'Reconcile the gods of Babylonia with your gods!': Rewriting of the Past and Storytelling of the Present at the Time of the Assyrian King Esarhaddon (681-669 BC)
War, Peace and Resilience in the Ancient World Narratives - Marinella Ceravolo
Marinella Ceravolo [+]
Sapienza University, Rome
Description
The Assyrian Empire is often perceived exclusively as a cruel and bloodthirsty war machine. Although administrative sources belie this conception, the idea of Assyria as a violent land has been largely conveyed by the sources of royal propaganda, especially by royal inscriptions. In these types of narratives, emperors are portrayed as unstoppable conquerors who, thanks to the benevolence of the god Aššur, manage to subdue and overwhelm a multitude of territories. It is therefore not surprising if within these inscriptions particular emphasis is given to the descriptions of the struggles against Babylon, the eternal Assyrians' antagonist. A decisive change in the Assyrian narratives takes place from 681 BC with the ascent to the throne of Esarhaddon who, unlike his predecessors, establishes with Babylon a policy aimed at inclusion and not at violent submission. To achieve his goal, the king enacted a reformulation of the old Assyrian narrative, rewriting and representing in a different light the violent acts committed against Babylon by Sargon II, his grandfather, and Sennacherib, his father. Therefore, this paper will reflect on the changes in the narration of the past and the present within the Neo-Assyrian sources, putting a particular emphasis on the role attributed to the deities within the imperial policies.