]) in the Masoretic text, which doubles the 'ש'), was the second son of Shem, the son of Noah. Ashur's brothers were Elam, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.... |
| Enlil-nasir I Enlil-nasir I Enlil-nasir I was the king of Assyria from 1479 BC to 1466 BC.... |
1497 - 1484 BC (13 years) | "son of Puzur-Ashur (III)" |
| Nur-ili Nur-ili Nur-ili was the king of Assyria from 1466 BC 1454 BC. He was the son of the king before him, Enlil-nasir I.... |
circa 1483 - 1471 BC (12 years) | "son Enlil-nasir (I)" Vassal of the Mitanni Mitanni Mitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC... Empire |
| Ashur-shaduni Ashur-shaduni Ashur-shaduni was the king of Assyria for only one month in 1454 BC. He took control of the empire after the death of his father Nur-ili, but was overthrown in a coup by his uncle Ashur-rabi I.... |
circa 1471 BC (1 month) | "son of Nur-ili" |
| Ashur-rabi I Ashur-rabi I Ashur-rabi I was the King of Assyria from 1453 BC to 1435 BC. The son of the former king Enlil-nasir I, he seized the throne after a successful coup on Ashur-Saduni, who was the king for only one month.-References:... |
circa 1470 - 1451 BC (uncertain, damaged text) | "son of Enlil-nasir (I), ousted him (Ashur-shaduni), (and) seized the throne" |
| Ashur-nadin-ahhe I Ashur-nadin-ahhe I Ashur-nadin-ahhe I was the king of Assyria from 1435 BC to 1420 BC. He took power after the death of his father, Ashur-rabi I. Beginning with his reign, Assyria became a vassal of Mitanni. After a 15 year rule, he was overthrown by his brother Enlil-Nasir II.... |
circa 1450 - 1431 (uncertain, damaged text) | "son of Ashur-rabi (I)" |
| Enlil-nasir II Enlil-Nasir II Enlil-Nasir II was the king of Assyria from 1420 BC to 1414 BC. The brother of Ashur-nadin-ahhe I, he seized the throne in a successful coup.... |
ca. 1430–1425 BC | "his (Ashur-nadin-ahhe I's) brother, ousted him" |
| Ashur-nirari II Ashur-nirari II Ashur-nirari II was the king of Assyria from 1414 BC 1407 BC. He was the son of the king before him, Enlil-Nasir II.... |
ca. 1424–1418 BC | "son of Enlil-nasir (II)" |
| Ashur-bel-nisheshu Ashur-bel-nisheshu Ashur-Bel-Nisheshu was the king of Assyria from 1407 BC to 1398 BC... |
ca. 1417–1409 BC | "son of Ashur-nirari (II)" |
| Ashur-rim-nisheshu Ashur-rim-nisheshu Ashur-rim-nisheshu was the king of Assyria from 1398 BC to 1390 BC. He was the son of the king before him, Ashur-bel-nisheshu.... |
ca. 1408–1401 BC | "son of Ashur-bel-nisheshu" |
| Ashur-nadin-ahhe II Ashur-nadin-ahhe II Ashur-nadin-ahhe II was king of Assyria from 1403 to 1393 BC. Preceded by Ashur-rim-nisheshu, he is considered to be the last king of the Old Assyrian Period. He was succeeded by Eriba-Adad I, the first king of the Middle Assyrian period.Ashur-nadin-ahhe is an Assyrian personal name meaning “the... |
ca. 1400–1391 BC | "son of Ashur-rim-nisheshu" |
Middle Assyrian Period
The dates up to Ninurta-apal-EkurNinurta-apal-Ekur
Ninurta-apal-Ekur, meaning “Ninurta is the heir of the Ekur,” was a King of Assyria in the early 12th Century BC who usurped the throne and styled himself king of the universe and priest of the gods Enlil and Ninurta...
(ca. 1182–1180 BC) are subject to debate, as some of the regnal lengths vary over the different versions of the King List. The dates given below are based on Assyrian King Lists B and C, which give only three years to Ashur-nadin-apli
Ashur-nadin-apli
Ashur-nadin-apli was king of Assyria . The alternate dating is due to uncertainty over the length of reign of a later monarch, Ninurta-apal-Ekur, where conflicting king lists differ by ten years. His name meant “Ashur has given an heir” in the Akkadian language...
, and the same to Ninurta-apal-Ekur
Ninurta-apal-Ekur
Ninurta-apal-Ekur, meaning “Ninurta is the heir of the Ekur,” was a King of Assyria in the early 12th Century BC who usurped the throne and styled himself king of the universe and priest of the gods Enlil and Ninurta...
. (Assyrian King List A gives four years to Ashur-nadin-apli and 13 years to Ninurta-apal-Ekur.) This timeframe is also subject to the overall debate about the chronology of the ancient Near East
Chronology of the ancient Near East
The chronology of the Ancient Near East provides a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Individual inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers, taking forms like "in the year X of king Y". Thus by piecing together many...
; the short (or low) chronology is used here.
Dates from 1179 to 912 BC, although less secure than dates from 911 BC onwards, are not subject to the chronology debate.
| Middle Assyrian Period | ||
| King name | Reigned | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eriba-Adad I Eriba-Adad I Eriba-Adad was king of Assyria from 1392 BC to 1366 BC.He was probably a vassal of Mitanni. However, this kingdom got tangled up in a dynastic battle between Tushratta and his brother Artatama II and after this his son Shuttarna II, who called himself king of the Hurri, while seeking support from... |
ca. 1390–1364 BC | "son of Ashur-bel-nisheshu" |
| Ashur-uballit I Ashur-uballit I Ashur-uballit I , was king of the Assyrian empire . His reign marks Assyria's independence from the kingdom of Mitanni, by defeating Shuttarna II; and the beginning of Assyria's emergence as a powerful empire... |
ca. 1363–1328 BC | "son of Eriba-Adad (I)" |
| Enlil-nirari Enlil-nirari Enlil-nirari was King of Assyria from 1330 BC to 1319 BC, or from 1317 BC to 1308 BC . He was the son of Aššur-uballiṭ I... |
ca. 1327–1318 BC | "son of Ashur-uballit" |
| Arik-den-ili Arik-den-ili Arik-den-ili was an Assyrian king who succeeded Enlil-nirari, his father, and was to rule for twelve years and inaugurate the tradition of annual military campaigns against Assyria’s neighbors.-Biography:Our sources are slim for his reign, less than ten inscriptions, a fragmentary chronicle... |
ca. 1317–1306 BC | "son of Enlil-nirari" |
| Adad-nirari I Adad-nirari I Adad-nirari I was a king of Assyria. He is the earliest Assyrian king whose annals survive in any detail. Adad-nirari I achieved major military victories that significantly strengthened the Assyrian kingdom and enabled Assyria to start to play a major role in Mesopotamian politics... |
ca. 1305–1274 BC | "son of Arik-den-ili" |
| Shalmaneser I Shalmaneser I Shalmaneser I was a king of Assyria.Son of Adad-nirari I, he succeeded his father as king in 1265 BC.... |
ca. 1273–1244 BC | "son of Adad-nirari (I)" |
| Tukulti-Ninurta I Tukulti-Ninurta I Tukulti-Ninurta I was a king of Assyria.He succeeded Shalmaneser I, his father, as king and won a major victory against the Hittites at the Battle of Nihriya in the first half of his reign... |
ca. 1243–1207 BC | "son of Shalmaneser (I)" |
| Ashur-nadin-apli Ashur-nadin-apli Ashur-nadin-apli was king of Assyria . The alternate dating is due to uncertainty over the length of reign of a later monarch, Ninurta-apal-Ekur, where conflicting king lists differ by ten years. His name meant “Ashur has given an heir” in the Akkadian language... |
ca. 1206–1203 BC | "during the lifetime of Tukulti-ninurta (I), Ashur-nadin-apli, his son, seized the throne" |
| Ashur-nirari III Ashur-nirari III Ashur-nirari III was king of Assyria . He was the grandson of Tukulti-Ninurta I and may have succeeded his uncle Ashur-nadin-apli on the throne. Ashur-nirari's father Ashur-nasir-pal participated in a conspiracy against Tukulti-Ninurta I which led to his murder... |
ca. 1202–1197 BC | "son of Ashur-nadin-apli" |
| Enlil-kudurri-usur Enlil-kudurri-usur Enlil-kudurri-usur was King of Assyria. Depending on the length of reign one gives to his successor, Ninurta-apal-Ekur, this would have been either from 1187 to 1183 BC or from 1197 to 1193 BC. The former dates are more common in recent studies. Enlil-kudurri-usur was the son of Tukulti-Ninurta... |
ca. 1196–1192 BC | "son of Tukulti-Ninurta (I)" |
| Ninurta-apal-Ekur Ninurta-apal-Ekur Ninurta-apal-Ekur, meaning “Ninurta is the heir of the Ekur,” was a King of Assyria in the early 12th Century BC who usurped the throne and styled himself king of the universe and priest of the gods Enlil and Ninurta... |
ca. 1191–1180 BC | "son of Ila-Hadda Ilī-padâ Ilī-padâ or Ili-iḫaddâ, the reading of the name DINGIR.PA.DA being uncertain, was a member of a side-branch of the Assyrian royal family who served as grand vizier, or sukkallu rabi’u, of Assyria, and also as king, or šar, of the dependent state of Ḫanigalbat around 1200 BC. He was a contemporary... , a descendant of Eriba-Adad (I) Eriba-Adad I Eriba-Adad was king of Assyria from 1392 BC to 1366 BC.He was probably a vassal of Mitanni. However, this kingdom got tangled up in a dynastic battle between Tushratta and his brother Artatama II and after this his son Shuttarna II, who called himself king of the Hurri, while seeking support from... , went to Karduniash. He came up from Karduniash (and) seized the throne." |
| Beginning with Ashur-Dan I, dates are consistent and not subject to middle/short chronology Chronology of the ancient Near East The chronology of the Ancient Near East provides a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Individual inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers, taking forms like "in the year X of king Y". Thus by piecing together many... distinctions. |
||
| Ashur-Dan I Ashur-dan I Ashur-dan I was one of the longest-reigning Kings of Assyria, reigning for some 46 years according to the Assyrian King List. According to one of the short chronology of the middle Assyrian period, he reigned from 1179 BC to 1133 BC.... |
ca. 1179–1133 BC | "son of Ashur-nadin-apli" |
| Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur was briefly King of Assyria in 1133 BC. He succeeded his father, the long-reigning Ashur-dan I, but the throne was very quickly usurped by his brother, Mutakkil-Nusku. Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur was forced to go into exile in Babylonia, with which he had maintained friendly... |
ca. 1133 BC | "son of Ashur-dan (I), briefly" |
| Mutakkil-nusku Mutakkil-Nusku Mutakkil-Nusku was King of Assyria briefly in 1133 BC. The son of Ashur-dan I, Mutakkil-Nusku usurped the throne from his brother, Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur, apparently only shortly after their father's death. Mutakkil-Nusku died soon after this act of usurpation, leaving the throne to his son,... |
ca. 1133 BC | "his (Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur's) brother, fought him and took him to Karduniash. Mutakkil-Nusku held the throne briefly, then died." |
| Ashur-resh-ishi I Ashur-resh-ishi I Ashur-resh-ishi I was King of Assyria from 1133 to 1115 BC. He succeeded his father, Mutakkil-Nusku, and was succeeded by his son Tiglath-Pileser I.... |
ca. 1133–1115 BC | "son of Mutakkil-Nusku" |
| Tiglath-Pileser I Tiglath-Pileser I Tiglath-Pileser I was a king of Assyria during the Middle Assyrian period . According to Georges Roux, Tiglath-Pileser was "one of the two or three great Assyrian monarchs since the days of Shamshi-Adad I"... |
ca. 1115–1076 BC | "son of Ashur-resh-ishi (I)" |
| Asharid-apal-Ekur Asharid-apal-Ekur Asharid-apal-Ekur was King of Assyria from 1076 to 1074 BC. He succeeded his father, Tiglath-Pileser I, and was succeeded by a brother, Ashur-bel-kala.-References:... |
ca. 1076–1074 BC | "son of Tiglath-pileser (I)" |
| Ashur-bel-kala Ashur-bel-kala Ashur-bel-kala was King of Assyria from 1074 to 1056 BC. He was the son of Tiglath-Pileser I and succeeded after the brief reign of his brother, Asharid-apal-Ekur. After a 18 years reign, he prematurely died and was buried in the city of Ashur.He was succeeded by his son, Eriba-Adad... |
ca. 1074–1056 BC | "son of Tiglath-pileser (I)" |
| Eriba-Adad II Eriba-Adad II Eriba-Adad II was King of Assyria from 1055 BC to 1054 BC. He succeeded his father, Assur-bel-kala, but reigned for only two years before the throne was usurped by his uncle, Samshi-Adad IV, who later ruled for four years. Beyond this, little is known of his reign.-References:... |
ca. 1056–1054 BC | "son of Ashur-bel-kala" |
| Shamshi-Adad IV Shamshi-Adad IV Shamshi-Adad IV was a King of Assyria from 1054 to 1050 BC. He was the son of Tiglath-Pileser I and usurped the throne from his nephew, Eriba-Adad II. The throne passed at his death to his son, Ashurnasirpal I.... |
ca. 1054–1050 BC | "son of Tiglath-pileser (I), came up from Karduniash. He ousted Eriba-Adad (II), son of Ashur-bel-kala, (and) seized the throne" |
| Ashur-nasir-pal I Ashur-nasir-pal I Ashurnasirpal I was king of Assyria from 1050 BCE to 1031 BCE. Ashurnasirpal ruled during a troubled period of Assyrian history, marked by famine and war with nomads from the deserts to the west. He succeeded his father Shamshi-Adad IV and was succeeded by his son Shalmaneser II. He was also the... |
ca. 1050–1031 BC | "son of Shamshi-Adad (IV)" |
| Shalmaneser II Shalmaneser II Shalmaneser II was King of Assyria from 1031 BC to 1019 BC. He succeeded his father, Ashurnasirpal I and was succeeded by his son, Ashur-nirari IV, but beyond this little is known of his reign.- References :... |
ca. 1031–1019 BC | "son of Ashur-nasir-pal (I)" |
| Ashur-nirari IV Ashur-nirari IV Ashur-nirari IV was a King of Assyria. He succeeded his father Shalmaneser II in 1019 BC, and reigned for six years, until 1013 BC, when he was succeeded by his uncle Ashur-rabi II. Beyond this, almost nothing is known about his brief reign.... |
ca. 1019–1013 BC | "son of Shalmaneser (II)" |
| Ashur-rabi II Ashur-rabi II Ashur-rabi II was one of the longest-reigning kings of Assyria, reigning for 41 years. Little is known about his reign, of which few records survive. He was apparently a younger son of Ashurnasirpal I. Following the reigns of his elder brother, Shalmaneser II, and his nephew Ashur-nirari IV, he... |
ca. 1013–972 BC | "son of Ashur-nasir-pal (I)" |
| Ashur-resh-ishi II Ashur-resh-ishi II Ashur-resh-ishi II was King of Assyria for five years. He succeeded his long-reigning father Ashur-rabi II in 972 and reigned until his death in 967 BC, when he was succeeded by his son, Tiglath-Pileser II. Little is known about his reign, which was a time of political eclipse for Assyria... |
ca. 972–967 BC | "son of Ashur-rabi (II)" |
| Tiglath-Pileser II Tiglath-Pileser II Tiglath-Pileser II was King of Assyria from 967 BCE, when he succeeded his father Ashur-resh-ishi II until his death in 935 BCE, when he was succeeded by his son Ashur-dan II. Little is known about his reign.-References:... |
ca. 967–935 BC | "son of Ashur-resh-ishi (II)" |
| Ashur-Dan II Ashur-dan II Ashur-Dan II was a King of Assyria .-Biography:Ashur-Dan II succeeded his father, Tiglath-Pileser II. He was succeeded by his son Adad-nirari II.He reigned from 935 BC until his death in 912 BC.... |
ca. 935–912 BC | "son of Tiglath-Pileser (II)" |
Neo-Assyrian Period
Limmu
Limmu was an Assyrian eponym. At the beginning of the reign of an Assyrian king, the limmu, an appointed royal official, would preside over the New Year festival at the capital. Each year a new limmu would be chosen. Although picked by lot, there was most likely a limited group, such as the men of...
lists and absolute dates known from Babylonian chronology provide good absolute dates for the years between 911 BC and 649 BC.
The dates for the very end of the Assyrian period are uncertain due to the lack of limmu lists after 649 BC. Some sources list Ashurbanipal
Ashurbanipal
Ashurbanipal |Ashur]] is creator of an heir"; 685 BC – c. 627 BC), also spelled Assurbanipal or Ashshurbanipal, was an Assyrian king, the son of Esarhaddon and the last great king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire...
's death in 631 BC, rather than 627 BC; Ashur-etil-ilani
Ashur-etil-ilani
Ashur-etil-ilani was a king of Assyria . He succeeded his father Ashurbanipal.- Problems with source material :The reconstruction of the events occurring during Ashur-etil-ilani's rule has proven to be very difficult...
then reigns from 631 to 627, and Sin-shar-ishkun reigns until 612 BC, when he is known to have died in the sack of Nineveh
Battle of Nineveh (612 BC)
The Battle of Nineveh was fought in 612 BC. It witnessed the Assyrian capital of Nineveh being besieged, conquered, and sacked by allied forces of Medes, Scythians, Babylonians and Susianians. King Sin-shar-ishkun of Assyria was killed in the sack.From then on, the Neo-Babylonian Empire ruled the...
.
| Neo-Assyrian Period | |||||||||
| King name | Reigned | Notes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adad-nirari II Adad-nirari II Adad-nirari II is generally considered to be the first King of Assyria in the Neo-Assyrian period. He firmly subjugated the areas previously under only nominal Assyrian vassalage, conquering and deporting troublesome Aramean, Neo-Hittite and Hurrian populations in the north to far-off places... |
912–891 BC | "son of Ashur-Dan (II)" | |||||||
| Tukulti-Ninurta II Tukulti-Ninurta II Tukulti-Ninurta II was King of Assyria from 891 BC to 884 BC. He was the second king of the Neo Assyrian Empire.-Family:His father was Adad-nirari II, the second king of the Neo-Assyrian period. His son succeeded him and was named Ashurnasirpal II... |
891–884 BC | "son of Adad-nirari (II)" | |||||||
| Ashur-nasir-pal II Ashur-nasir-pal II Ashur-nasir-pal II was king of Assyria from 883 to 859 BC.Ashurnasipal II succeeded his father, Tukulti-Ninurta II, in 883 BC... |
884–859 BC | "son of Tukulti-Ninurta (II)" | |||||||
| Shalmaneser III Shalmaneser III Shalmaneser III was king of Assyria , and son of the previous ruler, Ashurnasirpal II.... |
859–824 BC | "son of Ashur-nasir-pal (II)" | |||||||
| Shamshi-Adad V Shamshi-Adad V Shamshi-Adad V was the King of Assyria from 824 to 811 BC.-Biography:He was the son and successor of Shalmaneser III, the husband of Shammuramat , and the father of Adad-nirari III, who succeeded him as king.... |
824–811 BC | "son of Shalmaneser (III)" | |||||||
| Semiramis Semiramis The real and historical Shammuramat , was the Assyrian queen of Shamshi-Adad V , King of Assyria and ruler of the Neo Assyrian Empire, and its regent for four years until her son Adad-nirari III came of age.... (Shammu-ramat), regent, 811–808 BC |
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| Adad-nirari III Adad-nirari III Adad-nirari III was King of Assyria from 811 to 783 BC. He was the son and successor of Shamshi-Adad V, and was apparently quite young at the time of his accession, because for the first five years of his reign his mother Shammuramat acted as regent, which may have given rise to the legend of... |
811–783 BC | "son of Shamshi-Adad (V)" | |||||||
| Shalmaneser IV Shalmaneser IV Shalmaneser IV was king of Assyria . He succeeded his father Adad-nirari III, and was succeeded by his brother Ashur-dan III. Very little information about his reign has survived.... |
783–773 BC | "son of Adad-nirari (III)" | |||||||
| Ashur-Dan III Ashur-dan III Ashur-dan III was King of Assyria from 773 to 755 BC.Ashur-dan III was the son of Adad-nirari III, and succeeded his brother Shalmaneser IV in 773 BC. Ashur-dan's reign was a difficult age for the Assyrian monarchy. The rulership was severely limited by the influence of court dignitaries,... |
773–755 BC | "son of Shalmaneser (IV)"; solar eclipse 763 BC | |||||||
| Ashur-nirari V Ashur-nirari V Ashur-nirari V was King of Assyria from 755 to 745 BC. He was succeeded by Tiglath-Pileser III.Ashur-nirari V was a son of Adad-nirari III, and succeeded his brother, Ashur-dan III. He inherited a difficult situation from his predecessor... |
755–745 BC | "son of Adad-nirari (III)" | |||||||
| Tiglath-Pileser III Tiglath-Pileser III Tiglath-Pileser III was a prominent king of Assyria in the eighth century BC and is widely regarded as the founder of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Tiglath-Pileser III seized the Assyrian throne during a civil war and killed the royal family... |
745–727 BC | "son of Ashur-nirari (V)" | |||||||
| Shalmaneser V Shalmaneser V Shalmaneser V was king of Assyria from 727 to 722 BC. He first appears as governor of Zimirra in Phoenicia in the reign of his father, Tiglath-Pileser III.... |
727–722 BC | "son of Tiglath-Pileser (III)" | |||||||
| End of the document known as Assyrian King List; the following kings reigned after the list had been composed. | |||||||||
| Sargon II Sargon II Sargon II was an Assyrian king. Sargon II became co-regent with Shalmaneser V in 722 BC, and became the sole ruler of the kingdom of Assyria in 722 BC after the death of Shalmaneser V. It is not clear whether he was the son of Tiglath-Pileser III or a usurper unrelated to the royal family... |
722–705 BC | ||||||||
| Sennacherib Sennacherib Sennacherib |Sîn]] has replaced brothers for me"; Aramaic: ) was the son of Sargon II, whom he succeeded on the throne of Assyria .-Rise to power:... |
705–681 BC | ||||||||
| Esarhaddon Esarhaddon Esarhaddon , was a king of Assyria who reigned 681 – 669 BC. He was the youngest son of Sennacherib and the Aramean queen Naqi'a , Sennacherib's second wife.... |
681–669 BC | ||||||||
| The dates of the last kings are not certain. | |||||||||
| Ashurbanipal Ashurbanipal Ashurbanipal |Ashur]] is creator of an heir"; 685 BC – c. 627 BC), also spelled Assurbanipal or Ashshurbanipal, was an Assyrian king, the son of Esarhaddon and the last great king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire... |
669–between 631 and 627 BC | ||||||||
| Ashur-etil-ilani Ashur-etil-ilani Ashur-etil-ilani was a king of Assyria . He succeeded his father Ashurbanipal.- Problems with source material :The reconstruction of the events occurring during Ashur-etil-ilani's rule has proven to be very difficult... |
ca. 631–627 BC | ||||||||
| Sin-shumu-lishir Sin-shumu-lishir Sin-shumu-lishir , was a usurper king of a part of the Assyrian empire during 626 BC. Little is known about this king due to the lack of sources covering this time.-Reign :... |
626 BC | ||||||||
| Sin-shar-ishkun | ca. 627–612 BC | fall of Nineveh Battle of Nineveh (612 BC) The Battle of Nineveh was fought in 612 BC. It witnessed the Assyrian capital of Nineveh being besieged, conquered, and sacked by allied forces of Medes, Scythians, Babylonians and Susianians. King Sin-shar-ishkun of Assyria was killed in the sack.From then on, the Neo-Babylonian Empire ruled the... |
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| In 612 BC, Nineveh Nineveh Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq.... , the Assyrian capital, fell to the Medes Medes The MedesThe Medes... , Babylonia Babylonia Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as... ns, and Scythians; supported by the Egyptians Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh... , an Assyrian general continued to rule for a few years from Harran Harran Harran was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is near the modern village of Altınbaşak, Turkey, 24 miles southeast of Şanlıurfa... . |
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| Ashur-uballit II Ashur-uballit II Ashur-uballit II , was the last king of the Assyrian empire. He reigned in the last capital city of Harran from 612 BC to 609 BC, having escaped Nineveh during the siege and capture of that city by the Babylonian-Mede army in 612 BC.... |
612 BC–ca. 608 to 605 BC | Harran Harran Harran was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is near the modern village of Altınbaşak, Turkey, 24 miles southeast of Şanlıurfa... defeated by Cyaxares Cyaxares Cyaxares, Cyaxares the Great or Hvakhshathra , the son of King Phraortes, was the first king of Media. According to Herodotus, Cyaxares, grandson of Deioces, had a far greater military reputation than his father or grandfather, therefore he is often being described as the first official Median... of Media and Nabopolassar Nabopolassar Nabopolassar was the king of the Babylonia and played a key role in the demise of the Assyrian Empire following the death of the last powerful Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal... of Babylonia Babylonia Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as... , Assyrian-Egyptian force defeated at Carchemish Carchemish Carchemish or Kargamış was an important ancient city of the Mitanni, Hittite and Neo Assyrian Empires, now on the frontier between Turkey and Syria. It was the location of an important battle between the Babylonians and Egyptians, mentioned in the Bible... in 605 BC |
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See also
- Chronology of the ancient Near EastChronology of the ancient Near EastThe chronology of the Ancient Near East provides a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Individual inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers, taking forms like "in the year X of king Y". Thus by piecing together many...
- List of ancient king lists
- List of Hittite kings
- List of kings of Babylon
- List of Mesopotamian dynasties
- Short chronology timelineShort chronology timelineThe short chronology is one chronology of the Near Eastern Bronze and Early Iron Age, which fixes the reign of Hammurabi to 1728 BC – 1686 BC and the sack of Babylon to 1531 BC....
- Sumerian King ListSumerian king listThe Sumerian King List is an ancient manuscript originally recorded in the Sumerian language, listing kings of Sumer from Sumerian and neighboring dynasties, their supposed reign lengths, and the locations of "official" kingship...