Sinsharishkun
Encyclopedia
Sinsharishkun who seems to have been the Saràkos (Saracus) of Berossus
, was one of the last kings of the
Assyria
n empire.
, and possibly the brother of the last Assyrian king, Ashuruballit II (612-607 BC). He is the last king who has years attested in most Babylonian records. Little is known about this king due to the lack of sources for his time. It seems that he ascended the throne sometime around 627 BC. Although there is no actual proof, it is likely that Sinsharishkun's rise to power wasn't peaceful, he had to deal with the rebellious Sinshumulishir
and his older brother and predecessor Ashuretililani
.
in 626 BC. What followed was a long war fought in the Mesopotamian heartland. Nabopolassar tried to capture Nippur
, the main Assyrian center of power in Babylonia, but failed because of the arrival of Assyrian reinforcements. However Nabopolassar did defeat the Assyrians in the field, and was crowned king in Babylon circa 626 BC. Sinsharishkun then lost more ground, succeeded in recapturing Uruk
about 624 BC only to quickly lose it again. When Shinsharishkun led a large army to Babylonia in 623 BC another rebellion broke out in the Assyrian homeland. A relief army was sent back but surrendered without a fight so that the usurper could reach the capital Nineveh
without interference, and claim the throne. Chronicles for the next few years are mostly absent and eventually Sinsharishkun was able to quell the homeland rebellion but precious time was lost to solve the Babylonian problem. In 621 BC or shortly thereafter Nabopolassar successfully captured Nippur and so broke the main hold of the Assyrians in Babylonia proper.
felt strong enough to move the center of operations northward and launch an attack on Assyria itself. In the few short years that followed Ashur
, Nimrud
, and Nineveh
were besieged and destroyed with the help of Medes
and Scythians. The fate of Sinsharishkun is not certain, as the section of the Babylonian chronicle in which he is mentioned at the siege of Nineveh is damaged. Whether or not he survived the siege and sack of Nineveh by Chaldeans and Medes, Assyria was soon reduced to a rump state centered around its last capital city of Harran under its last king Ashur-uballit II
and then destroyed by the Babylonians.
Berossus
Berossus was a Hellenistic-era Babylonian writer, a priest of Bel Marduk and astronomer writing in Greek, who was active at the beginning of the 3rd century BC...
, was one of the last kings of the
Kings of Assyria
The list of Assyrian kings is compiled from the Assyrian King List, an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia 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...
Assyria
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 empire.
Early years
He was the son of AshurbanipalAshurbanipal
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...
, and possibly the brother of the last Assyrian king, Ashuruballit II (612-607 BC). He is the last king who has years attested in most Babylonian records. Little is known about this king due to the lack of sources for his time. It seems that he ascended the throne sometime around 627 BC. Although there is no actual proof, it is likely that Sinsharishkun's rise to power wasn't peaceful, he had to deal with the rebellious Sinshumulishir
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 :...
and his older brother and predecessor Ashuretililani
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...
.
Last Strike against Babylon
After defeating his rivals, Sinsharishkun faced a much larger threat. His Babylonian vassal state rebelled under the previously unknown NabopolassarNabopolassar
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...
in 626 BC. What followed was a long war fought in the Mesopotamian heartland. Nabopolassar tried to capture Nippur
Nippur
Nippur was one of the most ancient of all the Sumerian cities. It was the special seat of the worship of the Sumerian god Enlil, the "Lord Wind," ruler of the cosmos subject to An alone...
, the main Assyrian center of power in Babylonia, but failed because of the arrival of Assyrian reinforcements. However Nabopolassar did defeat the Assyrians in the field, and was crowned king in Babylon circa 626 BC. Sinsharishkun then lost more ground, succeeded in recapturing Uruk
Uruk
Uruk was an ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates river, on the ancient dry former channel of the Euphrates River, some 30 km east of modern As-Samawah, Al-Muthannā, Iraq.Uruk gave its name to the Uruk...
about 624 BC only to quickly lose it again. When Shinsharishkun led a large army to Babylonia in 623 BC another rebellion broke out in the Assyrian homeland. A relief army was sent back but surrendered without a fight so that the usurper could reach the capital 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....
without interference, and claim the throne. Chronicles for the next few years are mostly absent and eventually Sinsharishkun was able to quell the homeland rebellion but precious time was lost to solve the Babylonian problem. In 621 BC or shortly thereafter Nabopolassar successfully captured Nippur and so broke the main hold of the Assyrians in Babylonia proper.
War in the Assyrian heartlands
By 616 BC NabopolassarNabopolassar
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...
felt strong enough to move the center of operations northward and launch an attack on Assyria itself. In the few short years that followed 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....
, Nimrud
Nimrud
Nimrud is an ancient Assyrian city located south of Nineveh on the river Tigris in modern Ninawa Governorate Iraq. In ancient times the city was called Kalḫu. The Arabs called the city Nimrud after the Biblical Nimrod, a legendary hunting hero .The city covered an area of around . Ruins of the city...
, and 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....
were besieged and destroyed with the help of Medes
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
and Scythians. The fate of Sinsharishkun is not certain, as the section of the Babylonian chronicle in which he is mentioned at the siege of Nineveh is damaged. Whether or not he survived the siege and sack of Nineveh by Chaldeans and Medes, Assyria was soon reduced to a rump state centered around its last capital city of Harran under its last king 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....
and then destroyed by the Babylonians.