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TRANSLATION
Adapted from Luckenbill (1924:40-45)
81-1The Elamite, Kudur-nahundu, heard of the overthrow of his cities,
2terror overwhelmed him, the (people of) the rest of his cities
3he brought into the strongholds. He himself
4left Madaktu, his royal city,
5and took his way to Haidala which is in the distant mountains.
6I gave the word to march against Madaktu, his royal city.
7In the month of rain, extreme cold set in and the
8heavy storms sent down rain upon rain and
9snow. I was afraid of the swollen mountain streams;
10the front of my yoke I turned and took the road to
11Nineveh. At that time, at the command of Aššur, my lord,
12Kudur-Nahundu, the king of Elam, in less than three months
13died sudenly on a day not of his fate.
14After him, Umman-menanu,
15who possessed neither sense nor judgment,
16his younger brother, sat on his throne.
| 17In my eighth campaign, after Shuzubu had revolted, 18and the Babylonians, wicked devils, had 19closed the city-gates—their hearts planning resistance; 20Shuzubu the Chalden, a weakling hero, 21who had no knees, a slave, subject to the governor of the city of 22the city of Lahiri; the fugitive Arameans gathered around him, the runaway, 23the murderer, the bandit. Into the marshes 24they descended and started a rebellion. But I completely surrounded him. 25I pressed him to the life. Through fear and hunger 26he fled to Elam. When plotting 27and treachery were hatched against him, 28he fled from Elam and entered Shuanna. The Babylonians 29placed him on the throne—for which he was not fit— 30and entrusted to him the government of Sumer and Akkad. 31They opened the treasury of the Esagila temple and the gold and silver 32belonging to Bêl [Marduk] and Sarpanit, they brought forth the property of the temples of their gods. 33And to Umman-menanu, king of Elam, who had 34neither sense nor judgment, they sent them as a bribe (saying): 35"Gather your army, prepare your camp, 36haste to Babylon, stand at our side, for 37you are our trust." That Elamite— 38whose cities I had conquered and turned into ruins 39on my earlier campaign against Elam— 40without thinking 41received the bribes from them, gathered his army and camp, 42collected his chariots and wagons, and hitched his horses 43and mules to them. The lands of Parsuash 44Anzan, Pasheru, Ellipi, the men of Yazan, 45Lakabra, Harzunu, Dummuku, 46Sulai, Samuna, the son of Merodach-baladan, 47the lands of Bît-Adini, Bît-Amukkanu, Bît-Sillana, 48Bît-Sâlatutu-akki, the city of Lahiru, the men of Bukudu, 49Gambulum, Halatum Ru'ua, 50Ubulum, Malahu, Rapiku, 51Hindaru, Damunu—an enormous vassal army 52he called to his side. The largest portion of them 53-55took the road to Akkad. Closing in on Babylon, they exchanged courtesies with Shuzubu, the Chaldean king of Babylon, and brought their army to a halt. 56Like the onset of locust swarms of the springtime, 57they steadily progressed against me to offer battle. 58With the dust of their feet covering the wide heavens, 59like a mighty storm with masses of dense clouds, 60they drew up in battle array before me in the city of Halulê, on the bank of the Tigris. 61They blocked my passage and offered battle. 62-65As for me, I prayed for victory over the mighty foe to Aššur, Sin, Shamash, Bêl, Nabû, Nergal, Ishtar of Nineveh, Ishtar of Arbela. 66They quickly gave ear to my prayers and came 67to my aid. Like a lion I raged; I put on 68a coat of mail. A helmet, emblem of victory, 69I placed upon my head. My great battle chariot, 70which brings the foe low, 71I hurriedly mounted in the anger of my heart. The mighty bow, 72which Aš&scarron;ur had given me, I seized in my hands; 73the javelin, piercing to the life, I grasped. 74Against all of the armies of wicked enemies, 75I cried out, rumbling like a storm. I roared like Adad. 76At the word of Aššur, the great lord, my lord, on flank and front 77I pressed upon the enemy like the onset of a raging storm. 78With the weapons of Aššur, my lord, and the terrible onset of my attack, 79I stopped their advance, I succeeded in surrounding them, 80I decimated the enemy host with arrow and spear. 81I bored through all of their bodies. 82Humban-undasha, the field-marshall 83of the king of Elam, a trustworthy man, commander 84of his armies, his chief support, together with his nobles 85who wear the golden belt-daggar 86-87and whose wrists are encircles with thick rings of shining gold 88like fat steers who have hobbles put on them, Luckenbill, Daniel David. The Annals of Sennacherib. Oriental Institute Publications 2. 1924. Reprint, Ancient Texts and Translations. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2005. | ||||
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