Representations of Rebellion in the Assyrian Royal Inscriptions
Author | : Benjamin Neil Dewar |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 0 |
Release | : 2019 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:1442808347 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (47 Downloads) |
Download or read book Representations of Rebellion in the Assyrian Royal Inscriptions written by Benjamin Neil Dewar and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation is a study of the literary motifs and topoi relating to rebellion in the Assyrian royal inscriptions. It is particularly concerned with the ways in which the Assyrian kings and their scribes emplotted rebellion into the narratives of the royal inscriptions in order to present these events in a favourable light. Details such as the identities of those responsible for a rebellion; the location of the king at the time at which the rebellion began; or the involvement of the gods (or lack thereof) all contributed towards a message that rebellions against Assyria were unjustified and lacked divine backing. In cases where it was felt that events could not be made to present the king in a favourable light, reference to rebellion was omitted from the inscription. I argue that the approach to these events changed during the reign of Ashurbanipal. This king presented events which might otherwise have been seen as negatively connoted as having been decreed by the gods in order to allow him the opportunity to gain further military successes against his enemies.