The Collapse of Assyria (616-607 B.C.)

The tenth year of Nabopolassar [616-615 B.C.]: In the month Ajaru he mustered the army of Babylonia and marched along the bank of the Euphrates. The Suheans and Hindaneans [people living south of Harran] did not do battle against him but placed their tribute before him.

In the month Âbu the army of Assyria prepared for battle in Gablini and Nabopolassar went up against them. On the twelfth of the month Âbu [24 July 616] he did battle against the army of Assyria and the army of Assyria retreated before him. He inflicted a major defeat upon Assyria and plundered them extensively. He captured the Manneans, who had come to the Assyrians' aid, and the Assyrian officers. On the same day he captured Gablini.

In the month Âbu the king of Babylonia and his army went upstream to Mane, Sahiri and Bali-hu. He plundered them, sacked them extensively and abducted their gods.

In the month Ulûlu the king of Babylonia and his army returned and on his way he took the people of Hindanu and its gods to Babylon.

In the month Taürîtu the army of Egypt and the army of Assyria went after the king of Babylonia as far as Gablini but they did not overtake the king of Babylonia. So they withdrew.

In the month Addaru the army of Assyria and the army of Babylonia did battle against one another at Madanu, a suburb of Arraphu [modern Kirkuk], and the army of Assyria retreated before the army of Babylonia. The army of Babylonia inflicted a major defeat upon the Assyrian army and drove them back to the Zab river. They captured their chariots and horses and plundered them extensively. They took many . . . with them across the Tigris and brought them into Babylon.

The eleventh year [615-614]: The king of Babylonia mustered his army, marched along the bank of the Tigris, and in the month Ajaru he encamped against Aššur. On the . . . day of the month Simanu he did battle against the city but he did not capture it. The king of Assyria mustered his army, pushed the king of Babylonia back from Aššur and marched after him as far as Takrit, a city on the bank of the Tigris. The king of Babylonia stationed his army in the fortress of Takrit. The king of Assyria and his army encamped against the army of the king of Babylonia, which was stationed in Takrit, and did battle against them for ten days. But the king of Assyria did not capture the city. Instead, the army of the king of Babylonia, which had been stationed in the fortress, inflicted a major defeat upon Assyria. The king of Assyria and his army turned and went home.

In the month Arahsamna the Medes went down to Arraphu [modern Kirkuk] and . . . .

The twelfth year [614-613]: In the month Âbu [July/August] the Medes, after they had matched against Nineveh . . . , hastened and they captured Tarbisu, a city in the district of Nineveh. They went along the Tigris and encamped against Aššur. They did battle against the city and destroyed it. They inflicted a terrible defeat upon a great people, plundered and sacked them. The king of Babylonia and his army, who had gone to help the Medes, did not reach the battle in time. The city . . . The king of Babylonia and Cyaxares the king of the Medes met one another by the city and together they made an entente cordiale. . . . Cyaxares and his army went home. The king of Babylonia and his army went home.

The thirteenth year [613-612]: In the month Ajaru the Subeans rebelled against the king of Babylonia and became belligerent. The king of Babylonia mustered his army and marched to Suhu. On the fourth day of the month Simanu [11 May 613] he did battle against Rahilu, a city which is on an island in the middle of the Euphrates and at that time he captured the city. He built his . . . The men who live on the bank of the Euphrates came down to him. . . . he encamped against Anat and the siege engines he brought over from the western side . . . he brought the siege engine up to the wall. He did battle against the city and captured it. . . . the king of Assyria and his army came down and . . . the king of Babylonia and his army. The king of Babylonia went home.

The fourteenth year [612-611]: The king of Babylonia mustered his army and marched to . . . . The king of the Medes marched towards the king of Babylonia. . . . they met one another. The king of Babylonia . . . Cyaxares . . . brought across and they marched along the bank of the Tigris. . . . they encamped against Nineveh.

From the month Simanu [June] until the month Abu [August] — for three months — they subjected the city to a heavy siege. On the . . . day of the month Âbu they inflicted a major defeat upon a great people. At that time Sin-šar-iškun, king of Assyria, died. . . . They carried off the vast booty of the city and the temple and turned the city into a ruin heap . . . of Assyria escaped from the enemy and . . . the king of Babylonia . . . .

On the twentieth day of the month Ulûlu [15 August 612] Cyaxares and his army went home. After he had gone, the king of Babylonia dispatched his army and they marched to Nasibin. Plunder and exiles . . . and they brought the people of Rusapu [modern Kirkuk] to the king of Babylonia at Nineveh. On the . . . of the month . . . Aššur-uballit ascended to the throne in Harran to rule Assyria. Up until the . . . day of the month . . . the king of . . . set out and in . . .

The fifteenth year [611-610]: In the month Du'ûzu [June/July] the king of Babylonia mustered his army and . . . marched to Assyria victoriously. He marched about of . . . and he captured Shu . . . , plundered it and carried of its vast booty. In the month Arahsamna [November/December] the king of Babylonia took the lead of his army personally and marched against Ruggulitu. He did battle against the city and on the twenty-eighth day of the month Arahsamnu [8 December 611] he captured it. . . . He did not leave a single man alive. . . . He went home.

The sixteenth year [610-609]: In the month Ajaru [May] the king of Babylonia mustered his army and marched to Assyria. From the month . . . until the month Arahsamna [November] he marched about victoriously in Assyria. In the month Arahsamnu the Medes, who had come to the help of the king of Babylonia, put their armies together and marched to Harran against Aššur-uballit, who had ascended to the throne in Assyria. Fear of the enemy overcame Aššur-uballit and the army of Egypt which had come to help him, and they abandoned the city. . . . they crossed. The king of Babylonia reached Harran and . . . he captured the city. He carried off the vast booty of the city and the temple. In the month Addaru the king of Babylonia left their . . . . He went home. The Medes, who had come to help the king of Babylonia, withdrew.

The seventeenth year [609-608]: In the month Du'ūzu [July] Aššur-uballit, king of Assyria, with a large army from Egypt crossed the river Euphrates and marched against Harran to conquer it. . . . They captured [a town on the road to Harran]. They defeated the garrison which the king of Babylonia had stationed inside. When they had defeated it they encamped against Harran. Until the month Ulûlu [September] they did battle against the city but achieved nothing. However, they did not withdraw. The king of Babylonia went to help his army and . . . he went up to Izalla and the numerous cities in the mountains . . . he set fire to their . . . At that time the army of . . . march as far as the district of Urartu. In the land . . . they plundered their . . . The garrison which the king of . . . had stationed in it set out. They went up to . . . . The king of Babylonia went home.

In the eighteenth year [608-607]: In the month Ulûlu [August/September] the king of Babylonia mustered his army. . . . .

Let the one who loves [the gods] Nabū and Marduk keep this tablet and not let it stray into other hands.

(From A.K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (1975). The original post is at Livius - Articles on Ancient History.)