ABSTRACT
King Sargon’s own records show that after Rusa’s defeat, Ararat continued to enjoy a considerable part of its former prestige. The northern empire was still the champion of the small central and southern Anatolian states and still a serious political and military menace to Assyria. So low had Assyrian prestige fallen that the King of Commagene preferred to pay tribute to Argishti, son of Rusa, than submit to Assyria. Sargon’s governor at Amidi, Upahir-bel, speaks of peace to the Urartian monarch in the most obsequious terms, and argues that he has been inoffensive to his neighbours, so why does the king attack the Assyrian city of Harda (near modern Diarbekir)? 1 This from the servant of one who claimed to have reduced hundreds of Urartian cities to rubble. Far from accepting these conciliatory overtures from his traditional enemy, Argishti is ready to ‘saddle his horse’ to seek revenge on the borders of Amidi. 2 In other words, Urartu now takes the initiative in matters of war and peace, while Assyria is reduced to defending her territories.
