Sargon II, King of Assyria by Josette Elayi (review)

In this book, Elayi writes a concise but learned history of Sargon II ("Sargon" henceforth). The book is approachable, well written, and scholarly. In the introduction E. espouses a multidisciplinary methodology, grounded in the extant documents. She believes that Sargon represents the high point of the Assyrian Empire. After chap. 3, E. organizes her history of Sargon's reign geographically instead of chronologically. A chronological history may seem more intuitive, but her geographical orientation succeeds; it allows her to compose a coherent history of each section of the empire, which can then be perused according to interest.

In chaps. 1–3, E. develops a self-portrait of Sargon, treats his royal ascent, and details his main officials. From his Khorsabad (Dûr-Sharrukîn) palace and his chosen name, Sargon portrays himself as an exceptionally intelligent builder and an economically savvy warrior king—who is also just and pious. E. does not believe that Sargon usurped Shalmaneser V, but rather that Sargon was Shalmaneser's younger brother. After Shalmaneser died of natural causes, Sargon became king despite some opposition. E. dates the birth of Sargon to approximately 770 b.c.e.; Sargon was between forty and fifty years old when he became king in 722, while Sennacherib was in his early twenties. E. trusts the Eponym Lists and the Assur Charter more than the Prisms and his Annals, and she argues that Sargon did not go on any military campaign for his first year and a half on the throne. Instead, Sargon sought to conceal this fact by having his records later falsified. Sargon had seven main officials: treasurer, commander-in-chief, chief cupbearer, grand vizier, chief judge, chief eunuch, and majordomo. E. initially indicates that the treasurer was the top government official (p. 34), but she later accords this honor to the vizier (pp. 247-48). Sargon moved the capital to Khorsabad in order to improve his own position, while simultaneously weakening the traditional aristocracy. Additionally, Sargon made it a greater honor to govern newer provinces.

In chap. 4, E. focuses on the West from Syria to Egypt, surveying six different views on the fall of Samaria and favoring the view that Samaria was first conquered by Shalmaneser in 722 and that Sargon recaptured it in 720. E. ascribes the Azekah Inscription to Sennacherib instead of Sargon. Judah faithfully paid tribute during the time of Sargon, and the Assyrian royal brides Atalia and Iabâ may be Hebrew names. E. dates Hezekiah's reign to 719–699 (p. 46), and she cites Gershon Galil, The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah (SHANE 9; Leiden: Brill, 1996) for support; but Galil dates Hezekiah's reign to 726-697, and his reconstruction is more probable. Ashdod rebelled twice; Sargon personally squelched it in 713 but sent his commander-in-chief in 711. The seemingly Yahwistic name of Iaûbidî, king of Hamath, remains unclear. E. credits the five-year Assyrian blockade of Tyre to Sargon. She equates Shilkani with Osorkon IV and So (2 Kgs 17:4), and a Piankhy–Shabaka–Shabatka succession occurred in Egypt with no co-regencies—Piru should be equated with Shabaka. E. asserts that Sargon was a pragmatist instead of a colonizer in his campaigns; he desired "maximum profit with the minimum investment" (p. 83).

In chaps. 5–8, E. treats Sargon's affairs in relation to the northwest (Anatolia), north (Urartu), east (Elam), and south (Babylonia); she emphasizes his unique strategies with each area and ruler. In Anatolia, Sargon took a "divide and conquer" strategy (p. 113). E. claims that Anatolia was not a primary goal for Sargon, but this is hard to reckon with his likely death in Anatolia. In the north, E. asserts that Sargon preferred to keep independent states between Urartu and Assyria. Sargon defeated the Urartian king Rusâ in 714, but E. argues that Sargon did not actually devastate Urartu, and that his victory did not lead to Rusâ's death. To the east, E. maintains that...