KINGS OF ASSYRIA

This page lists the 'Kings of Assyria' from earliest times. Synchronisms with absolute dates known from Babylonian chronology and the ''limmu'' lists, which give the names of eponymous officials for each year, provide good absolute dates for the years between 911 BC and 649 BC.
The dates for the kings given below as reigning between 1420 BC and 1179 BC are particularly problematic, as the dating differs depending on which of the Assyrian King Lists is given precedence. The dating below for the kings of this period is based on Assyrian King Lists B and C, which give only three years to Ninurta-apal-Ekur, and the same to Ashur-nadin-apli. A traditional list based more on Assyrian King List A would give 14 years to Ninurta-apal-Ekur and 4 years to Ashur-nadin-apli. This version is followed by many sources, which thus give Ashur-uballit I as succeeding in 1366 BC and Shalmaneser I in 1275 BC.
Although the dates between 1179 BC and 912 BC are not as secure as the dates from 911 BC onwards, they are generally agreed upon by most Assyriologists. The dating for the end of the Assyrian period is unresolved, due to the lack of ''limmu'' lists after 649 BC. Some sources give Ashurbanipal only 38 years, having him die in 631 BC. Ashur-etil-ilani then reigns from 631 to 627, and Sin-shar-ishkun reigns thereafter down to 612 BC, when he is known to have died in the sack of Nineveh.

Contents

Early period

The Kings who lived in tents

Kings who were forefathers

Kings whose eponyms are destroyed

Old Assyrian period

Middle Assyrian period

Neo-Assyrian period

Depictions

See also

Notes

References

External links

Early period

The dates for the early Assyrian period are unknown. While the list is in the right order, the specific years reigned by the kings are not certain. Listed in reverse order by the Assyrian King List, starting from top left and ending at bottom right.

The Kings who lived in tents

; ★ Ikunum ★ Tudiya (ca. 2500 BC) ★ Adamu ★ Yangi ★ Suhlamu ★ Harharu ★ Mandaru ★ Imsu ★ Harsu

; ★ Didanu ★ Hana ★ Zuabu ★ Nuabu ★ Abazu ★ Belu ★ Azarah ★ Ushpia (ca. 2020 BC?)

Kings who were forefathers

; ★ Apiashal son of Ushpia ★ Hale son of Apiashal ★ Samani son of Hale ★ Hayani son of Samani ★ Ilu-Mer son of Hayani

; ★ Yakmesi son of Ilu-Mer ★ Yakmeni son of Yakmesi ★ Yazkur-el son of Yakmeni ★ Ila-kabkaba son of Yazkur-el ★ Aminu son of Ila-kabkaba

Kings whose eponyms are destroyed

; ★ Sulili son of Aminu ★ Kikkia (ca. 2000 BC-1985 BC) ★ Akiya (ca. 1985 BC-1970 BC)

; ★ Puzur-Ashur I (ca. 1970 BC-1960 BC) ★ Shallim-ahhe (ca. 1960 BC-1945 BC) ★ Ilushuma (ca. 1945 BC-1906 BC)

Old Assyrian period

'Old Assyrian Period'
King name	Conventional dates	Low Dates	Ancestry
Erishum I	1906 - 1867 BC
Ikunum	1867 - 1860 BC
Sargon I	1860 - 1850 BC
Puzur-Ashur II	1850 - 1830 BC
Naram-Suen	1830 - 1815 BC
Erishum II	1815 - 1809 BC
Shamshi-Adad I	1809 - 1781 BC		overthrew Erishum II
Ishme-Dagan I	1780 - 1741 BC
Mut-Ashkur	1730 - 1720 BC
Rimush	1720 - 1710 BC
Asinum	1710 - 1706 BC
''Anarchy: Seven Usurpers'' ★ Assur-dugul ★ Assur-apla-idi ★ Nasir-Sin ★ Sin-namir ★ Ibqi-Ishtar ★ Adad-salulu ★ Adasi	1706-1700 BC
Belu-bani	1700 - 1691 BC
Libaia	1690 - 1674 BC
Sharma-Adad I	1673 - 1662 BC
Iptar-Sin	1661 - 1650 BC
Bazaia	1649 - 1622 BC
Lullaia	1621 - 1618 BC
Shu-Ninua	1615 - 1602 BC
Sharma-Adad II	1601 - 1598 BC
Erishum III	1598 - 1586 BC	1580 - 1567 BC
Shamshi-Adad II	1567 - 1561 BC
Ishme-Dagan II	1561 - 1545 BC
Shamshi-Adad III	1545 - 1529 BC
Ashur-nirari I	1529 - 1503 BC
Puzur-Ashur III	1503 - 1479 BC
Enlil-nasir I	1479 - 1466 BC
Nur-ili	1466 - 1454 BC
Ashur-shaduni	1454 BC
Ashur-rabi I	1453 - 1435 BC		son of Enlil-nasir I
Ashur-nadin-ahhe I	1435 - 1420 BC
Enlil-nasir II	1420 - 1414 BC
Ashur-nirari II	1414 - 1407 BC		son of Enlil-nasir II
Ashur-bel-nisheshu	1407 - 1398 BC		son of Ashur-nirari II
Ashur-rim-nisheshu	1398 - 1390 BC		son of Ashur-bel-nisheshu
Ashur-nadin-ahhe II	1390 - 1380 BC

Middle Assyrian period

'Middle Assyrian Period'
King name	Conventional dates	Low dates ★
Eriba-Adad I	1380 - 1353 BC
Ashur-uballit I	1365 BC – 1330 BC	1353 BC – 1318 BC
Enlil-nirari	1329 BC – 1320 BC	1317 BC – 1308 BC
Arik-den-ili	1319 BC – 1308 BC	1307 BC – 1296 BC
Adad-nirari I	1307 BC – 1275 BC	1295 BC – 1264 BC
Shalmaneser I	1274 BC – 1245 BC	1263 BC – 1234 BC
Tukulti-Ninurta I	1244 BC – 1208 BC	1233 BC – 1197 BC
Ashur-nadin-apli	1207 BC – 1204 BC	1196 BC – 1194 BC
Ashur-nirari III	1203 BC – 1198 BC	1193 BC – 1188 BC
Enlil-kudurri-usur	1197 BC – 1193 BC	1187 BC – 1183 BC
Ninurta-apal-Ekur	1192 BC – 1180 BC	1182 BC – 1180 BC
★ - Dates as appearing in A.Kuhrt, The Ancient Near East volume I, 2006, p. 351'

'Middle Assyrian Period'
King name	Conventional dates
Ashur-Dan I	1179 - 1133 BC
Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur	1133 BC
Mutakkil-nusku	1133 BC
Ashur-resh-ishi I	1133 - 1115 BC
Tiglath-Pileser I	1115 - 1076 BC
Asharid-apal-Ekur	1076 - 1074 BC
Ashur-bel-kala	1074 - 1056 BC
Eriba-Adad II	1056 - 1054 BC
Shamshi-Adad IV	1054 - 1050 BC
Ashur-nasir-pal I	1050 - 1031 BC
Shalmaneser II	1031 - 1019 BC
Ashur-nirari IV	1019 - 1013 BC
Ashur-rabi II	1013 - 972 BC
Ashur-resh-ishi II	972 - 967 BC
Tiglath-Pileser II	967 - 935 BC
Ashur-Dan II	935 - 912 BC

Neo-Assyrian period

'Neo-Assyrian Period'
King name	Conventional dates
Adad-nirari II	912 - 891 BC
Tukulti-Ninurta II	891 - 884 BC
Ashur-nasir-pal II	884 - 859 BC
Shalmaneser III	859 - 824 BC
Shamshi-Adad V	822 - 811 BC
Shammu-ramat, regent, 811 - 808 BC
Adad-nirari III	811 - 783 BC
Shalmaneser IV	783 - 773 BC
Ashur-Dan III	773 - 755 BC
Ashur-nirari V	755 - 745 BC
Tiglath-Pileser III	745 - 727 BC
Shalmaneser V	727 - 722 BC
End of the document known as ''Assyrian King List''; the following kings reigned after the list had been composed.
Sargon II	722 - 705 BC
Sennacherib	705 - 681 BC
Esarhaddon	681 - 669 BC
The dates of the last kings are not certain [1]
Ashurbanipal	669 - between 631 BC and 627 BC
Ashur-etil-ilani	ca. 631 BC - 627 BC
Sin-shumu-lishir	626 BC
Sin-shar-ishkun	ca. 627 BC - 612 BC
In 612 BC, Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, fell to the Medes and Babylonians; supported by the Egyptians, an Assyrian general continued to rule for a few years from Harran.
Ashur-uballit II	612 BC- ca.609 BC

Depictions

Statues and reliefs depicting Assyrian kings.

See also

★ Akkadian Empire

★ Assyrian King List

★ Chronology of Babylonia and Assyria

★ List of Assyrians

★ Sumerian king list

Notes

1. Dates as they appear in N. Na'aman, ZA 81 1991, p. 251

References

★ Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians (Dictionaries of Civilizations; 1), , Enrico, Ascalone, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007,

★ Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles, , Albert Kirk, Grayson, , 1975,

★ The Ancient Assyrians, , Mark, Healy, , 1992,

★ Mesopotamia, , Gwendolyn, Leick, , 2003,

★ The Archaeology of Mesopotamia: From the Old Stone Age to the Persian Conquest, , Seton, Lloyd, , 1984,

★ Assyrian Empire, , Don, Nardon, , 1998,

External links

★ AINA: The Assyrian Kings List

★ Livius: Assyrian King List

★ ASSYRIA (AŠŠUR) AND BABYLONIA (BĀB-ILI, KARDUNIAŠ, AKKAD)