Art of Intimidation, Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East

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A guided tour

Explore 3,000 year old reliefs in Nineveh while you wait to see the King

Good health, visitor. I am Dan-Assur, the ša-pān-ekalle, or in your language, the “Palace Overseer.” Welcome to Nineveh! I trust that your armed escort treated you with dignity. Hmmmmhhh. I am pleased to see that you have cleansed yourself before greeting his Majesty. The Great King, Chosen one of Assur, cannot see you at this time. He is currently occupied by another matter. Wait here in the Throne Room until he is free to meet you. Admire the splendors of the room. See the magnificent images depicting the acts of our King. You would do well to keep them in mind as you meet our Lord. Should you wish to learn more about a particular scene, approach it and call for me. I will enlighten you.

I understand that your journey here brought you past the old Palace in Kalhu. Surely you heard how the king’s ancestor, Adssurnasirpal, captured countless lions in the mountains and had them delivered to his gardens. No!? Well, he bred their cubs in great number, and many still live within his walled parks. For the royal hunt, he chose which to cut down with his mighty sword or spear, or pierce with arrows fired from his just bow. Such a spectacle to behold! How I wish I could know the joy of hunting these beasts, but only our lord may have the glory of that kill.

I am sure that you notice the flowers remaining from our recent celebrations. It is a shame that you were not more timely with your arrival, so to see the glorious triumph of the King with your own eyes. You see, … the lion hunt recently ended. Like kings before him, my lord slew beasts in great numbers with sword, spear, and bow, and poured libations over them. These forces of chaos that rule the wildlands will not disturb the peace and prosperity of the King’s lands. The kings of divine Assur have always celebrated the defeat of anarchy with joyous music and song. Divine Assur and Mulissu have granted my lord great strength and wisdom and a long reign. His fierce bow is mightier even than that of his ancestors.

This scene reminds me of the joyous days of celebration that the Great King, our lord, brings to the land of Assur. Do you see the lions dead at his feet? My lord felled each, with a SINGLE arrow fired from his mighty bow. He brought the beasts low as quickly as he defeats any who dare oppose him. He poured a libation of wine over the lion’s corpses, so to honor the great gods who guide his hand in all things. My lord had the finest musicians perform the lament over these dead enemies and sing the praise of Assur. The song brought light and radiance to all who heard it. Such songs rise from the voices of our sacred singers: men, women, and those who fall between. They all dedicated their life to the service of divine Ishtar. As you look upon this scene, can you not almost hear the tune yourself?

Many have learned that it is unwise to oppose our Lord. He has commemorated his victories on the carved panels you see in the palace reception halls. Don’t you feel excitement looking upon them? I know of all the stories they tell, both here in the King’s City of Nineveh and in the old palace at Kalhu. The images in the old palace come from a time when the Land of Assur was still gathering its strength. Our army was led by King Assurnasirpal, who fought to crush all enemies and protect us from those who stood against the will of the gods. One image shows how Kudurru fled with his men into the river instead of fighting with honor! The coward and his soldiers fell back into the Euphrates and tried to swim away using animal skins filled with air. Our soldiers wounded many with arrows. A few crossed the swift current as the waters flowed red with blood, but their escape was only a temporary reprieve! The arm of divine Assur is long. After we took the fort, we ate freely from the dates that grew along the river. I am sure that the fruit tasted even sweeter in victory. .

Those who oppose the yoke of Assur cannot stand long against the merciless weapons of god. It is best to submit and enjoy safety within the borders of the King’s land. The great king counts all peoples from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea as part of Assyria. The governors he has appointed do well to keep out enemies and provide equally for the prince, the orphan, and the widow. Unfortunately, some lands fail to see the wisdom of compliance. As a reminder to those who would forget his benevolence, one palace image shows rebellious leaders being led before our king, bound, suffering. or even dragged by their hair. I am sure their troublesome voices were soon silenced and all wealth stripped from their houses. I know that you have heard tales of entire nations deported from their lands. This is an exaggeration, but I assure you that all rebellious peoples feel the weight of Assur’s yoke! You have no doubt seen the images of such folk being led away. If not, you must certainly seek them out. Look upon them and learn.

I see that you have brought gifts to the king again this year. Your leader understands that it is far better to submit willingly to the just rule of the gods than to stand against it. If pressed, my Lord will send the army to roll across the lands like a desert storm, to utterly destroy all who stand in his way. The king has ways to pass even the highest fortifications. He may undermine a wall to make it collapse, build a siege ramp against it, or tear it down completely. When I served the king in battle, we built machines to capture rebellious cities. The roof of the covered battering rams would give shelter as we crushed the foundations of the enemy’s walls. Once a breach was opened, our soldiers would pour through like water. Enemies who chose not to surrender would be put to the sword and their women and children led into captivity. Is it not good that you are here to pay homage instead?

Ahaa! I see that you cannot help but be drawn in by the joy and wonder of this image. Yes … The King, my Lord, enjoys this scene as well. But did you notice the stylus he wears tucked in his belt? The writing stylus is yet another weapon that the king, my lord, knows how to wield. Divine Nabu has granted our king great wisdom to read and write in both Assyrian and Sumerian! Letters, drafted by his own hand, are sent to the far corners of the world, so that leaders in all lands may hear his words. What is more, he has gathered thousands of great scholarly works to store here in his library. Through these, his scholars study the secrets of the gods and predict the future of his lands. The king is the shadow of the Gods. Men are the shadow of the King. With knowledge comes power. Our lord is no idle ruler. He has both a strong arm AND a sharp mind.

Be sure to visit the palace gardens so that you may tell your people of the wonders of the furthest reaches of Assyria. The king, my lord, keeps many strange beasts there. Do you hear the songs of the birds beyond the wall? Those birds were brought from the mountains to the East, along with creatures from the wild forests of the world. You will also find every kind of fruit, flower, and herb within the garden walls. Look, but do not eat from them. They belong to the king. As you explore the grounds, however, be warned that captured lions roam free. They are well fed, and should not bother you, but you should keep to the guarded paths. You see here one of the many lions that the king has killed in the royal hunt. Once, he even grabbed a lion by its tail before he crushed its head with his mace. All wild creatures are brought low, as all enemies are kept at bay for the Land of Assur to prosper!

Bah! Elam. For a long time these people of the East were like sand in our bread. Annoying and troublesome. I am glad that they have finally been brought to heel. In my youth I served in the wars against them. Those were great and terrible days. I lost many brothers, and for years I wished the seed of Elam to disappear from the earth; but of late, I have come to appreciate the many skilled craftsmen and women of Elam re-settled into new lands. My lord, in his wisdom has moved many other peoples as well to work the land or ply their trade for the benefit of all. I overheard you questioning how large groups of deportees could be fed and housed, but I assure you that they all are happy in their new homes and grateful to pull the yoke of Assur. They now contribute to our land. Why, the canals around Nineveh itself were recently renovated using labor brought here after victories to the South. I’m sure this year’s crops will fare better because of it.

I joke with my old army brother that he is shown in this camp scene. He believes that he is the one cutting up the goat, but since he is often disagreeable, I say that he is the camel. Hah! But truly, this scene does remind me of the years I spent on campaigns in foreign lands. At times, it took us weeks to fully prepare a camp--the boundary walls, the tents, the animal pens. I took pride in my quarters. My brother in arms may have been as disagreeable as a camel at times, but he was a fierce warrior to have guarding my back, and a loyal tent mate. He was also a skillful butcher of any game we hunted in the lands around the camp. Food was not always plentiful, so fresh meat was always welcome.

You are correct. This is a rare image here in the palace. Our sculptors do not usually show women and children. If you do not know, these are Elamite families from far to the South and East. They are sharing a meal during a stop on their march to a new home. Although they were rebellious, the king, my lord was merciful. Why, most mothers were even allowed to keep their own children. Instead of meeting death, the fortunate Elamites were relocated to a new land, a land of grain and wine, a land of oil and honey. When I served in the army, I helped escort these peoples. I can assure you that they were treated as well as they deserved. And did you hear how my lord had the bones of their kings dug up and carted away? Yes! I see that you have! Excellent! The king, my lord has ensured that their spirits will never rest or receive funerary offerings. Too long were the Elamite kings a burden on Assur. They have now been banished to roam the world as ghosts for all eternity.

There is no need to whisper. I take it that you have seen the heads mounted before the temple gates? Have no fear. They were from a group of bandits who were harassing river merchants travelling between our cities. I doubt that the heads of these thieves will remain on view much longer. They certainly won’t hang as long as that of the Elamite king Teumman, whose head was put in salt! The king, our lord, is just! He only silences those deserving of a horrid fate—those who remain stubborn and speak out against our king’s wisdom, or those foolish enough to lead rebellions against divine Assur. An image from the old palace at Kalhu shows the celebrations around the beheading of four enemy leaders following a battle. I do not know the whole story, but am certain that the soldiers had every reason to rejoice at the deaths of their foes.

It does not surprise me that you are so impressed by the splendor of the royal palace. Our King chose the finest builders, sculptors, and craftsmen to construct a palace without rival. Look at the colors! The craftsmen tell me that the pigments are rare and difficult to find. Do you see how freely my lord has had them applied over the sculpture? How much of it is covered in gold? It is not likely that you will visit the palace of my lord’s grandfather, but if you do, I’m sure you will be overwhelmed by his throne room and the chambers around it. No doubt you have heard of the destruction of the city of Lachish, and how its people were led into captivity for their foolish attempt to throw off the yoke of Assur. Well, the story is carved into the walls there! You witness the arrival of the Assyrian army and see the slingers, archers, and spearmen arrayed against the city. You see the burning towers and the desperate people as they are forced from their home. You see the image of the old king, Sennacherib, receiving news of the siege upon his throne in the rocky hills above the city. It must have brought him great pleasure to watch the city fall with his own eyes.

It is good that you have spent time studying these images. I am certain that you now have a greater appreciation for the power of Assur. The king will see you now…