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No. 6.–TRANSLATION OF THE ANNALS OF SARGON OF ACCAD
AND NARAM-SIN1
OBVERSE
1. When the moon at its setting with the colour of a dustcloud2
filled the crescent, the moon was favourable for Sargon who at this season
2. marched against the country of ELAM and subjugated
the men of ELAM.
3. Misery (?) he brought upon them; their food he cut off.
4. When the moon at its setting filled the crescent with the colour
of a dust-cloud, and over the face of the sky the colour extended behind
the moon during the day and remained bright,
5. the moon was favourable for Sargon who marched against the country
of [PHOENICIA], and
6. subjugated the country of PHOENICIA. His hand conquered the four
quarters (of the world).
7. When the moon increased in form on the right hand and on the left,
and moreover [during] the day the finger reached over the horns.3
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8. the moon was favourable for Sargon who at this season produced joy
(?) [in] BABYLON, and
9. [like] dust the spoil of BAB-DHUNA was carried
away and .....
10 .... he made ACCAD a city; the city of . .
. . he called its name;
I I. [the men of . . . . in the] midst he caused to dwell.
12. [When the moon]. . . . . on the left the colour of fire . . . .
. [on] the left of the planet, and
13. [the moon was favourable to Sargo]n who at this season against
the country of PHOENICIA
14. [marched and subjugated it]. The four quarters (of the world) his
hand conquered.
15. [When the moon] . . . . . . . . behind the moon the four heads
were placed,
16. [the moon was favourable to Sargon who at this season] marched
[against] the country of PHOENICIA and
17. [subjugated the country of PHOENICIA.] His
[enemies ?] he smote j his heroes
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in the gate of its4
rising.
19. [When the moon was fixed?] and a span . . . . . [the moon was favourable
to Sargon] as for whom at this season the goddess [ISTAR]
20. [ with favours] filled for him his hand . . . . . . the goddess
ISTAR [all countries]
21. caused him to conquer; against Tiri (?) . . . .
22. [When the moon] appeared [like] a lion, the moon was favourable
to Sargon who at this season
23. was [very] exalted and a rival (or) equal had not j his own country
was at peace. Over
24. [the countries] of the sea of the setting sun5
he crossed and for 3 years at the setting sun
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25. [all countries] his hand conquered. Every place to form but one
(empire) he appointed. His images at the setting sun
26. he erected. Their spoil he caused to pass over into the countries
of the sea.6
27. [When the moon on] the right hand was like the colour of gall,
and there was no finger;7 the upper
part was long and the moon was setting (?),
28. [the moon was favourable for] Sargon who enlarged his palace of
Delight
(?) by 5 mitkhu, and
29. established the chiefs [in it] and called it the House of Kiam-izallik.8
30. When the moon was like a cloud (?), like the colour of gall, and
there was no finger;7 on the right side
was the colour of a sword; the circumference of the left side was visible;
31. towards its face on the left the colour extended; the moon was
favourable for Sargon against whom at this season Kastubila of the country
of KAZALLA rebelled and against KAZALLA
32. (Sargon) marched and he smote their forces; he accomplished their
destruction.
33. Their mighty army he annihilated; he reduced KAZALLA
to dust and ruins.
34. The station of the birds9 he
overthrew.
35. When the moon was like a cloud (?), like the colour of
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gall, and there was no finger;10
on the right side was the colour of a sword; the circumference of the left
was visible;
36. and against its face the Seven11
advanced; the moon was favourable to Sargon, against whom at this season
37. the elders of the whole country revolted and besieged him in the
city of ACCAD; but
38. Sargon issued forth and smote their forces; their destruction he
accomplished.
REVERSE
1. Their numerous soldiery he massacred; the spoil that was upon them
he collected.
2. "The booty of Istar !" he shouted.
3. When the moon had two fingers, and swords were seen on the right
side and the left, [and] might and peace were on the left
4. its hand presented a sword; the sword in its left hand was of the
colour of 'sukhuruni; the point was held in the left hand and there were
two heads;
5. [the moon] was favourable for Sargon who at this season
6. subjected the men of [the country] of 'SU-EDIN12
in its plenitude to the sword, and
7. Sargon caused their seats to be occupied, and
8. smote their forces; their destruction he accomplished; their mighty
army
9. he cut off, and his troops he collected; into the city of ACCAD
he brought (them) back.
10. [When the moon] had two fingers and on the right side it was of
the colour of a sword and on the left it was visible;
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11. [and against its face] the Seven advanced; (its) appearance was
of the colour of gall; the moon was favourable for Naram-Sin
12. [who at] this season marched against the city of APIRAK,
and
1 3. [utterly] destroyed it: Ris-Rimrnon the king of APIRAK
.
14. [he overthrew], and the city of APIRAK his
hand conquered.
15. [When the moon] on the right it was of the colour of a sword, and
on the left it was visible;
1 6. [and against its face the Seven advanced ?]; the moon was favourable
for Naram-Sin who at this season
17. marched [against the country of MA]GANNA13
and seized the country of MAGANNA, and
18. . . . . the king of MAGANNA his hand captured.
19. [When against the moon] the Seven were banded, [and] behind it
. . . . . .
20. . . . . . . never may there be a son (?) . . . . .
FOOTNOTES
1W. A. I., iv. 34. The text has been
translated in part by Mr. George Smith. The astrological notices with which
the account of Sargon's campaigns is associated are explained by
the fact that the great Chaldean work on astronomy and astrology was compiled
for his library at Accad, and that one of the objects of this work was
to trace a connection between certain astronomical occurrences and the
events which immediately followed them.
2 Ana pikhirti-su tsirip zakiki.
3 The moon lay on its back, and the
distance from the extremity of one horn to that of another was as much
as a span.
4 The Sun-god must be referred
to.
5 The Mediterranean.
6 We infer from this that Sargon
had crossed over into Cyprus, and there erected an image of himself. This
might explain why his later name- , sake Sargon sent to the island a monument,
which is now in Berlin. General di Cesnola brought back from Cyprus a Babylonian
cylinder of heematite bearing the inscription, "Abil-!star, the son of
llu-Balidh, the servant of the deified Nararn-Sin." The cylinder was probably
executed either during the reign of Naram-Sin, or shortly afterwards, as
the cult of the king is not likely to have continued after the fall of
his dynasty.
7 It could not be measured.
8 "Thus he has appointed."
9 What this refers to it is impossible
to say. The expression can hardly be metaphorical.
10 It could not be measured.
11 The Seven Evil Spirits who were
supposed to cause eclipses of the moon.
12 The plain of the "Suti," or nomad
tribes on the eastern side of Babylonia.
13 The Sinaitic Peninsula. |
