Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Maps
- List of Tables
- List of Text-figures
- Preface
- CHAPTER I NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA AND SYRIA
- CHAPTER II EGYPT: FROM THE DEATH OF AMMENEMES III TO SEQENENRE II
- CHAPTER III PALESTINE IN THE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE
- CHAPTER IV
- CHAPTER V HAMMURABI AND THE END OF HIS DYNASTY
- CHAPTER VI ANATOLIA c. 1750–1600 B.C.
- CHAPTER VII PERSIA c. 1800–1550 B.C.
- CHAPTER VIII EGYPT: FROM THE EXPULSION OF THE HYKSOS TO AMENOPHIS I
- CHAPTER IX EGYPT: INTERNAL AFFAIRS FROM TUTHMOSIS I TO THE DEATH OF AMENOPHIS III
- CHAPTER X SYRIA c. 1550–1400 B.C.
- CHAPTER XI PALESTINE IN THE TIME OF THE EIGHTEENTH DYNASTY
- CHAPTER XII THE ZENITH OF MINOAN CIVILIZATION
- CHAPTER XIII THE LINEAR SCRIPTS AND THE TABLETS AS HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
- CHAPTER XIV THE RISE OF MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION
- CHAPTER XV ANATOLIA c. 1600–1380 b.c.
- CHAPTER XVI THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF THE SECOND MILLENNIUM B.C. ON THE PERSIAN PLATEAU
- BIBLIOGRAPHIES
- Chronological Tables
- Index to Maps
- General Index
- Map 1: Greece and the Aegean Islands in the Middle Bronze Age.
- Map 3: Babylonia and Western Persia.
- Fig. 7. Plan of the Palace at Cnossus.
- Map 6: Ancient Asia Minor and Northern mesopotamia
- References
CHAPTER I - NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA AND SYRIA
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Maps
- List of Tables
- List of Text-figures
- Preface
- CHAPTER I NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA AND SYRIA
- CHAPTER II EGYPT: FROM THE DEATH OF AMMENEMES III TO SEQENENRE II
- CHAPTER III PALESTINE IN THE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE
- CHAPTER IV
- CHAPTER V HAMMURABI AND THE END OF HIS DYNASTY
- CHAPTER VI ANATOLIA c. 1750–1600 B.C.
- CHAPTER VII PERSIA c. 1800–1550 B.C.
- CHAPTER VIII EGYPT: FROM THE EXPULSION OF THE HYKSOS TO AMENOPHIS I
- CHAPTER IX EGYPT: INTERNAL AFFAIRS FROM TUTHMOSIS I TO THE DEATH OF AMENOPHIS III
- CHAPTER X SYRIA c. 1550–1400 B.C.
- CHAPTER XI PALESTINE IN THE TIME OF THE EIGHTEENTH DYNASTY
- CHAPTER XII THE ZENITH OF MINOAN CIVILIZATION
- CHAPTER XIII THE LINEAR SCRIPTS AND THE TABLETS AS HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
- CHAPTER XIV THE RISE OF MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION
- CHAPTER XV ANATOLIA c. 1600–1380 b.c.
- CHAPTER XVI THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF THE SECOND MILLENNIUM B.C. ON THE PERSIAN PLATEAU
- BIBLIOGRAPHIES
- Chronological Tables
- Index to Maps
- General Index
- Map 1: Greece and the Aegean Islands in the Middle Bronze Age.
- Map 3: Babylonia and Western Persia.
- Fig. 7. Plan of the Palace at Cnossus.
- Map 6: Ancient Asia Minor and Northern mesopotamia
- References
Summary
SHAMSHI-ADAD I
Scarcely thirty years ago the figure of Hammurabi, the unifier of Babylonia, still stood out in striking isolation. In fact, at the time he ascended the throne another centralized empire already occupied the whole of northern Mesopotamia: it was the personal creation of Shamshi-Adad I, to whom recent discoveries have made it possible to give his place in history.
Whereas Hammurabi had inherited a considerable territory from his father, Shamshi-Adad had more modest beginnings. He belonged to one of the numerous nomad clans which had infiltrated into Mesopotamia after the break-up of the Third Dynasty of Ur. His father, Ila-kabkabu, ruled over a land bordering on the kingdom of Mari, with which he had come into conflict. It is not well known what happened next. According to one version, the authenticity of which is not certain, Shamshi-Adad made his way into Babylonia, while his brother succeeded to Ila-kabkabu. Later on he seized Ekallatum; the capture of this fortress, on the left bank of the Tigris, in the southern reaches of the lower Zab, laid the gates of Assyria open to him. The moment was propitious, for Assyria had only lately regained her independence, having previously had to submit to Naram-Sin of Eshnunna, who had advanced as far as the upper Khabur. But Naram-Sin's conquests had been ephemeral: on his death, Assyria had shaken off the yoke of Eshnunna, only to fall beneath that of Shamshi-Adad. Once installed on the throne of Ashur, the latter soon set about extending his dominion in the direction of the West.
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- The Cambridge Ancient History , pp. 1 - 41Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1973
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