A new analysis of the royal annals of Shalmaneser III

This study is a critical discussion and analysis of the campaign annals of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (858-824 B.C.). Chapter one is a catalogue of the texts in Shalmaneser III\u27s corpus of royal inscriptions. The texts are classified according to the style of the inscription. Also included in the catalogue are the various designations of the text, a brief description of the object inscribed, information concerning the objects\u27 original context, and a summary of the contents of the inscription. At the end of the chapter is a discussion concerning the relationship between style of the inscription, the objects\u27 contexts, and how they might have functioned in antiquity. This discussion ends with the identification of the audience of the different text-types. Chapter two examines the different units that make up Shalmaneser III\u27s annals. The history of the various units are examined with special attention paid to how Shalmaneser III\u27s texts fit into the continuum of Assyrian annals. After the changes in Shalmaneser III\u27s texts are clarified, the motivation behind some of his innovations are examined. Chapter three analyzes the different characters who appear in Shalmaneser III\u27s texts. Shalmaneser III is examined first through his titulary and then through his depiction in the body of the texts through his actions. Dayan-Ashur, is then examined followed by Marduk-zakir-shumi (King of Babylon) and then the depiction of foreign rulers in general. Chapter four is a detailed analysis of the stylistic peculiarities found in each version of Shalmaneser III\u27s annals. The discussion focuses on trends noted within individual texts and relates those trends to events taking place in Shalmaneser III\u27s reign at the time of the composition of the different accounts. Chapter five investigates some of the episodes from Shalmaneser III\u27s reign in light of the analysis of the different annals that took place previously. This discussion indicates how the ideology of the accounts of the annals affected not only the information included but also how it was presented