II. Chronology
The following tables make no pretence to finality. In Babylonian history no date before b.c. 747 can be considered absolutely fixed. In Assyrian history the Eponym Canon certainly goes back to about b.c. 893. Then scattered notices in later writers enable us to approximate to earlier dates and the varied synchronisms between Assyrian and Babylonian kings render the dates probable, as far back as the First Dynasty of Babylon. There is only one fixed date before that, the period of Sargon I., which depends on a statement of Nabonidus.
The sequence of monarchs is, however, very probably correct. As knowledge increases, more names will be added to fill up the gaps, and dated documents will give the lengths of the reigns. A discussion of the grounds for the dates cannot be given here. The reader may refer to Dr. P. Rost, in the Mittheilungen der Vorderasiatischen Gesellschaft, 1897, No. 2, and Orientalistische Litteratur-Zeitung, 1900, pp. 143, 175, 212. Radau's Early Babylonian History may be consulted for the earliest dates.
In the early periods, a vertical line between two names denotes that the second was son of the former. This is often all we know, but it is useful to mark the fact, as we cannot then insert other rulers between them. Names printed in capitals are either Sumerian or their true pronunciation is unknown. When these capitals are in Roman type, we know that they were kings or Patesis; when they are printed in italic, we only know that they were the parents of those whose names follow. We do not then know whether they reigned or not.
For Assyrian chronology, see Annals of the Kings of Assyria, by Budge and King, 1902.
Assyria
Early Patesis, Dates Conjectural, Order Uncertain
Ushpia,
Ilushuma,
|
Irishum, circa b.c. 2100
|
Ikunum,
Ishme-Dagan, circa b.c. 1930
|
Shamshi-Adad I., circa b.c. 1910
Igur-kapkapu,
|
Shamshi-Adad II.,
Bêl-upaḫḫir (?),
|
Shamshi-Adad III.
Early Kings, Dates Conjectural
circa b.c.
Bêl-ibni,
Sulili (?),
Bêl-kapkapu, 1700
Ashur-bêl-nishêshu, 1500
Puzur-Ashur, 1470
Ashur-nâdin-aḫê, 1430
Ashur-uballiṭ, son, 1420
Bêl-nirari, son, 1400
Pudi-ilu, son, 1397
Adad-nirari I., son, 1395
Shulmanu-asharid (Shalmaneser) I., son, 1380
Tukulti-Ninip I., son, 1340
Ashur-nâṣir-pal I., 1330
Ashur-narara, 1300
Nabû-daian, 1295
Bêl-kudur-uṣur, 1290
Ninip-apil-esharra, 1285
Ashur-dan, son, 1260
Mutakkil-Nusku, son, 1250
Ashur-rêsh-ishi, son, 1220
Tukulti-apil-esharra (Tiglath-pileser) I., son, 1200
Ashur-bêl-kala, son, 1090
Shamshi-Adad IV., brother, 1080
Ashur-nâṣir-pal II., 1050
Erba-Adad (?),
Ashur-nâdin-aḫê,
Ashur-erbi,
Tukulti-apil-esharra (Tiglath-pileser) II., 950
Ashur-dan II., son, 930
Adad-nirari II., son, 911
Dates Certain From Eponym Canon
b.c.
Tukulti-Ninip II., son, 890
Ashur-nâṣir-pal III., son, 884
Shulmanu-asharid (Shalmaneser) II., 859
Shamshi-Adad V., 824
Adad-nirari III., 811
Shulmanu-asharid (Shalmaneser) III., 782
Ashur-dan III., 772
Ashur-nirari II., 754
Tukulti-apil-esharra (Tiglath-pileser, Pul) III., 745
Shulmanu-asharid (Shalmaneser) IV., 726
Sharru-ukin (Sargon) II., 721
Sin-aḫê-erba (Sennacherib), son, 704
Ashur-aḫ-iddin (Esarhaddon), son, 680
Ashur-bâni-pal (Asnapper), son, 668
Ashur-etil-ilâni, son, 625
Sin-shum-lîshir, (?)
Sin-shar-ishkun, (?)
Fall of Nineveh, 607