Shalmaneser IV facts for kids

Shalmaneser IV (whose name in Akkadian was Salmānu-ašarēd, meaning "Salmānu is foremost") was a king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. He ruled from 783 BC until he died in 773 BC. Shalmaneser was the son of the previous king, Adad-nirari III, and took over after his father.

His time as king was during a period when the Assyrian Empire was becoming weaker. Not many records from his reign have survived, so we don't know much about what happened. During his rule, powerful officials gained more control than the king. Also, Assyria's enemies became much stronger. Most of Shalmaneser's military efforts were spent fighting against the Kingdom of Urartu in the north. Urartu was very powerful at this time.

Shalmaneser IV: Early Life and Rule

This stone carving, called a stele, was made during Shalmaneser IV's reign. It shows Bel-harran-beli-usur, an important Assyrian official.

Shalmaneser IV became king after his father, Adad-nirari III, died in 783 BC. His father had ruled from 811 to 783 BC. Shalmaneser's rule marks a time in Assyrian history that is not well understood. We have very little information from this period. This lack of information also applies to the reigns of his two brothers who ruled after him: Ashur-dan III (773–755 BC) and Ashur-nirari V (755–745/744 BC).

By the end of Adad-nirari III's reign, the Neo-Assyrian Empire was starting to decline. The king's power was especially at risk. This was because some officials became extremely powerful. Even though they accepted the king's authority, they often acted like rulers themselves. They even started making their own official writings, much like the kings did. This situation continued during Shalmaneser's reign and those of his brothers. In fact, we have more writings from these powerful officials than from the kings themselves during this time. At the same time, the enemies of Assyria grew stronger and posed a greater threat. For example, the northern Kingdom of Urartu was at its strongest during this period of Assyrian decline.

What We Know About His Reign

Only a few texts from Shalmaneser's time have been found. We don't know of any major building projects he started. However, he might have done some construction in Assur, which was the first capital of Assyria.

One important inscription was found near the city of Marash in Turkey. It dates to 773 BC. This text describes an agreement about a border with Ušpilulume, the king of Kummuh. This agreement happened after a military campaign against Damascus. The inscription gives credit to a very influential general named Shamshi-ilu for the victory against Damascus. It's not clear if Shamshi-ilu or Shalmaneser himself made the border agreement with Ušpilulume.

At a place called Tell Abta, archaeologists found a stone slab, or stele. It was written by a palace official named Bel-harran-beli-usur. This stele describes the founding of a new city in the desert. What's unusual is that Bel-harran-beli-usur's name is listed before the king's name. Also, the stele says that he, not Shalmaneser, founded the city. This shows how much power and freedom these officials had. Even stranger, the inscription on the stele originally named Shalmaneser as king. But later, someone changed it to refer to a different king, Tiglath-Pileser III (745–727 BC).

Queen Hama

Shalmaneser's queen was named Hama. They were already married when Shalmaneser's father, Adad-nirari, was king. An inscription from Adad-nirari's time calls Hama his daughter-in-law.

In 2017, Tracy L. Spurrier found Hama's tomb in Nimrud. Nimrud was the capital city during Shalmaneser's reign. Her skeleton shows that she died very young, between 18 and 20 years old. She died sometime during Shalmaneser's rule, but the reason for her death is unknown. Many valuable items were buried with her. These included a golden crown, jewelry, gems, gold bowls, bracelets, rings, brooches, pots, stamps, caps, leaves, cups, and cylinder seals.

Military Campaigns and Legacy

We learn about Shalmaneser from texts written after his reign. These include the Assyrian King List, which tells us how long he ruled. There's also a royal decree and a list of eponyms. Eponyms were year names, often named after important officials or events. These lists include the eponyms from Shalmaneser's time.

From the list of eponyms, we know that Shalmaneser fought against Urartu from 781 to 776 BC. A letter written to the Assyrian god Ashur might be about these campaigns. However, it could also be from the time of his successor. Other campaigns recorded in the eponyms include:

• A campaign against Ituʾa in 776 BC. This was likely a city in Babylonia.
• A campaign to "the cedar mountain" in 775 BC.
• A campaign to Namri (in Urartu) in 774 BC.
• A final campaign to Damascus in 774 BC.

Shalmaneser's wars against Urartu don't seem to have been a complete victory. However, his campaigns in the west, like those against Damascus and the cedar mountain, showed some success. The border agreement with Ušpilulume also points to success in the west. It's likely that General Shamshi-ilu led some, or even all, of these military campaigns, not the king himself. Shalmaneser died in 773 BC. His brother, Ashur-dan III, became the next king.

Titles of Shalmaneser IV

In the inscription found near Marash, Shalmaneser was given several important titles:

Shalmaneser, strong king, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nirari, strong king, king of the Universe, king of Assyria, son of Shamshi-Adad, king of the Four Quarters.

See also

In Spanish: Salmanasar IV para niños