Ancient civilizations of Transcaucasia. History and culture. The history of the ancient state of Urartu briefly
Introduction
Chapter 1. Formation of the state of Urartu
1 Country "Nairi"
2 Strengthening of the state of Urartu
3 Urartu is a powerful state of Asia Minor
Chapter 2. Urartu and neighboring states
1 Political confrontations between Urartu and Assyria
2.2 The Medes and the collapse of Urartu
Chapter 3
2 State system.
3 Economy of Urartu.
4 Construction in Urartu.
5 Cuneiform.
6 Religion in Urartu
Conclusion
Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of our course work is to consider the formation and further existence of the state of Urartu. The relevance of my work is due to my personal interest in who, how the predecessors of my people lived. We will consider several stages of the existence of the state, from the formation, the country "Nairi" of the 9th century BC, to the collapse of the state of the 6th century BC.
The weakening and disintegration of the Hittite kingdom by the end of the 12th century BC weakened external pressure from the west, and the process of state formation in the western part of the Armenian Highlands slowed down significantly. However, at the same time, pressure increased from the south, from Assyria. Assyrian kings often invaded the southern regions of the Armenian Highlands to capture slaves and wealth. The aggressive policy of Assyria objectively contributed to the acceleration of the process of consolidation of forces and the formation of the state. The “kingdoms” of Nairi, Shubria, Uruatri, located in the southern part of the Armenian Highlands, suffered the most from the invasions of the Assyrian kings. Naturally, here the most favorable conditions were formed for the consolidation of forces and the formation of a single Armenian state.
The merger process was led kingdom Biayna, who managed to unite others kingdoms Armenian Highlands in the fight against a common enemy. According to Assyrian sources, by the end of 860 BC. a united state arose, the territory of which covered the southern and western coasts of Lake Van.
In my work, I focus on the kings who ruled the country, from Aram I to Rusa II, on their state activities. It is impossible to talk about Urartu without touching on Ancient Assyria, throughout its existence, Urartu fought with the Assyrian troops for territory, of course, there were other enemies, but the Assyrians have been the main opponents of the Urartian state for centuries.
Also in our work we will talk about writing, religion, construction and economy of the state of Urartu.
Also in our work we will give a couple of examples that prove that Urartu is precisely the Armenian state.
Chapter 1. "Formation of the State of Urartu"
1 "Country of Nairi"
The name "Urartu" became widespread in the works of scientists of the 19th century, when there were large-scale excavations on the territory of ancient Assyria, Assyrian cuneiform texts were deciphered and read. Only by the beginning of the 20th century were the cuneiform inscriptions left by the kings of Urartu collected, studied and translated, and the name "Biayna" was read for the first time. In their inscriptions, the Urartian kings called their state "Biayna", while the Assyrian sources called the country "Urartu". In the Bible, Urartu is referred to as the "country of Ararat".
Urartu is first mentioned in the cuneiform writings of King Salmonazar I (r. 1280<#"justify">According to the source of Assyrian cuneiforms and the teachings of Movses Khorenatsi, the first king of Urartu was Aram I, who ruled at the beginning of the 9th century BC. Urartu was located around Lake Van (Nairi). During the reign of Aram I, the Assyrian king Salmonazar III made several attempts to conquer the territory of Urartu (859, 857 and 845 BC), but they were unsuccessful. In his cuneiform writings, Salmonazar III boasted that he had destroyed almost everything on the territory of Urartu, but none of the sources mentions that he captured the capital of Urartu - Van (Tushpa), and this indicates that the Assyrians always received a worthy rebuff from the army of Aram .
The image of Aram can be characterized based on the teachings of Movses Khorenatsi, in his work “History of Armenia” he writes: “Aram accomplished many feats in victorious battles. He also expanded the borders of Urartu from all sides. Also, Khorenatsi, based on the teachings of Mara Abas, writes:
“King Aram I was very hardworking. He was a patriot of his country. He believed that it was better to die for his homeland than to see "foreigners" seize his land."
1.2 "Strengthening the State of Urartu"
The heyday of the state of Urartu was during the reign of Sarduri I (845-825 BC) and his son Ishpuin.
Three cuneiforms of Sarduri I have been preserved near Lake Van. It was during the reign of Sarduri I that the first cuneiforms appeared in Urartu. They were in Akkadian. On one of them it was written: "This is written by Sarduri I, the Great King, the King of the Nairi country, that King, who has no equal, who is not afraid of wars, the King who collects tribute from all kings".
King Ishpuin (also referred to as Ushpina in Assyrian cuneiforms) (825-810 BC) during the years of his reign in Assyria there were internal wars, this contributed to the fact that peace reigned in Urartu, so he became famous for being engaged in construction. The main legacy of Ishpuin was the city of Musasir - the religious center of Urartu, which was located south of Lake Urmia.
Ishpuina handed over his throne to his young son Menua, but he remained the king's chief adviser.
Father and son in the city of Van, on the rock, which was called the "Gate of Mher", left a cuneiform in which they list all the gods worshiped by the inhabitants of Urartu. This cuneiform is the main source about the Urartian gods.
1.3 "Urartu is a powerful state of Asia Minor"
urartu assyria state armenian
After the death of Ishpuin, Menua ruled Urartu for another 24 years (810-786 BC). During the reign of Menua, more than a hundred cuneiform writings were written, which tell how he expanded the borders of his state, and how construction developed in Urartu.
King Menua undertook a number of campaigns expanding the border of Urartu. As a result of these campaigns, he captured the countries of Manu, Pushta and Parsua. Also during his campaigns, he expanded the borders in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates River. He was also the first to reach the Araks River, thereby opening the Ararat Valley for the Urartian people. On the slope of Mount Ararat, he built the city of Menuhinili.
Behind long years of his reign, Menua kept good relationship with Assyria. The cuneiforms mention only two battles that were far from the capital of Urartu
The absence of confrontations with Assyria allowed Menua to focus on building within the country. Menua's most famous structure is a canal 80 kilometers long, 4.5 meters wide and 1.5 meters deep. Fourteen cuneiform inscriptions were placed on the sides of the canal. The canal provided water to the city of Van (Tushpa). The people of Urartu called the canal the river of Semiramis (Shamirama). Movses Khorenatsi says that Queen Semiramis herself participated in the construction of the canal.
After his death, Menua left an heir, Argishta I (786-760 BC). Argishty I during the years of his reign successfully repelled the attacks of the Assyrians. Argishty I undertook a number of successful campaigns against the country of Manu, thereby expanding the borders of Urartu. Having annexed the Arart Valley to his state, he built the city of Argishtikhinili there.<#"justify">In the 7th century BC. a tribal union of the Medes was formed. With the capital of Ecbotan. Led by their ruler Kashtariti, the Medes rebelled and gained independence from the Assyrians in 673 BC. In alliance with Babylon, the Medes conquer Assyria in 612 BC. The battles continued until 605 BC. After the collapse of Assyria, their entire territory was divided between the Medes and Babylon.
At the end of the 7th century BC. Urartu fought off the invasions of the Scythian and Cimmerian tribes with difficulty. The territory of Urartu was gradually reduced, the subordinates ceased to obey the central government kings and tribes. The power of the Urartian kings extended only to the territory adjacent to Lake Van from the east.
In one of the Babylonian chronicles there is a mention that in 610 the Medes conquered Urartu, but the Bible mentions that Urartu still existed until the 90s of the VI century, the last king The great state of Urartu was Rusa III.
Chapter 3 “Culture, economy and states, the state structure of Urartu
1. "Social order"
The king was the largest slave owner in Urartu. He owned the supreme property in the land. Slaves worked on his lands, most of whom were prisoners. As a result of successful wars, entire peoples moved to the royal lands. So, in the inscription of King Sardur carved on a stone slab, we read that in one year he captured and stole from other countries 12,750 young men, 46,600 women, 12,000 warriors, 2,500 horses, and many other cattle. The king owned palaces with innumerable riches, a huge number of cattle, gardens, vineyards. Captive artisans worked for him. The class of slave owners also included members of the royal family, priests, rulers of regions, military nobility, who owned large farms based on the labor of slaves.
Priests constituted a significant and influential part of the slave-owning class. built in the country a large number of temples with great wealth. The temples had their own economy, where slaves worked. The priests carried out the ideological function of the state. As a result of successful military campaigns, the kings donated part of the booty to temples.
Slaves were the bulk of the exploited. Their labor was widely used in the construction of irrigation facilities, water pipelines, fortresses, palaces of the nobility, temples, roads, outbuildings of the king and other slave owners. The main source of slavery was captivity. For this purpose, military campaigns were carried out in neighboring countries. Most of the slaves were appropriated by the king and the slave-owning nobility. Only a small part of them fell to ordinary soldiers. Slaves were a completely disenfranchised part of the population. They were brutally exploited. Sources testify to such a form of slave protest as mass escapes.
The bulk of the free population were peasant farmers. They were united in rural communities. Community peasants paid taxes and carried out various duties. They were involved in the construction of irrigation systems, roads, in the performance of military service, the supply of horses for the royal army.
Merchants and artisans lived in the cities and were famous for processing iron, copper, precious metals, stone, and wood. Most of craftsmen belonged, apparently, to the slaves. Some of the farmers also lived in the cities, who cultivated the land of the king and were on state support, without having their own farm. In the fortified cities, which were administrative centers, officials of the local apparatus also lived and garrisons were located.
3.2 "State system"
The slave state of Urartu was a monarchy. It was headed by the king, who held the supreme, secular and spiritual power. The center of government was the royal court, where the main positions were occupied by members of the royal family. Urartu, like other countries of the Ancient East, was characterized by the presence of three departments: the financial or department for robbing its own people, the military, or department for robbing neighboring peoples, and the department for public works.
Extensive irrigation work was carried out in Urartu, without which it was impossible to farm. An important link in the state apparatus was the armed forces needed to repel the attacks of Assyria, the Scythians, Cimmerians, to conquer and rob other peoples, to keep the exploited slaves and communal peasants in obedience. The army consisted of permanent royal detachments, and in the case of a military campaign, also of detachments brought by the rulers of the regions, and militias. At that time, the army was well organized: there were war chariots, cavalry, foot units of archers, spearmen. According to written Assyrian sources, there were areas in Urartu where horses were specially bred and trained for cavalry.
The local state apparatus at that time was clearly organized. The entire territory of Urartu was divided into regions headed by regional chiefs appointed by the king. They had military, administrative, financial, judicial powers. The administrative center of the region was located in the fortress city. In their area, the rulers essentially had unlimited power, which in a number of cases led to actions against the king, especially when he suffered a military defeat. In an effort to limit the power of the regional rulers, King Rusa I subdivided the regions.
3.3 "Economy of Urartu"
In Urartu, the main productive force was agriculture and cattle breeding. The construction of canals contributed to the development of agriculture, in addition to the Menua canal, a 25-meter water canal was laid out near the capital, which was called the Rusa I water canal. Until now, a water canal has been preserved, not far from modern Yerevan, which supplies Ararat valley with water from the Rzdan River through a tunnel. Horticulture and viticulture flourished.
In the mountainous areas, the bulk of the population was engaged in cattle breeding.
Artisans have made great strides. During excavations in the Urartian fortresses and cities, it was found military weapons, jewelry, dishes made of bronze, iron, silver, gold, various types of stones, clay, bone and other materials made by Urartian craftsmen. Pieces of clothing and carpets made from wool, fiber and animal skin were also found.
3.4 "Construction in Urartu"
The Urartian kingdom left a rich cultural heritage. Urban planning has reached a high level of development. City-fortresses were built, which became the administrative and military-political centers of the region, region, district. The city-fortress had a citadel where the governor lived. Here, in huge clay karases with a capacity of more than 1000 liters, large stocks of food for military and state needs were stored. Around the citadel spread the city itself, in which ordinary people lived. Many fortresses of that period have been excavated on the territory of the Republic of Armenia - Erebuni, Teishebaini, Argishtikhinili, etc.
In construction, stone, clay, less often brick were used. The architecture of palaces and houses was simple, the buildings were one-story, the roofs were made of wood, reeds and covered with clay. Living quarters were decorated with frescoes and wall paintings from the inside, stone sculptures of gods and mythical animals were placed at the entrance. Hewn stones were used in the construction of temples. On a stele found in the palace of the Assyrian king Sargon II, an image of the capture and plunder of the sanctuary of the god Khaldi in Musasir has been preserved. According to the architectural structure, the temple resembled the famous Hellenistic temple of Garni.
3.5 "Cuneiform"
We learn a lot about the history and culture of Urartu from the cuneiform inscriptions of the Urartian kings. The inscriptions of the Assyrian kings were also made in cuneiform. In Urartu they quickly mastered the Assyrian cuneiform script and adapted it to their language.
The language of the Urartian inscriptions is not Indo-European, but the so-called Urartian. It has long been deciphered, all the inscriptions have been read. This language was probably spoken by the ruling elite, the population of the Biaynili region, which lies to the east of Lake Van. After the formation of the united state, this language became the official state language of the Urartian kingdom. Building inscriptions were drawn up on it, letters were written. But on the vast territory of the state, which united numerous state formations and tribal unions of the Armenian Highlands, the spoken language was the Indo-European Armenian language. These languages existed in parallel. They have a lot of borrowed words, which indicates a long-term contact and interpenetration of these languages. After the fall of the Urartian kingdom, the Urartian language ceased to be the official state language, its writing was forgotten, the speakers were completely assimilated and absorbed by the Indo-European majority of the population of the Armenian Highlands. The non-Indo-European population fully participated in the completion of the process of formation of the Armenian people and language.
3.6 "Religion of Urartu"
In religion, paganism was the state religion. There were more than a hundred gods in the Urartian pantheon. They are listed in the cuneiform "The Door of Mher", which was written during the reign of Ishpuin and Menua. For each god, it is written how many sacrifices must be made. Most of all, it was required for the god Khaldi, who was the patron of kings. The second and third places were occupied by the God of War Teishebaini and the God of the Sun Shivini. After them followed their wives and other deities.
Among the Urartian gods were also the Gods of rivers, lakes and mountains.
Apparently, there were legends about this gods that did not reach us, but their traces were preserved in the most ancient legends of the Armenian people.
Conclusion
In his term paper we examined the features of the development of the ancient powerful state of Urartu, located on the Armenian Highlands. Having studied the history of Urartu, we found out how difficult the fate of this state was, from the very beginning of the emergence of the state, it fought for territories with mighty Assyria. But in the end, the state fell at the hands of the Medes.
Who can call themselves the ancestors of the Urartians? Undoubtedly, the state in question was multinational, but the bulk of the population were Armenians.
This is proved by several facts, which we present below:
)Two brothers raise an uprising against their father, the Assyrian king, kill him, and find refuge in Urartu (Assyrian sources). In the Fourth Book of the Kings of the Old Testament, the same events, only it says that they fled to the state of Ararat.
2)The Armenian epic "Sasuntsi David" describes the same events and says that the brothers fled to Sasun (southwest of the Armenian Highlands)
)Movses Khorenatsi, describing these events, writes … they came to us
)In the VI century BC. the Ahkhiminet kingdom was created, which left us evidence in three languages: Akkadian, Elamite and Old Elmask and Elamite. The Persians call the territory Armenia-Armina. In some places the same area is given as Uruatri (Akkadian), Bianstrona inscription (Darius I). Urartu and Ararat are the same word, Ararat appeared earlier from them.
)Professor Meshchantsev says that the main deity of the Urartians is Khaldi, this is the same Armenian god Hayk.
Bibliography
1.Melik Bashkhyan: "History of the Armenian people" 1988
2.Khachikyan. A. E: "History of Armenia" (Short essay). Second edition, additional. Yerevan 2009
.Chobanyan P: "History of Armenia" 2004
.Sargsyan G: "History of Armenia" 1993
.Chistyakov I.O: "History of the national state and law." part one 2007
.Novoseltsev, A.P.: "The most ancient states on the territory of the USSR." 1985
.Barkhudaryan V.B.: "History of Armenia." 2000
.Arutyunyan N.V. "Biaynili - Urartu. Military-political history and issues of toponymy. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg University Press, 2006
9. Piotrovsky B.B.
Melikishvili G.A.
Bagrat Ugubabyan. "Collection of Conversations. Yerevan, 1991
R. Ishkhanyan. Illustrated History of Armenia. Book 1. Yerevan 1990
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The ancient state of Urartu occupied a significant territory in the southwestern regions of Asia, today here are the lands of modern Armenia, as well as part of Turkey and Iran. The union of tribes was formed in the 13th century BC, only in the 8th century. before the birth of Christ, it turned into an independent state.
Initially, the civilization of Urartu was heterogeneous. Speaking about the origin of its inhabitants, modern historians mean the origin of the tribe, which achieved a dominant position in the region, and used the Urartian language. The first mention of Urartu was found in the records of the Assyrian ruler Shalmaneser I. Assyria more than once dragged Urartu into long wars, in which the Assyrians won in most cases. However, they did not seize these lands, their main goal there was a robbery. Assyrian sources often call the inhabitants of Urartu - "Nairi", apparently, that is what they called all the inhabitants of this state. At the same time, in those days, such a phrase as “kings of Nairi” was often encountered, which is evidence of the disunity of Urartu.
- King of the State of Urartu
- Culture of Urartu
- People of Urartu
- Art of Urartu
- Gods and religion of Urartu
Modern scientists are convinced that it was Assyria that contributed to the fact that the civilization of Urartu united into a single political force. The constant raids of the southern neighbors forced local residents look for ways to protect yourself. The emerging state was able to use rich natural resources for its development. The unification was relatively long, at the same time the inhabitants of Urartu learned to build fortresses and wage wars. Arama became the first ruler here, but his reign was unsuccessful - the Assyrians, sensing the emergence of a force capable of resisting them in the north, struck and destroyed the first capital cities in the middle of the 9th century BC.
The ancient state of Urartu was able to take shape in 844 BC, it was headed by Sarduri I, who built the capital city - Tushpa, spread out on the coast of Lake Van. On the approaches to Tushpa, he built many defensive fortresses. Then the power here became centralized, and the first royal dynasty appeared here. This state has already ceased to be an easy prey for the Assyrians, and with the passage of time it has become comparable to Assyria in strength.
The kingdom of Urartu survived its best years from the 9th c. to the middle of the 8th c. BC. During the reign of Ishpuini, son of Sarduri I, Tushpa's power over the region increased, and the boundaries of the state expanded. At the same time, all the gods of the united tribes were united into one pantheon, the main gods were recognized as Khaldi, Teisheba and Shivini, the tribes that lived in the center of the state. At the same time, the first cuneiform texts in the Urartian language appeared.
In 744 BC, Tiglath-pileser III came to power in Assyria, reformed the army and began to work on restoring the greatness of his state. As a result, the Assyrians managed to regain control over the trade routes of the Middle East, and already in 735 the troops of Urartu were utterly defeated on the coast of the Euphrates. The kingdom of Urartu during this period lost a significant part of the land, but managed to survive it. However, even before the end of the 8th century BC. Urartu survived a new devastating attack by the Assyrians, many cities were plundered, as well as Khaldi, the center of their religion.
7th century BC began with a truce between the two powers, in which Urartu was unable to restore its power. As a result, the Medes and Babylonians finally destroyed Assyria, and Urartu fell under the blows of the Scythians and Cimmerians. The last stronghold for Urartu was the Teishebaini fortress, built by King Rusa II on the Karmir Blur hill. It is not known for certain who destroyed this city, but even before the end of the 7th century BC. Urartu ceased to appear in ancient Greek historical chronicles.
http://konan.3dn.ru/Aziya/urartu03.gif, http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urartu
Urartian signs http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/intro.htm
Inscription of Sarduri, the son of Lutipri, the great king, the powerful king, the king of the universe, the king of the country of Nairi, the king who has no equal, the amazing shepherd, not afraid2) of battle, the king who subdues the recalcitrant. (I), Sarduri, son of Lutipri, king of kings, who received tribute from all kings. This is what Sarduri, the son of Lutipri, says: I brought these stones3) from the city to Alniun (and) erected this wall (near Lake Van). 9th century BC
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/001.htm
Rusa - kings of Urartu
Certainly in cuneiform.
URARTIAN LANGUAGE belongs to the Hurrian-Urartian group of languages, related to the East Caucasian ones. It was distributed on the territory of the state of Urartu (from west to east - from Lake Van to Lake Urmia, from north to south - from the Ararat Valley to northern Iraq). Saved approx. 600 inscriptions in Neo-Assyrian cuneiform, as well as several dozen inscriptions (very brief) written in the original Urartian hieroglyphic script (not yet deciphered) and Luwian hieroglyphs. The inscriptions of the first kings (Sarduri I) were written in Assyrian, after King Ishpuini (c. 830 BC) until the defeat of Urartu under Sarduri IV (c. 600 BC) they wrote only in Urartian. The main characteristics of the Urartian language are: an agglutinative language of the ergative system (see TYPOLOGY LINGUISTIC), without prefixation, with a developed case system (about 15 cases); the verb has aspectual-temporal forms (perfect and imperfect), two types of conjugation - transitive-ergative and intransitive-absolute. Lexically close to the Hurrian language (it is brought closer to the peoples North Caucasus, Chechens and Ingush).
Dyakonov I.M., Starostin S.A. Hurrito-Urartian and East Caucasian languages. - In the book: Ancient East. M., 1988
The experts are close. Our job is to consider.
If the experts are right, then the Urartian inscriptions are traces of writing in the ancient languages of the peoples of Russia. How else?!
And here are the Russians?! Let's try to figure it out.
In the spirit of the inscriptions, the Sarduri left their writings to the subsequent kings of Urartu.
Yes, and the king of the Cimmerians who appeared in these parts to the south in the 7th century BC. also did not disdain to be called the “king of the universe” (657. I.N. Medvedskaya. About the Scythian invasion of Palestine http://annals.xlegio.ru/blacksea/skif_pal.htm), as later the kings of the Bosporus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosporus
Since the Russian chronicles point to "Narets hedgehogs are Slovenian" since the time of the Tower of Babel, all sorts of consonances near Babylon stop the eye. The roots of ononyms are often Indo-European, and one should not forget - according to the ancient Romans - the Assyrian king Nin stopped the 1500-year-old domination of the Scythians in Europe and Asia. In response, the squads of Plin and Skolopit, Sagil and Panasagora appear in the Southern Black Sea region. Pharaoh Senusret holds an action against Scythia. And a century later, Egypt attacked the Hygsos of King Khian (Kian) from the north, having founded their capital Avaris (consonant with the northern sage Abaris) near the lower reaches of the Nile. Was Nairi or was not one of the strongholds of the northerners - who will now prove. But why, if the place was mastered by the subjects of the "king of the universe" long ago, the stones for the construction of obviously new fortresses should be carried. Everything should have been ready for a long time.
Ishpuni, the son of Sarduri, boasts of new construction.
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/004.htm
And he built this house. And this one. And a fortress. And before him, nothing so (?) majestic (?) was (here) erected.3)
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/017.htm
Then sacrifices went to the god Khaldi of thousands of heads of cattle - bulls, sheep, goats.
Clearly, not everything was eaten by God himself. A lot of the inhabitants of Urartu, their troops got it with sacrificial offerings.
It is assumed that the Urartian Khaldi (Aldi) in Hurrian mythology - going from 3 thousand BC. - Halalu (Alalu). And during the rituals, "Let the goat be slaughtered to the god Khaldi, the sheep to the god Teisheba, the sheep to the god Shivini."
http://www.vaymohk.com/index.php?name=pages&op=view&id=59
Chechens and Ingush are recognized as distant descendants of the Hurrians.
http://forum.souz.co.il/viewtopic.php?t=80977
http://kitap.net.ru/gallyamov/flexkch.html and others.
Most likely, the Hurrians were polyethnic immigrants from the region of the North Caucasus, but the language of interethnic communication was precisely Hurrian.
Further, the “kings of kings” fight with their neighbors, assert their strength in a large district.
The cities of Urartu are filled with blunt Scythian arrows - at one time they were considered money. http://www.museum.com.ua/expo/premonet_ru.html
With a mass of interesting inscriptions, already without a father, Menua was noted.
Then his son Argishti I, and later Sarduri II
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/index.htm
But the son of Sarduri P was already called Rusa. But Wikipedia didn't mention it.
Rusu II, however, did not forget http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusa_II
Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia Rusa II
9th King of Urartu
685 BC e. - 639 BC e.
Predecessor: Argishti II
Successor: Sarduri III
Death: 639 BC e.
Father: Argishti II
Children: Sarduri III
Rusa II (Rusa, son of Argishti) - the king of the state of Urartu, reigned c. 685-639 BC e.
Urartu during the reign of Rusa II
Rusa II, the son of Argishti II, ruled the state of Urartu during its decline (and others admit - the pinnacle of achievements). Major defeats from Assyria in past years, the loss of Musasir and the western regions greatly weakened Urartu. The father of Rusa II, Argishti II, after the tragic failures of his father, Rusa I, was forced to cede part of the Urartian territories to Assyria and, possibly, pay taxes. In addition, the danger of attacks by the Scythians and Cimmerians from the northeast of Urartu, in Transcaucasia, remained.
However, four years after the accession of Rusa II to the throne, in 681 BC. e., the situation of Urartu improved. A new round of civil war in Assyria dramatically weakened this country. Media, which at that time was part of Assyria, sharply intensified the struggle for independence. In 680 B.C. e. the ruler of Assyria, Sennacherib, was killed, and his killers fled to the region of Shupria in Urartu. A record of this event was preserved by Moses of Khorensky, in the Assyrian archives and in the Bible (in the Fourth Book of Kings and in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah):
“... Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, returned and lived in Nineveh. And when he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch, his god, Adramelech and Sharezer, his sons, killed him with a sword, and they themselves fled to the land of Ararat. And Asardan his son reigned in his place.”
These events diverted the attention of Assyria from the ever-weakening Urartu and left Ruse II the opportunity to try to return Urartu former glory. Rusa II focused his efforts on the revival of the religious power of the main Urartian god Khaldi, having built a new cult city of this deity in the center of Urartu on the northern coast of Lake Van. (The former religious center of the god Khaldi, Musasir, was destroyed by the Assyrian king Sargon II in 714 BC). In addition, Rusa II made several military campaigns to the west, capturing a large number of prisoners, whom he used inside the country to build many fortresses and monumental structures.
Tablet from the time of Rusa II about the founding of the city of the god Khaldi
Discovered at the end of the 19th century on a stone in the village of Adyljevaz (north-western coast of Lake Van). The inscription is poorly preserved. Translation of the inscription: ... the city of the god Khaldi of the country Ziukuni Rus, the son of Argishti, built; Rusa, the son of Argishti, says: I stole women from an enemy country ... the people of the countries of Mushkini, Khat, Khalita ... this fortress, as well as the cities that surround this fortress ... I attached to this fortress. … Rusa, the son of Argishti, says: God Khaldi granted me… For the god Khaldi, I performed these mighty deeds. By the greatness of the god Khaldi Rus, the son of Argishti, the powerful king, the great king, the king of the country of Bianili, the king of countries, the ruler of Tushpa-city.
Rusa II built big cities Bastam, Ayanis, Teishebaini and others. Many buildings were of a temple and solemn nature, but Teishebaini was clearly built for additional protection from Cimmerian raids.
An inscription from the time of Rusa II, which tells about the construction of the temple of the god Khaldi in Teishebaini
Discovered in 1961 during archaeological excavations at Karmir Blur.
A fragment of the translation of the inscription: To God Khaldi, his lord, this temple Rus, the son of Argishti, built, as well as the gates of the god Khaldi, the majestic city of Teishebaini ... he erected, dedicated to the god Khaldi.
Piotrovsky B.B. Kingdom of Van (Urartu) / Orbeli I.A. - Moscow: Eastern Literature Publishing House, 1959. - 286 p. - 3500 copies.
Melikishvili G.A. Urartian cuneiform inscriptions. - Moscow: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1960.
Zimansky P. Ecology and Empire: The Structure of the Urartian State. - Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1985. - (Studies in ancient oriental civilizations). -Harutyunyan N.V. Biaynili - Urartu. Military-political history and issues of toponymy. - St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg University Publishing House, 2006. - 368 p. - 1000 copies.
; Movses Khorenatsi History of Armenia, Hayastan, Yerevan, 1990 ISBN 5-540-01084-1 (Electronic version)
; Translation by G. A. Melikishvili from the book: Melikishvili G.A. Urartian cuneiform inscriptions, USSR Academy of Sciences Publishing House, Moscow, 1960
; Translation by N.V. Harutyunyan from the book: Arutyunyan N.V. New Urartian inscriptions, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan, 1966
But back to the cuneiform writing of the kings of Rus
http://annals.xlegio.ru/i_urart.htm
The next king of Urartu, Rusa I (735-713 BC), decided to win against Assyria by cunning where it was no longer possible to win by force. Distracting the Assyrian troops to the area of Lake Urmia, Rusa I tried to go behind their lines. But Sargon II was an experienced warrior and did not fall into the trap. The defeat of the Urartians was complete. Rusa fled to Tushpa and committed suicide.
Inscriptions of Rus I, son of Sarduri. No. 264.
The inscription on the stele, located at a distance of 1.5 km from the villages. Topuzava, on the way to the village. Sidikan (in the mountains southwest of Lake Urmia, at the pass of the road leading from the city of Revanduz to Ushna - on the usual Scythian routes to the south). The inscription is bilingual: on the eastern wide side of the stone (32 lines) and on the southern side (6 lines) there is a text in the Urartian language, and on the western wide side (29 lines) and on the northern side (8 lines) the same text is placed in Assyrian. So that the eternal rivals of Scythia also know about the achievements of Urartu.
The inscription is badly damaged. Until recently, it was only partially published (Urartian text: st. 9-32, Assyrian text: st. 10-29): C. F. Lehmann-(Haupt), Bericht, no. 128, pp. 631-632 (T, P); VBAG, 1900, pp. 434-435 (T, P); ZDMG, 58, 1904, p. 834 ff. (BUT); Sayce, JRAS, 1906, p. 625, ff. (T, P); Sandaldzhyan, “Khandes Amsorea” (in Armenian), 1913, st. 395-402(T, P). Completely based on a photograph of the stamping, the inscription was published by M. Tseretheli (RA, vol. XLIV, 1950, No. 4, pp. 185-192; Volume XLV, 1951, No. 1, pp. 3-20; No. 4, pp. 195-208) . M. Tsereteli's edition contains a photograph of an estampage of a bilingual Urartian text, as well as an autograph, transcription and translation of the entire inscription with comments. Below G.A. Melikishvili adheres to the transcription of the inscription, mainly according to the publication of M. Tsereteli. All restorations not specifically noted in the notes are his own.
Rusa, the son of Sarduri, says (thus): 19) Urzana, the king of the city of Ardini (Musasir), appeared 20) before me. I took care of the food of all his troops. 21) Because of this mercy to the gods, at the behest of the god Khaldi, I erected chapels 22) on a high road, for the prosperity of (king) Rus 23) I appointed Urzan the ruler of the region, I planted (him) in the city Ardini (Musasir).
In the same year, I19, Rusa, the son of Sarduri, came to the city of Ardini (Musasir). Urzana placed me on the high throne of his ancestors - kings ... Urzana before the gods in the temple of the gods before me made sacrifices. At that time, to the god Khaldi, the lord, I built a temple, the dwelling of his deity, in the gate.
Urzana provided 24) (me) auxiliary troops ..., 25) war chariots, which (only) he had; I led26) auxiliary troops (and) at the behest of the god Khaldi, I19, Rusa, went to the mountains of Assyria. I arranged a massacre (there). 27) Following this 28) I took Urzan by the arm, 29) I took care of him ..., 30) I put him 31) in his place of lord, to reign. 32) The people in the city of Ardini ( Musasir) was present (at the same time); 33) I gave the whole donation made by me to the city of Ardini (Musasir); I arranged a holiday (?)34) for the inhabitants of the city of Ardini (Musasir). Then35) I returned to my19 country.36)
I19, Rusa, the servant of the god Khaldi, the faithful shepherd of the people, with the power of Khaldi (and) the strength of (his) army, was not afraid of battle. God Khaldi gave me strength, power, joy throughout my life.37) I ruled the country of Biainili, oppressed the enemy country. The gods gave me long38) days of joy (and) except for joyful days...39)
Following this...40) peace was established.
Who (this inscription) will destroy, who (it) will break, (who) will commit such41) (deeds), let them destroy42) the gods Khaldi, Teisheba, Shivini, (all) the gods of his seed (and) his name.
Notes in the publication.
In particular.
23) "For the prosperity of (king) Rus." In Assyrian literally: "for the life of Rus"; in Urartian simply: "for (because of) Rus".
24) Literally “gave”.
25) M. Tsereteli translates the word isi, which we have omitted (which, in his opinion, corresponds to what he restores in the Assyrian text) as “every”, “every kind”; he believes that this definition refers to the troops provided by the king of Urzan to the king of Rus.
26) So according to the Urartian text. Assyrian literally: "I took".
27) This is the meaning of the Assyrian expression: diktu aduk. In the Urartian text, this corresponds to ereli za;gubi "I killed ereli". ereli means “king” in Urartian, but since there is no trace of the word “king” in the Assyrian text, one can think that it is not ereli “king” that stands here, but another word - eri / e in the plural. This is how M. Tsereteli understands this word, who ascribes to it the meaning of “warriors”. However, the possibility is not ruled out that this word had a completely different meaning, for example, “a lot”, etc.
28) In the Urartian text: inukani edini - "after this", "following this".
29) “I took Urzan by the arm” - so according to the Assyrian text. According to M. Tsereteli, this in the Urartian text corresponds to: Urzanani ... parubi didulini (st. 18-19; see above, note 6); M. Tsereteli believes that the Urartian word diduli means "hand".
30) “I took care of him” (Urartian - ;aldubi corresponds to Assyrian alti’i;u). M. Tsereteli translates this place in the Urartian text - "J" eus soin de sa vie "(St. 20: i" a-al-du-bi), in Assyrian - "J" ai eu soin de sa vie "( line 19: al-ti-"i-;;).
31) The Urartian word manini M. Tsereteli considers corresponding to b;li in the Assyrian text; he attaches to the word mani the meaning of "lordly." Most likely, however, b;lu in the Assyrian text has no Urartian counterpart.
32) "To his place of lord, to reign" - so according to the Assyrian text. The Urartian text instead says: "to the royal place."
33) “The people in the city of Ardini were present (at the same time)” - so according to the Urartian text; literally it says: "there were (people)" (manuli). The Assyrian text says instead, "I fed the people in Musasir." M. Tsereteli believes that manuri (as he reads instead of manuli) in the Urartian text (st. 21) corresponds in Assyrian (st. 20) to the word a-t;-pur-ma, which means: “I fed”, “I supplied” , "I kept". Based on this correspondence, M. Tsereteli raises the question of the meaning of the Urartian forms on -uri, etc. But M. Tsereteli's reading - manuri- raises serious doubts. Most likely, it should be assumed that the Assyrian and Urartian texts diverge at this point. Not only the grammatical form in the case of the correspondence between manuli (according to M. Tsereteli: manuri) and at;purma is in doubt, but also the meaning of these words (Urartian manu, undoubtedly, has the meaning "to be", "exist", while the Assyrian the word ep;ru means "to contain", "to supply", "to feed", etc.). L;UK;-ME; URUar-di-ni ma-nu-ri in the Urartian text (st. 21) M. Tsereteli translates: "Je nourris les habitants (de la ville) d" Ardini", a am; ln;;; ME; ina lib- bi;l mu-;a-;ir a-t;-pur-ma in the Assyrian text (v. 20) he translates: "Les habitants dans (la ville de) Mu;a;ir je nourris."
34) As M. Tsereteli suggests, the Urartian word asuni had such a meaning; in accordance with this, in the Assyrian text he restores: (v. 22).
35) Literally: “on (that) day.”
36) In the Assyrian text literally: “entered” (er;bu), in Urartian: “I went to (my) country”.
37) In the Assyrian text, literally: “in (continuation) of years” (meaning, in all likelihood: “my life”), in the Urartian: “in the unity (total) of years” (also, probably, “my life”) .
38) In the Urartian text literally: "strong" (za;ili), in Assyrian - "mighty" (dannuti).
39) M. Tsereteli in the Urartian text (St. 31, see above, note .12) reads: “ce que (mon) coeur a d; sir;” (i;-ti bi-b;-t;-[;] literally - “le d; sir du c; ur”). In accordance with this, in the Assyrian text he restores: and also translates: "ce que (mon) c;ur a d;sir;". Judging by the general context of the inscription, the presence of such an expression is possible here.
40) M. Tsereteli considers the word salmat;mi in the Urartian text to correspond to the word he restores in the Assyrian text (st. 30): b[a]-la-;[u] “life”. Stk. 30-31 Assyrian and St. 32 of the Urartian text he translates: “Apr;s (cela) la prosp;rit; (et) la paix s"; tablirent", thus attributing the meaning "prosperity" to the term salmathini. But since the word salmat; i (ni) found in other Urartian texts does not fit the meaning "prosperity", one can doubt the correctness restoration of the term bala;u and in the fact of its correspondence to the Urartian salmat;i(ni).
41) Literally: "these".
42) "Let them destroy" - so according to the Assyrian text. In Urartian: “let them not leave” (cf. the end of the Kelyashin bilingual).
Bulletin of Ancient History, 1953, No. 4, pp. 213-217
Ancient Kingdom of Urartu
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/264.htm
Here are some more inscriptions of “ours” or “not ours” Rusa 1.
By the power of the god Khaldi, Rusa, the son of Sarduri, says: I defeated the king of the Uelikuhi country, I turned (him) into (my) slave, I removed (him) from the country, I put (my) governor (ruler of the region) there. I built the gate of the god Khaldi (and) the majestic (?) fortress, established (for it) the name - “City of the god Khaldi”; (I built it) for the power of the country of Biainili (and) for the pacification (?) of the enemy country.
Rusa, the son of Sarduri, a powerful king who ruled the country of Biainili.1)
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/265.htm
According to the mighty power of the god Khaldi, Rusa, the son of Sarduri, says: I captured (and) enslaved these countries in one campaign: the countries of Adahuni, Uelikuhi, Luerukhi, Arkukini, four kings from this side of the lake, (as well as) the countries: Gurkumelya, Shanatuainn, Teriuishaini, Rishuaini, Zuaini, Ariaini, Zamani, Irkimatarni, Elaini, Erieltuaini, Aidamaniuni, Guriaini, Alzirani, Piruaini, Shilaini, Uiduaini, Atezaini, Eriaini, Azamerunini, 19 kings from the other side of the lake in the high mountains;15) in total 23 kings for one year (?) - all (?) I captured, men (and) women I drove to the country of Biainili. I came in the year of tribute, built these fortresses, this country (?) The majestic (?) fortress of the god Teisheb I built, established (for it) the name - “City of the god Teisheb”; (I built it) for the power of the country of Biainili (and) for the pacification (?) of enemy countries.
Rusa says: who will destroy this inscription...
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/266.htm
There are many obscure places in the inscription that cannot be accurately translated. At the beginning of the inscription, we are talking about the creation of an artificial lake, about which King Rusa in the 4th line says: “set (for it) a name - “Lake Rusa”” (terubi tini Irusae sue).
Immediately before this, it is said: “there is water for canals and ditches (?)” (AME; i; tini pilaue e "a i; inaue - Stk. 2-3). 20) Following the message about the name of the created artificial lake, Rusa says: “I made a canal from there (i.e. from the lake) to (the city of) Rusakhinili” (St. 5: agubi PA5 i; tinini Irusa; inadi). into the sphere of the irrigation system: "that land that was deserted (?)" (St. 6-7: ikuka;ini KITIM ali quldini manu); in connection with the same land, the country of Biainili and "enemy countries" are mentioned in an unclear context ( Stk. 7-8) Then, obviously, there are decrees of the king on the use of: irrigated lands lying near the capital Tushpa: “Rusa says: when I erected Rusakhinili, when I built this lake (?), I decreed: a resident of the city of Tushpa. ..” (St. 8-11: Irusa;e ali iu Irusa;inili ;iduli iu ini ;ue tanubi terubi L;DUMU-;e URU;u;pami;e); further mention is made of "the land in front of (the city of) Rusakhinili » (vv. 12-13: KITIM Irusa;inakai), “as well as such a lake place” (stk. 13-14: e "a inusi; uini esi); obviously at the address of these lands it is said: "desert (?), uncultivated (?)" (stk. 14-15: quldini; uli manu), etc. Stk. 18-23 contain important information about the activities of Tsar Rusa on these lands: “Rusa says: I planted a vineyard (and?) A forest (huh?), A floor (I?) With crops on that land, I did mighty deeds there. May this lake be an irrigator (?) of (the city of) Rusakhinili.”21) Further, obviously, we are talking about the use of “water flowing (?) from the lake” (St. 26; AME; ;uinini ;edue) and “waters flowing (?) from the Alania River” (St. 28: AME; ;Dalainini ;edule) for the needs of Rusakhinili and Tushpa.
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/268.htm
Inscription on a bronze shield found during excavations at Karmir Blur in 1950. B. B. Piotrovsky, Karmir Blur, II, p. 53 (T, P).
To God Khaldi, lord, Rus, the son of Sarduri, dedicated this shield for the sake of life. By the greatness of the god Khaldi Rus, the son of Sarduri, the powerful king, the great king, the king of the Biainili country, the ruler of the Tushpa city.
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/269.htm
Inscriptions on bronze bowls (5 copies) found during excavations at Karmir Blur in 1949. Although the patronymic of Tsar Rus is not mentioned in the inscriptions, they, as B. B. Piotrovsky rightly thinks, obviously belong to Tsar Rus I, son of Sarduri . This is indicated, in particular, by the fact that, just as on those bowls that belonged to the predecessor of Rus I - King Sarduri II (No. 177-190, 193-259), these also have an image of a fortress tower, a tree and lion.
B. B. Piotrovsky, EV, V, 1951, p. 111 (F, A, T, P); aka, Karmir-blur, II, pp. 56, 61 (A, T, P).
Armory house (king) Rusa.1)
Inscriptions of Rus I, son of Sarduri. 274a-s.
Karmir Blur. Inscriptions on bronze bowls (3 copies) found during excavations in 1951. In the center of the bowls there is an image - a tree on a tower. Here is the text of the inscription as read by B. B. Piotrovsky:
Armory House (King) Rus.
Inscriptions of Rus I, son of Sarduri. 274d.
Karmir Blur. An inscription on a bronze bowl found during excavations in 1951. Here is the text of the inscription as read by B. B. Piotrovsky.
Armory House (King) Rus.
Notes
1) The name "Rus" is on another bowl from Karmir Blur (No. 285), which B. B. Piotrovsky also considers to have belonged to Rus I; but, in our opinion, this last cup belongs to the time of Rus II, the son of Argishti (see under No. 285).
http://annals.xlegio.ru/urartu/ukn/270.htm
Rusa, the name of the kings of the state of Urartu, whose activities are reported in cuneiform inscriptions. R. I (ruled in 730; 714 BC), strengthened the state, reorganized administration. He waged war with Assyria, in which he was defeated. R. II (ruled in 685; 645 BC), under him significant construction and irrigation work was carried out. R. III (ruled in 605; 585 BC), the last king of the state of Urartu, which was conquered by the Medes (see Media).
http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/bse/128640/Rusa
Joint project with the portal New Herodotus
Melikishvili G.A. Urartian cuneiform inscriptions // Bulletin of ancient history.
Dyakonov I.M. Assyro-Babylonian sources on the history of Urartu // Bulletin of ancient history.
Vayman A.A. Urartian hieroglyphics: deciphering the sign and reading individual inscriptions // Culture of the East: antiquity and the early Middle Ages. L., 1978
Dyakonov I.M. The last years of the Urartian state according to Assyro-Babylonian sources // Bulletin of ancient history, 1951, No. 2
Melikishvili G.A.
On the question of the ancient hearth of the Urartian tribes // Bulletin of Ancient History. 1947. No. 4.
On the issue of royal households and captive slaves in Urartu // Bulletin of ancient history. No. 1, 1953
Urartian notes // Bulletin of ancient history, 1951, No. 3.
Meshchaninov I.I. The study of the language of the cuneiform monuments of Urartu-Biayna // Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Department of Literature and Language. 1953, vol XII, no. 3 (May - June).
Historical story: Moiseeva K.M. "In the ancient kingdom of Urartu".
Oganesyan K.L. Military construction in Urartu. (1985)
Piotrovsky B.B.
Urartian chariot // Ancient world. Collection of articles in honor of Academician VV Struve. M., 1962
Urartian fortress Teishebaini (Karmir Blur) (to the 25th anniversary of the excavations) // Brief reports of the Institute of Archeology. Issue. 100. 1965
Urartian state in the second half of the 8th century. BC e. // Bulletin of ancient history, No. 1, 1939
Tiratsyan G.A. Urartian Armavir (according to archaeological excavations) // Culture of the East: Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. L., 1978
Khakhutayshvili D.A. On the history of ancient Colchian iron metallurgy // Questions of ancient history (Caucasian-Middle Eastern collection, issue 4). Tbilisi, 1973.
Book: Rubinstein R.I. At the walls of Teishebaini. (1975).
Reviews
Melikishvili G.A. Rec. to: B. B. Piotrovsky, Karmir Blur, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of Arm. SSR, vol. I, II // Bulletin of Ancient History, 1953, No. 3.
Orel V.E. Rec. to: I. M. Diakonoff, S. A. Starostin. Hurro-Urartian as an Eastern. Caucasian language. Munchen, 1986. 103 p. // Bulletin of ancient history, 1989, No. 3.
Svanidze A.S. Rec. to: I. I. Meshchaninov. The language of the Van cuneiform // Bulletin of ancient history, No. 1, 1937.
Khazaradze N.V. Rec. to: Arutyunyan B.V. "Toponymy of Urartu" - Yerevan, 1985, 308 p. // Caucasian-Middle Eastern collection, VIII. Tbilisi, 1988
Maps and diagrams
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Sketch of the map of Urartu // Rubinshtein R.I. At the walls of Teishebaini. 1975.
Schematic map of the "country of Nairi" and adjacent areas according to Assyrian sources of the 9th-7th centuries. BC. // Bulletin of ancient history, 1951, No. 2. Insert.
Plan of the Teishebaini citadel // Piotrovsky B.B. Urartian fortress Teishebaini (Karmir Blur) (to the 25th anniversary of the excavations) // Brief reports of the Institute of Archeology. Issue. 100. 1965.
Plan of Zernaki-Tepe // Oganesyan K.L. Military construction in Urartu // Cultural Heritage of the East. L., 1985.
The plan of the Sufian camp // Oganesyan K.L. Military construction in Urartu // Cultural Heritage of the East. L., 1985.
The plan of the camp Aznavour // Oganesyan K.L. Military construction in Urartu // Cultural Heritage of the East. L., 1985.
V.B. Kovalevskaya. Horse and rider.
Urartian topics on the forum of New Herodotus: Urartu, Chaldeans.
For reference.
Around 780 BC e. Menua's son, Argishti I, ascends the throne, under which Urartu reaches its highest power. From his reign came one of the largest ancient Eastern inscriptions - the huge "Khorkhor Chronicle", carved on the steep slopes of the Van rock. This chronicle shows that at the beginning of his reign, Argishti repeated Menua's campaign against Diauekhi, turning this country, at least in part, into the Urartian governorship. Then, passing along the southern periphery of Colchis (in the Urartian inscriptions - Kulkha), he advanced to the region of the Childyr Lake and the upper reaches of the Kura, and from there, bypassing Mount Aragats, returned through the Araks valley. Somewhat later, Argishti created a new administrative center for Transcaucasia (already on the left bank of the Araks) - Argishtikhinili (modern Armavir). next year moved to Asia Minor, where he occupied the city of Melid (modern Malatya) and probably established ties with the cities of Northern Syria. In 774, a clash occurred between the Urartians and the Assyrians far to the southeast, in the valley of the Diyala River, already on essentially Babylonian territory. Thus, the Urartians increasingly cover Assyria from the flanks. Subsequently, Argishti made a number of campaigns in Transcaucasia, in the Urmi region and in the outlying Assyrian provinces.
The number of prisoners brought to Argishti from the campaigns and, probably in the majority then turned into slavery, was large: for example, in one year alone, he captured almost 20 thousand people. Such a number of slaves for the relatively poorly developed slave-owning production of Urartu was redundant, so some of the prisoners were killed on the battlefield. Some of the men, perhaps, were accepted into the Urartian army. For example, Argishti I resettled 6,600 prisoners from Aratsani and from Asia Minor, probably for the construction of defensive structures, and perhaps as a garrison, to the fortress of Erbu, or Erebu, founded by him (now Arinberd near the city of Yerevan). The rest of the prisoners were driven to Biainili - the central part of the state. Along with slaves, the Urartian kings captured a lot of cattle on campaigns. Public relations
A number of campaigns Sarduri was sent to the Transcaucasus. Unfortunately, due to the fact that a large stele (stone pillar) in the niche of the Van rock with an inscription containing the annals of Sarduri II has not been completely preserved, the sequence of his campaigns is not entirely clear to us.
The number of captured prisoners is increasing more and more; so, in one year of the three campaigns of Sarduri II on Manu, in Transcaucasia and western regions they brought 12,735 boys and 46,600 women.
The most important direction of the campaigns of the state of Urartu was the southwestern one. Sarduri II twice makes a trip to Kumakha (Kommagen), from where the path to Syria was opened. He crushes Kumakh, subjugates her and enters into relations with Northern Syria (the city of Arpad). With the help of alliances, the influence of Urartu spread to Damascus itself, and the Syrians acted together with the Urartians against Assyria, which threatened them all. Warriors with Assyria
Sarduri II also managed to subjugate the country of Arma, possibly identical with Shubria, on the southern slopes of the Armenian Taurus.
By 745 BC. e. a decisive battle between Urartu and Assyria became inevitable. Assyrian sources note a number of clashes with Urartu during 781-778, as well as in 766. This does not exhaust the number of such clashes. The outlying regions, subordinate to Assyria, here and there gradually come under the rule of Urartu. If the Assyrians have so far been forced to put up with the ever-increasing power of the Urartian state, this is due to the difficult internal situation of Assyria, shaken since the end of the 9th century. internal turmoil.
Sarduri II died in the late 30s of the 8th century, and Rusa I ascended the throne of Urartu. It was a difficult time for the state. The centrifugal forces of the Urartian state, which until now have been held back by the force of arms of the Urartian kings, now have room for action. Local kings and even governors from the highest Urartian nobility were set aside from the king of Urartu. We know about the circumstances of the beginning of the reign of Rusa mainly from the inscription composed in Akkadian and Urartian languages, which was erected by Rusa near Musasir, and from the surviving reports of Assyrian spies to Urartu.
According to one Assyrian source, Rusa subsequently erected a statue depicting him on a chariot in the Musasir temple, with the inscription: “With my two horses and one charioteer, my hand seized the royal power of Urartu.” Although these words contain boasting, they nevertheless more or less correctly convey the historical situation: at the beginning, the position of Rusa was very difficult. However, he managed to cope with the uprising of the governors and again subjugate the small, but religiously-politically and strategically important kingdom of Musasir. It is believed that Rusa reformed and disaggregated the governorships. New fortresses were created - administrative centers, including those in Transcaucasia, on the shores of Lake Sevan. But as soon as Ruse managed to reunite the Urartian state, he faced a serious external danger - the invasion of the Cimmerians. Clashes with Cimmerians and Scythians.
The Cimmerians were one of the nomadic or semi-nomadic tribes (or a group of tribes) of the Northern Black Sea region, which during the VIII century. BC e. seeped into Transcaucasia and Asia Minor. According to Assyrian spies, the country in which the Cimmerians were at that time was located near Guriania (Kuriani), one of the western or central Transcaucasian regions. Rusa's campaign against the country of the Cimmerians ended in defeat for him. The Cimmerians broke into the Urartian territory, devastating and destroying everything. In their onslaught on Urartu, they probably allied with the outlying tribes striving for liberation, and perhaps even with slaves. The Cimmerians thus posed a serious threat to the very existence of the slave-owning Urartian state. However, the Cimmerians, like the Scythians who later broke through the territory of modern Azerbaijan, did not know how to take fortresses, and the fortresses were the backbone of the Urartian state. The Cimmerians limited themselves only to raids on Urartian territory. Later, there were cases when they even entered the service of Urartu or Assyria, forming mercenary troops. Campaign of Sargon II to Urartu in 714 BC e.
Ruse I managed to successfully lead the Urartian state out of this serious crisis. But as the forces of Urartu grew, the inevitability of a new clash with Assyria was brewing. Apparently, preparing for this, Rusa establishes relations with Phrygia and with small kingdoms located in the Taurus mountains in the west. In the east, he supports anti-Assyrian groups in Mana - a country that has meanwhile turned into a strong and independent state, covering almost the entire territory of present-day South Azerbaijan - and in neighboring Median and other tribes and kingdoms. The new king of Assyria, Sargon II, could only maintain his influence in these areas by continuous campaigns. In 714, Sargon went on a punitive campaign in the region east of Lake Urmia. Rusa decided that the moment had come for inflicting a decisive defeat on Assyria, and moved at the head of his troops with the aim of going behind Sargon's rear. But in time, Sargon, warned by his agents, came out to meet him. In the battle on Mount Uaush (Bushi, now Sahend near Lake Urmia), Sargon II utterly defeated the army of Rusa. Rusa fled to Tushpa and, unable to withstand this new setback that befell him, committed suicide (713 BC).
As for Sargon, he passed through Urartu, destroying everything in his path, burning settlements, demolishing fortresses, destroying canals, gardens and crops, capturing or burning food supplies. The detailed report about this campaign that has come down to us, compiled by the Assyrian court historiographer in the form of a letter to God, is the most complete source about the inner life of Urartu.
The king of Khubushkiya (the country of Nairi) went out in advance to meet the winner with gifts, but Urzana, the king of the Musasir country, did not do this. Sargon with a small detachment suddenly crossed the mountain range and took Urzana by surprise. He fled, and his palace and the temple of the god Khaldi were plundered by the Assyrians. This temple, although located outside the actual Urartian territory, was the main sanctuary of the Urartian tribes; coronation ceremonies of the Urartian kings took place here. Naturally, the temple was a repository of countless treasures. A detailed inventory of things captured here by Sargon has come down to us. This inventory testifies to the high level of development of the Urartian craft.
The defeat of 714 and what happened during the last two decades of the 8th century. BC e. the complete subjugation of Syria and the adjacent parts of Asia Minor by Assyria forced the subsequent Urartian kings to radically change their foreign policy. They no longer dare to compete with Assyria in the southwest and southeast, but direct their forces mainly to the north, to Transcaucasia and to the west, to Asia Minor. Urartu under Rus II.
A new period of strengthening of the Urartian state begins under Rus II, who came to the throne in the 690s or 680s BC. e.
Rusa II carried out large-scale construction both in the capital and especially in Transcaucasia. By the time of Rusa II, the construction of a large canal dates back to divert water from the Zangi River and irrigate the Ayrarat valley. A new administrative center, Teishebaini, was built here, where rich tribute from the surrounding areas flowed. On the steep bank of the river there was a citadel, where administrative buildings were located. Near the walls of the citadel lay a properly planned city. Huge reserves found in Teishebaini various kinds grain, warehouses of bronze products, an oil mill, tools, weapons, remains of wall painting and other monuments that give a vivid idea of the culture, art and life of the Urartians. Noteworthy are the numerous cultural ties established between the population of Urartu and the Scythians, both living at that time in the Eastern Transcaucasia and other places in Asia Minor, and living in the steppes of the Northern Black Sea region. In the Urartian court art of the VIII-VII centuries. BC e. there is a noticeable great similarity with the features of Assyrian art. Apparently, the culture of the Urartian nobility of that time was largely subject to Assyrian influence.
According to one of the inscriptions of Rusa II, he made a trip to the southeastern part of Asia Minor, to Phrygia and against Halita - this is apparently what the Urartians called the region of the mountainous people of the Chaldians (the Khalibs of the Pontic Mountains, who were considered by the Greeks to be the oldest suppliers of iron products; do not mix with the Chaldeans of Babylonia). The Cimmerians acted this time, apparently in alliance with Urartu. It is believed that the atom campaign of the Cimmerians is discussed in Greek sources reporting the death of the Phrygian boy Midas and the destruction of the Phrygian kingdom. Since that time, the role of Lydia has increased in Asia Minor.
Although there were sometimes border skirmishes between Urartu and Assyria under Rus II, and the intentions of Rus and the Cimmerians sometimes aroused distrust in Assyria, in general, peaceful relations were maintained between both states. When in 673 BC. e. the Assyrian king Esarhaddon defeated the small mountainous kingdom of Shubria, where fugitive slaves and farmers were hiding, he betrayed the Urartian fugitives he discovered to Ruse. For his part, Rusa about 654 sent an embassy to the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in order, apparently, to calm the fears of the latter, who was expecting actions against Assyria from Urartu, Cimmerians and Scythians. The neutrality of these forces was important for the victory of Ashurbanipal in the war that followed in the coming years with Babylonia and its many allies. The decline and death of Urartu
In the 640s BC. e. Sarduri III becomes king of Urartu. We have almost no news of his reign, but no doubt it was quite disturbing. The Scythians, who by this time had defeated the Cimmerians, together with the oppressed population of the outskirts of the Urartian kingdom, became, in all likelihood, a serious force that threatened the existence of the state of Urartu. At least Sarduri III in the early 30s of the 7th century. BC e. in a letter to the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, for the first time in history, Urartu recognizes himself no longer as a “brother” of the Assyrian king, that is, a king of an equal power, but a “son”. He thus recognizes, albeit formally, the supremacy of Assyria. New enemies - Media, Scythians - threatened the old states of the ancient East, and internal social contradictions weakened these states. That is why Urartu, like neighboring Mana, is now striving to rely on the seemingly unshakable power of Assyria.
Further events in the history of Urartu are unknown to us; we only know the name of another Urartian king - Rusa III, the son of Erimena. The state of Urartu, like Mana, was drawn into the whirlpool of events that brought the death of Assyria. In 610 or 609 Median troops apparently occupied Tushpa during a war aimed at destroying the Assyrian state. However, judging by the Hebrew data, in the 90s of the VI century. BC e. Urartu, Mana and the Scythian kingdom (in Azerbaijan) still continued to exist, however, as kingdoms dependent on Media. By 590, when the war broke out in Asia Minor between Media and Lydia, the remnants of Urartian independence were probably already eliminated.
Monuments of the material culture of Urartu speak of high development crafts, especially metalworking. Magnificent artistic products made of bronze (shaped furniture, figurines, artistic weapons, etc.), made according to a wax model, with carvings and embossing, covered with forged gold leaf, carvings on red marble (lining the walls of the palace in Rusakhinili, near Tushpa), numerous murals in Erebu (Arinberd) and Teishebaini - all these monuments clearly speak of a craft that was already specialized and had a long tradition of craftsmanship. Urartian handicraft technique had great importance for the development of the Transcaucasian and Scythian crafts.
Defeats of Urartu from the Assyrians at the end of the 8th century BC laid the foundation for the destruction of the Urartian state. The consequences of these defeats could have been even more disastrous, but Assyria was unable to build on its success. At the end of the 8th century BC. e. Sargon II died as a result of a palace conspiracy, and soon after that, Assyria plunged into a crisis associated with confrontation with Babylonia and Media, which, in the end, 100 years later, in 609 BC. e. led to the destruction of the Assyrian state. Perhaps the decisive factor in the sharp weakening of Urartu was the weakening of the central religious authority and the cult of the god Khaldi, associated with the destruction of Musasir.
Over the years, several rulers have changed in Urartu: Argishti II son of Rusa I (ruled in the period 714 - c. 685 BC), Rusa II son of Argishti II (ruled in the period c. 685 - c. 639). BC), Sarduri III (ruled c. 639 - c. 625 BC), Sarduri IV (ruled c. 625 - c. 620 BC) , Erimena, who ruled in the period ca. 620 - ca. 605 BC e. and who caused the death of Assyria, as well as Rus III (ruled in the period c. 605 - c. 595 BC) and Rus IV (ruled in the period c. 595 - c. 585 BC) - the last king of Urartu. Of these rulers, only Rusa II made attempts to restore the former glory of Urartu, which had only partial success. Until the end of its existence, Urartu did not resume attempts to take control of strategic trade routes between Mesopotamia and Asia Minor, concentrating new construction in Transcaucasia, where an important alliance was concluded with the Cimmerians. Control over the center of the country was gradually lost. See also List of rulers of Urartu.
About the last period of the existence of Urartu from 605 to 585 BC. e. very little information has survived. Apparently, the state was in decline, there were few written documents. The capital of Urartu during this period moved to the city of Teishebaini in Transcaucasia, and the key circumstance that ruined Urartu was the destruction of this fortress, but the question of what kind of force destroyed the last stronghold of Urartu remains the subject of discussion. There are versions that the Scythians and Cimmerians, Medes or Babylonians did it.
The presence of 4 kings with the name Rusa in Urartu could partly help to consolidate the image of the biblical prince Rosa (Rosh) for the northerners?! The author of texts about Gog and Magog, the prince of Rosh - Hezekiah;l (Heb. ;;;;;;;;;;;, Y'hezkel, "The Lord will strengthen"; c. 622 Judea - c. 571) - one of the "great prophets" lived in the last period of the existence of Urartu relatively close to this state, in Babylon. With the first caravan of prisoners in 597 BC. e. Ezekiel was taken to Babylonia and lived in the village of Tel Aviv near the river Chebar near Nippur, one of the religious centers of Babylonia. Here, by the river Chebar, the prophet was shown several visions from God, from which in 592 BC. e. his prophetic ministry began. At this time, Ezekiel was about 30 years old. The house of the prophet in Tel Aviv, like the houses of many priests in captivity, became the place where the exiled Jews gathered (it was from such meetinghouses that the synagogue was born during the era of captivity). The prophet addressed his fiery sermons to the people who came to him. Author of the Old Testament book of Ezekiel; because of the volume (48 chapters) and the importance of which refers to the so-called "great prophets". And his mentions of the formidable Rosh (Ros) turned out to be associated with the northerners for a long time. And as the Christianization of Scythia turned into Russia.
http://www.krotov.info/history/00/eger/vsem_018.htm
http://www.hayreniq.ru/history/806-gosudarstvo-urartu.html
http://nauka.bible.com.ua/vs-istor/vi4-04.htm
http://armeniya.do.am/news/2009-04-17-18
http://www.russika.ru/termin.asp?ter=1909
http://myths.kulichki.ru/enc/item/f00/s29/a002936.shtml
http://www.bibliotekar.ru/rusKiev/18.htm
http://roussie.boom.ru/title-russ.html and others.
If what kind of kings in antiquity bore the names of Herman or Angle, or even Frank, would this cause a fair interest among the scientists of the respective peoples?! Quite. And he would be understandable and justified. It is curious why Russian researchers are extremely little interested in these Ruses (even if this is not a trace of an ethnonym, but some other ononym).
The Chechen (former Hurrian) Orsi are still “Russians”.
If the kings of Rus had a color tint in their names, then there is such a version.
Stang X. THE NAME OF RUSSIA (Herulian version) Summarized this line of Ros-Rus from the first centuries of our era, however, stubbornly adapting it to one Erul-Gelurs, and not to the multi-ethnic population of Russia (Christianized Scythia). But for the very line of H. Stang low bow.
(Ros-Rus 9) 1.4.2. Mythological materials are illuminated in a new way from these positions. It is proved that the mention by cartographers of a small island in the Kerch Bay under the names of Rosia, Rossa, Rubra, Rubea is explained by the presence of Russian fair-haired people there, and also that the name Rhosphodusa is a combination of the fact of the presence of Russians / Ros with the classical name of Spodus by Pliny.
1.4.3. Even Epiphanius (394 AD) in the list of northern peoples refers to the Goths, Danes, Finns, etc., and the Germans and Amazons turn out to be the northernmost. At the same time, he interprets the Germans as separate from the Goths and somehow connected with the Amazons. Who are they? At the Jordan, Amazon males are defined as inhabitants of the swamps near the Sea of Azov. The fact that it was the "fair-haired" who were in close contact with the Amazons was expressed not by classical authors, but by oriental ones, as will be discussed below. The official History of the Eruli has not been preserved, whether it existed or not. But we have the "Getica" ("History of the Goths") of Jordanes and the corresponding "History of the Lombards" by Paul the Deacon, and in the prehistory of both nationalities there are Amazons, which both the Goths and the Lombards, apparently, were very proud of.
(Ros-Rus 10) 1.4.4. Noteworthy is the mention by the author of the III or IV century. Pseudo-Agatemer of the Volga called "Ros". It is proposed to interpret it on the basis of the Gothic word "raus", i.e. "reeds, reeds" of swamps, which corresponds to the conditions of the Volga Delta.
(Ros-Rus 11) 1.4.5. In the "Etymologies" of the Spanish-Gothic bishop Isidore, the neighbors of the Amazons are the so-called. "whites", identified with the people of Albania (Albani). This is followed by a direct mention of the Huns and the invasion of wild tribes into the Middle East through the fortifications built against them by Alexander the Great. From the context it is clear that we are talking about both the mythical Gog and Magog, and the Eruls and Huns identified with them. Apparently, Isidore knew about the legend, according to which the neighbors of the Amazons are defined as "fair-haired, blond", and in order to appear more scholarly, he concludes that they mean classical Albanians, once inhabitants of the North Caucasus.
1.4.6. The "Scythian Achilles" is outlined. Even in the Iliad, Achilles is described as unlike a typical Greek: he is blond with hair, his mistress is reddish, while the Achaeans have light hair, and the goddess Pallas Athena, who takes on his stunning golden hair, has blue eyes. The expression "hair of Achilles", according to the poet Martial, means golden-red blond hair. Achilles has a "huge body". He is "a hero with a quick step", "diligent with his feet", he enjoys quarrels, war and the noise of battles. Warriors of exceptional strength and courage were called "Achilles". According to Pliny the Elder, statues of naked men armed only with a spear were also called Achilles.
This Achilles was very suited to the taste and needs of the Eruli, and therefore his image was deeply rooted in them. Another sign of him is a special tunic, apparently red. An example of an external "Achilles" appearance, according to Byzantine ideas, is the equestrian statue of Emperor Justinian - without weapons, armor and protection. Samples of this monument are known among the Germans, in the thesis an example is given in the form of one of the golden bracteates. The address of this "Scythian" Achilles is especially indicative: he was Pontarch, i.e. the lord of the Black Sea, along which the Erul detachments sailed. His relationship with the Amazons, who were considered "strive to copulate with the surrounding peoples," certainly aroused particular interest among the Eruls - young, furious, and perhaps passionate men who, to some extent, experienced the absence of women in their campaigns.
Traditions about Achilles are associated with at least six areas of the Black Sea region, which were of the highest interest to the Eruli.
(1) A settlement named Achilles, on the eastern shore of the Cimmerian Bosporus, through which the waters of the Sea of Azov flow into the Black Sea. Its inhabitants, according to Ptolemy, were called "Achilleotis, Achillites".
(2) The settlement located opposite, on the western, Crimean coast of the same strait - Mirmekion (Mirmekiy). It was considered the birthplace of Achilles. The narrow strait between the two settlements Achilles and Myrmekion was the only way out for the Eruls - "Elurs" who lived in the "swamp" of Meotida.
(3) Levka Island, lit. "White", dominates all access to the mouth of the river. Danube, which without this island would be difficult for sailors due to the very low position of the mouth. It was also called the Isle of the Blessed. There, according to some legends, there was a so-called. The running track (dromos) of Achilles, Achilles Run, and this name was more often applied to the next place.
(4) It is a sprawling sandy peninsula, located northwest of the Crimean Peninsula, with which it is connected, penetrating the sea towards the mouth of the Dnieper. It is extremely advantageous for dominating all maritime movements in the Black Sea, and also as a base for naval invasions. He is also known under the indicated name, Achilles Run (dromos).
(5) The island of Berezan, at the mouth of the Dnieper Liman, opposite the previous peninsula, was called the island of Achilles. Both there and in the city of Olbia, higher to the Dnieper, a kind of "personality cult" of Achilles was established. An ancient inscription on a stone dedicated to Achilles Pontarchus praises the local official for organizing a running competition (dromos) for young men in honor of Achilles.
(6) The cape, located directly east of the mouth of the Dnieper, the Turks of the last century called Kinburn, Kilburn, and the first syllable given name is an abbreviation of the name Achilles. According to Strabo, this cape is a "bare place", with a "bush dedicated to Achilles".
With the exception of Bely Island (Levka) at the mouth of the Danube, all other areas belong to the region of Taurus Scythia. Even on Bely Island there is an indication of that direction, for the sanctuary of Achilles on it is turned towards the Meotian swamp, i.e. located near the eastern shore and with the entrance there, towards the hero. On this island, bloody customs took place, which were later attributed to the Tauroscythians, in the form of sacrifices and burning people. A number of authors insist that Achilles was buried here, while others, on the contrary, declare that this took place on the island of Berezan.
Confirmation for four of the above-mentioned passages of the theme of running in connection with Achilles is appropriate to consider in connection with the Eruli and their special running, which they were proud and boasted of, and for which they were famous professionally. Apparently, the Eruli liked to be known as runners, like the blue-eyed, fair-haired, marine, Taurus-Scythian Achilles. Even the poet Lycophron called him "the king of the Scythians." There was a tradition that he "conquered twelve cities along the sea route and eleven on land", which fits perfectly with the horizons of the Eruli.
Achilles is characterized by a special bitterness, noted from the first lines of the Iliad. "Anger, goddess, sing to Achilles, the son of Peleus..." Odin, and perhaps served as inspiration and source of it. Attractive to members of the military community was the immortality of Achilles and his associates, fighting to the death during the day, and celebrating and drinking at night, which perfectly corresponds to the picture of the warlike paradise of the Scandinavians, Odin's Valhalla.
(Ros-Rus 12) 1.4.7. This by no means exhausts the folk, popular (i.e., non-state) heritage correlated with the Eruli. Let us turn to the still little studied essay Pseudo-Ethics from Istria (circa 770), in which meager information and names abound. Among them are described as Meoparot. This name is reminiscent of the "Etymologies" of Isidore, where it reads: "Myoparo is a very small "paro" ... German robbers use these on the ocean coast or in swamps for the sake of (their) speed" ;. It is narrated how they destroy other people's ships, punching their sides from under the water, cf. other sk. Raufari from the verb raufa "to make a hole". They say that pirates even live under water - a clear exaggeration, caused, apparently, by the fact that robbers are able to disappear suddenly among the reeds, as if without a trace. Rumors that Alexander the Great was their student also contributed to these ideas - both under water and at the Caspian (Iron) Gates, which were strengthened thanks to the knowledge of these pirates about bitumen. Alexander allegedly put them so-called. Altars of Alexander in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, i.e. in a place frequented by the Eruli.
STRENGTHENING THE APPLICATION OF ONOMASTICS IN ROS-RUS TO THE PEOPLES OF SCYTHIA
(Ros-Rus 13) 1.5.1. If the previous chapter dealt with folk mythology, then this chapter is devoted to official, state mythology, which expressed fear of the Last Judgment and concern at every sign of its approach. In particular, the Byzantines were afraid of the appearance of representatives of the tribes of Gog-Magog, as well as the mythical country of Ros in the far north of the Oikumene. The first source of an apocalyptic nature cited by the author refers to the very first invasions of the Goths and Eruli on the Greeks, in 267 and 269. AD The manuscript of an unknown author, which has not been taken into account until now, contains a warning: “Twice three for the number of one thousand, he counts, / until now, until they bring the end of the seventh era. / The fair-haired people rose up against Byzantium. a lot of people. / Alas, the waters of Alpheus are extremely unhappy, / (by these) conclusions (on) the island of Greece, / and worse for all mankind! At this early stage, the Goths are defined as the "fair-haired people", representing for the Greeks the beginning of the end of the world (in the seventh millennium). They were put to flight by the emperor Aurelian, after which the fears of the Greeks regarding them faded for more than one hundred and ten years.
(Ros-Rus 14) 1.5.2. Only starting from 378 did the Goths again disturb the imagination of the Greeks, as a result of the battle of Adrianople, where they destroyed two-thirds of the entire army of Emperor Valens. To a contemporary - Ambrose, this event seemed to be a harbinger of "the end of the whole world." If earlier the Goths were identified with the Getae and Scythians, and the king of the Goths was called the "King of the Scythians", now, after Adrianople, they are with the Gog and Magog tribes. We are talking about the simplest consonance: the name "Goth" was perceived as "Gog" not only by Greek authors, but also by the Goths themselves, which they boasted of, according to Isidore and Jordanes.
(Ros-Rus 15) 1.5.3. In the 390s. there was a whole wave of panicky rumors that the end of the world, the Last Judgment, was actually coming, the forerunners of which were precisely the Goths. An example of the growth of such convictions is St. Jerome, who at first, sometime before 392, denies the opinion of his contemporary Ambrose that "Gog is a Goth." In the commentary to ch. 39 of the prophet Ezekiel, after 392, Jerome indirectly indicates that he himself does not believe in this. The same is the case with St. Augustine, for he also denies the identification of Gog-Magog with specific peoples "like the Getae and Massagetae" (with whom Procopius later associated the Slavic disputes, who lived on vast lands in "scattered" villages).
(Ros-Rus 16) 1.5.4. The opinion of St. Jerome, however, changed dramatically when the Huns and their Erulian allies invaded the Christian east in 395: he fears that "the Roman world is falling," "now the end of the world, when the Roman state falls." Four years later, Jerome is convinced that the Huns are the wild tribes of Gog-Magog, locked up by Alexander the Great behind the Iron Gates of the Caucasus. A similar opinion is expressed by the Roman writer Hegesipus.
And our semi-official historians and linguists only remember the beginning of the use of Ros-Rus for the peoples of Scythia from the 6th century. And even then they are trying to cover up this plot somehow.
(Ros-Rus 17) 1.5.5. From the 390s the identity of Gog and Magog with the Goths was established forever, which may seem strange, since the main threat to Byzantium was then no longer the Goths, but the Huns, in particular after the terrible events of 395-396. There are also sources in which the Huns are compared with the Gog-Magog tribes. Thus, Patriarch Proclus (434-437) cites a reference from Ezekiel regarding the sudden end of the Hun army led by Rou(g)as, Roas, whom he identified with "Gog, the archon Ros". Even in the 6th century, the author Andrew of Caesarea states that Gog and Magog are those Scythians in the north "whom we call Hunnik".
(Ros-Rus 18) 1.5.6. "Candidate" is ready to become and remain Gog-Magog, contributed to the consonance of names (Gog-Got). But the candidacy of the Eruls also manifests itself in its own way: by a network of "prophecies" written after the events "foretold" by these prophecies, we are informed of the fragmentation of the Western Roman Empire by the Gentiles, Christians of the Arian faith, characterized as the "blond race". In the Armenian version, the so-called. "The Seventh Vision of Daniel" refers to the penultimate king Orlogios (i.e. Olibrius), as well as the last (Romulus Augustulus), after which new rulers will come, "from a different religion, i.e. Arians." In one Greek version of the Apocalypse of Daniel, the winners are called "that blond people." The commander of the troops, who deposed the last emperor, Odoacer bore the title "King of the Eruli" (476-493). In the mentioned Greek "Apocalypse of Daniel" it seems that Odoacer's authority is referred to. Then the words "that fair-haired people" allude to his Eruls. In another Greek version ("Daniel's Vision") there is a reference to the fall of the Lombards and the invasion of the Arabs, probably in 778. Here the Byzantine army joins the "blond race" and inflicts a complete defeat on the Arabs, and after happy period followed by the arrival of the Antichrist.
(Ros-Rus 19) 1.5.7. It is indicative that there was a change in the views of the Greeks on the fair-haired northerners: from representatives of the fierce tribes of Gog-Magog to soldiers of mercenary troops. The Goths, for their part, retained the imprint of the image of Gog-Magog in the works of a number of authors (Isidore, Jordanes, the chronicler from Asturias, Gottfried from Viterbo), in the versions of the Tale of Alexander the Great by Ps.-Callisthenes, and also in the Jewish collection of traditions - Targum.
(Ros-Rus 20) 1.5.8. Ideas about "fair-haired" northerners go back not only to the custom of the Eruls and other Germans to dye their hair, etc., but also partly to ancient tradition since the time of Aristotle and Hippocrates that the Scythians are "dirty yellow", which was also perceived as "Rus". Examples of red-haired and blue-eyed representatives of some groups of the Central Asian population are also given. It is not known, in particular, who the "Karmir Khion" - "Red Huns" are. The Germans were also present among the Huns, but the "Germanic" names of the Hun leaders do not prove anything, since they most likely reflect only the fact that the Germans were the mediators-narrators.
(Ros-Rus 21) 1.5.9. The tradition about the "red Jews" locked up in the Caucasus by Alexander the Great, apparently, goes back not to the physical "redness" of the Jews, but to the memories of the Eruls, allies of the Huns in 395-396.
(Ros-Rus 22) 1.5.10. In the work of the Syrian Jacob Seruzhsky, there is a mention that not only Gog-Magog will devastate the world, but also a fierce people "inside the said gate", behind the rampart of Alexander, "the famous people." This role was well suited to the Eruls and similar peoples. It is clear that it also applies to other immigrants from Scythia.
(Ros-Rus 23) 1.5.11. There is also a source that sympathizes with the Eruli: we are talking again about Ps.-Ethics from Istria. After all, he declares that the inhabitants of the reed beds and marshes applied their efforts to the cause of Alexander the Great in order to block Gog-Magog himself from the path to the destruction of the world.
(Ros-Rus 24) 1.5.12. In the Apocalypse attributed to Ps. Methodius, we meet both the "Queen of the Amazons", and "Indians among the blacks", and "red Jews", and the Antichrist. This means that the main elements of the emerging ideas were preserved, such as indications of redness and connection with the Amazons and the Last Judgment, but the identity of the Germans with the red-haired northerners had already been lost.
1.6. Traces of the Eruli (from Ephraim and the Elder Edda to Byzantium)
(Ros-Rus 25) 1.6.1. The heritage of the Erul traditions can be traced in various sources. In the middle of the 4th century AD. the preacher Ephraim the Sirin mentions the "fair-haired" (rosai) as a people. Obviously, we are talking about a real people who had relations with Byzantium in the 4th century AD.
1.6.2. Another Syrian, Pseudo-Zacharias, in 555, lists peoples north of the Caucasus, including Hrus (Hrws), described by him as neighbors and partners of the Amazons, so heavy that horses could not carry them. On the basis of a parallel Arabic text in ad-Dinavari (895), it is proved that by "Chrus" Ps.-Zachariah is meant just "fair-haired", blue-eyed neighbors - partners of the Amazons, warriors-pedestrians, too heavy for horses - a characteristic , ascending to the Eruli. THIS VERSION OFFICIOUS KNOWS AND ABOUT IT SOMETIMES IS TALKING. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_Rhetor
Their neighbors are the Yoros people, men with huge limbs who have no weapons and cannot be carried by horses because of their limbs.
http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/rus7/Zacharia/text1.phtml
(Ros-Rus 26) 1.6.3. From a contemporary of the last Syrian, Jordanes (about 550), we acquire data on the "gens" (tribe, clan) Rosomones. For infidelity and betrayal, they are pursued and executed by the Gothic king Germanaric (350-375). The names of the representatives of this group in Jordanes, Snorri and Saxo are clearly Scandinavian. Ros - impeccably explained by the Gothic word raus "reed", and most likely, by color designation.
(Ros-Rus 27) 1.6.4. Rosmo-mountains also appear in the Old Norse Atlakvida ("Song of Atli / Attila"). For more than a hundred years, the name Rosmo has been explained by the ancient German color designation rosamo = "red-brown". The closeness and possible affinity between the Eruls and the Burgundians is discussed, for both groups were divided into western and eastern branches, they were closely related to each other, had common roots (the Burgundians from Borgundarholm, today's Bornholm, around which the Eruls were concentrated), and the very term " burgundy" became just the color designation "red-brown".
1.6.5. According to the latest research (Gschwantler), the name Rosomones is also interpreted as "red", possibly "fast", about eruli. The speed of the Eruls seems to be related to their "sacred" intoxication (probably from the red fly agaric) when they fought led by Odin, literally "Fierce". The nickname "(x)eruli", by the way, echoes well the title of Odin Kherel "commander", from her "army" (cf. also the verb herja "to devastate"). The hue "incredulous", "insidious" as the original meaning of their "redness", is rejected as a secondary understanding. A German poem is given about the knight Vigalois, whose opponent is the "red knight", from the "red, inflamed" color of his beard and hair: "I heard about such (people) that they have incredulous hearts" ("treacherous"), according to the poet .
1.6.6. In the story of Jordanes, one detail deserves special attention: seeing that his "Rosomon" (Eruli) wife dyes her hair, Germanaric immediately kills her in a cruel way. Dyeing your hair red was just an Erul military custom. The importance of color is also emphasized by the description of one of the brothers of the murdered woman, named Erpr (literally "red-brown") in the "Speech of Hamdir" (Elder Edda).
1.6.7. In various Old Norse verses collected in the so-called. The Elder Edda even more clearly emphasizes the social significance of the red color among the Eruli, in their clothes and helmets, "in red gold" ("The Song of Atli", "Speech of Hamdir", "The Second Song of Atli", "The Second Song of Gudrun", "Instigation Gudrun"). The Rigstul says that of the three social classes, slaves are swarthy black, free ones are reddish-red, and jarls are fair-haired, ruddy (cheeks).
1.6.8. It turns out that the Eruli in the Edda are well attested under their name "yarlar" ("Speech of Hamdir", "Instigation of Gudrun", "First Song of Gudrun", "Speech of the High One", "Song of Khabard"). With one exception, they appear in the plural, and thus stand out as a separate group. Yarlungaland - "the country of the Jarls (Eruls?)" is mentioned in the "Tidrek's Saga" (the epic Theodoric, the king of the Goths in Italy).
(Ros-Rus 28) 1.6.9. Actually in the Viking Age, the legacy of the "red tradition" can be traced in expressions like raudavikingr letters. "red, i.e. especially fierce Viking", raudaran "robbery with violence", raudagalinn "red-crazy". One, as seen - Raudagrani, "Red-bearded." "Red", by the way, does not fully convey the meaning of the Old Norse word, which has a shade of brilliance, inflammation, fiery character.
(Ros-Rus 29) 1.6.10. This "redness", celebrated by the Byzantines, was perceived as a sign of the predicted saviors of the empire and Christianity. Several decades before the first "Russians" visited Byzantium in 838, a "prophet" appeared in Sicily, saying that the "fair-haired people" would save Byzantium.
(Ros-Rus 30) 1.6.11. It turns out that the Byzantines themselves perceived the Russians themselves as fair-haired. As examples, excerpts are given from the Byzantine authors Herodian and Moskop, from a manuscript in the Athos monastery about the Cossacks - "fair-haired", as well as from another manuscript and act materials of the monastery, the Book "On Ceremonies" by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, Liudprand, as well as in the latest word usage.
(Ros-Rus 31) 1.6.12. Finally, the so-called The Cappadocian testament attributed to Alexander the Great, where among the peoples he conquered, the people of the "fair-haired" are also mentioned. From the context it is clear that they were presented as inhabitants of territories not far from the Caucasus. Dating - approximately the VIII century.
1.7. Fair-haired Eruls in Islamic sources
The Erul heritage is also revealed in the medieval culture of Muslims. The author proposes a new translation and considers a number of passages from Islamic sources.
An excerpt from the manuscript of the British Library Addd studied by the author is given. 5928 that the inhabitants of a certain country of S-d-rkha (probably from Samarkand) are "giants, with such long tongues (!) that no one has ever seen them on horseback." Presumably, the author of this manuscript is al-Hasan al-Basri.
The Amazons' neighbors are described as blue-eyed, very hairy, courageous and extremely tall.
3. Ibid.
The Amazons testify that their men are seafarers, brave, cruel.
4. Ibid.
It is said that the Amazons are very tall, with a heavy physique, their features are red, blond and blue.
6. Manuscript of an unnamed Aragonese Arab (undated).
(Ros-Rus 32) Having completed the construction of the Val, Alexander the Great leaves Gog-Magog and meets "a people of red color with red hair, where men and women live apart from each other", and then, in connection with Fergana and Samarkand, they meet another " people with (large) bodies, beautiful."
7. Manuscript so-called. Nihayatu l-Arab (nameless, undated).
(Ros-Rus 33) In the country of the Slavs "in the Ocean" Alexander of Macedon meets "people with red faces and red hair, having (large) bodies and a strong physique". Their king subsequently faithfully serves and helps Alexander.
8. Al-Sha "bi (approx. 700).
(Ros-Rus 34) In the region of Gog-Magog Alexander the Great sees "people with red hair and blue eyes". They tell about Gog-Magog, what they eat: "Every spring, the ocean throws out two fish for them." This is an indication of whales, which actually "throw out" just in the spring on the coasts, for example, of the Faroe Islands, pursued by a toothy killer whale.
(Ros-Rus 35) 9. Al-Dinavari (about 895).
Having finished building his Wall, thus separating Gog-Magog from others, Alexander the Great finds "a tribe of red color, with red hair, among which men and women live apart from each other", and then, in connection with Samarkand and Ferghana, "saw people of large physique, but beautiful."
(Ros-Rus 36) 10. Al-Masudi (910).
"(As for) ar-Rus, the Greeks call them Arusia, which means" Red ".
11. Ibid.
In the "River Meotis" (= the Sea of Azov) a whale passes, twice in one year, and the inhabitants use it. The two-time appearance is a distortion of the news of the whale (chased by a killer whale).
12. Ibn Fadlan (922).
In the famous story of the ambassador of the caliph, the passage about the giant who visited the king of the Volga Bulgarians deserves special attention. Called the representative of Gog-Magog, he is interpreted by the author of the dissertation as a "scarecrow" for the ambassador of the caliph and the Arabs in general, who was told about in order to maintain the monopoly of the Bulgarians on northern trade and provide them with financial support from the caliph.
In an even more famous passage about the "Russians", attention has not yet been paid to the fact that their name is not "ar-Rus", but "ar-Rusia", from the Greek "oi rousioi" [
13. Al-Hasan al-Basri (?).
Here we find, so to speak, the primary source of ibn Fadlan, in the report of al-Hasan that some representatives of Gog-Magog are palm-sized, hairy, and their food - huge fish delivered to them by spring rains. They live somewhere in the north, on the coast of the Ocean, and, it seems, on a peninsula separated by high, bare mountains from more southern and civilized people. They are naked.
14. Ibn Fadlan.
In a letter allegedly from the Visu peoples (ancestors of the current Veps), transmitted by the Caliph's ambassador ibn Fadlan, Gog-Magog on the coast of the Ocean beyond the sea and mountains, eating whale meat, is again noted. Obviously, we are talking about the inhabitants of northern Norway. Ibn Fadlan reports at the same time about their nakedness. Knowing well the Muslim classics, including al-Basri, ibn-Fadlan apparently wrote what the head of the believers would like to read, i.e. caliph.
That is, as Scythia became Christianized, all this from the first centuries of our era belonged to the Scythian peoples - Ros-Rus (often "blond", "red", "red" and "beautiful" - with a touch of the Paleolithic depths of the language). There are many of them among Caucasians, including the Slavs. And let's forgive H. Sting that he associated these traits only with the Eruls-Heruls.
Perhaps fair-haired were among the Urartians.
Urartu is an ancient state in southwestern Asia. It was located on the territory of the Armenian Highlands (modern Armenia, eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran). As a union of tribes, Urartu existed from the 13th century BC, and as a state from the 8th century BC.
Interesting to know:Urartu has several names:
- Urartu is the Assyrian name of the state, which was used from the 9th century BC until the end of the existence of Assyria;
- Biayni (Biaynili) is a local name whose origin is unknown;
- The kingdom of Van is the modern name for Urartu, which is used by some researchers. It is connected with the fact that the capital of the state was located on the shores of Lake Van;
- the country of Nairi - the so-called early Assyrian tribes living in the territory of Urartu;
- Ararat is the Masorean voicing of the Aramaic "rrt", that is, Urartu, which is used in biblical texts;
- the country of Alarods - this is how Herodotus mentioned the Urartians; Aratta is an ancient mountainous country that is mentioned as early as the 3rd millennium BC in Sumerian texts. Most scientists believe that Urartu and Aratta are not connected in any way.
Inscription on the foundation of the temple in the Erebuni fortress on the Arin-Berd hill near Yerevan. The inscription is in Urartian in cuneiform script borrowed from the Assyrians. The text attributes the construction of the temple to King Argishti I.
Archaeological materials are so scarce that the question of the origin of the inhabitants of Urartu remains unclear, especially since there was no written language, which could also be used to find out something. Researchers believe that among the population of Urartu there were both sedentary and nomadic tribes.
Fragment of a bronze helmet of the Sarduri II era, which depicts the popular motif of the "Tree of Life" among ancient societies. The helmet was discovered during excavations of the Teishebaini fortress on the Karmir Blur hill.
The oldest known mention of Urartu is found in the inscriptions of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser I. From the texts, we can conclude that Urartu was constantly at war with the Assyrians, who pursued predatory goals, in particular, they stole cattle and stole various valuables.
Assyrian bas-relief from the time of Shalmaneser III. The inscription on the bas-relief: "I placed my image by the sea of the country of Nairi, I made sacrifices to my gods."
The Armenian highland was rich in natural values, and it was a sin not to organize a state in this region. However, the opportunity to create a state here appeared only in the Iron Age. Why in the Iron Age? you ask. Because the local population was only able to effectively resist the formidable Assyria, when the technology of stone processing with iron tools made it possible to build numerous defensive fortresses on the Armenian Highlands. It was the endless raids of the Assyrians that contributed to the fact that the “tribes of Nairi” united into a single and strong state.
Remains of the fortress built by Sarduri I. The preserved wall of the fortress
In the 9th century BC, the last successful campaigns of the Assyrians against Urartu took place. The leader of the Assyrians at that time was Shalmaneser III, who destroyed the cities of Suguniya and Arzashka and successfully advanced deep into Urartu. By the end of the 9th century, the Assyrians successfully fought only in the southern areas of Urartu.
It was at this time that the Urartian royal dynasty began to form, and Arama was the first ruler of Urartu. However, the main dynasty of Urartu was presumably founded by a representative of another clan or tribe, Sarduri I (son of Lutipri). He became king of Urartu around 844 BC. The residence of the kings was in the city of Tushpa, on the shores of Lake Van.
Fragment of a bronze quiver with the inscription Sarduri II. Found during excavations on the Karmir Blur hill.
From the middle of the 9th century, Urartu became the most powerful state in Western Asia. After Sarduri I, power passed to his son Ishpuini. During his reign, the borders of Urartu were significantly expanded, Urartian cuneiform appeared.
Bronze figurine of a winged bull that adorned the left side of the Urartian royal throne, Hermitage. A similar figurine that adorned the right side of the same throne ended up in the British Museum.
When the son of Ishpuini Menua stepped on the throne, mass construction works. Fortresses were built that protected the approaches to Van, palaces and temples, as well as a canal that supplied the city of Tushpa with water. During the reign of Menua in Urartu, Queen Semiramis ruled in Assyria. At that time, there were no wars or attacks by the Assyrians on Urartu, on the contrary, Assyria had a cultural influence on Urartu. During Menua's life, many buildings were associated with his name, and after his death they began to be associated with the name of Semiramis, as built in her time.
The borders of Urartu to the west were expanding, which, in the end, led to the fact that the trade routes from Assyria to Asia Minor were under the control of the Urartians. Of course, Assyria was unhappy with this situation. As a result, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser IV spent six of the ten years of his reign on campaigns against Urartu. In Urartu by this time, the son of Menua Argishti was in power, who emerged victorious from the war with the Assyrians.
Sketch of the Van rock by the first archaeologists of Urartu, late XIX century
Argishti I was succeeded by his son Sarduri II. He continued the work of his father, having made campaigns, expanding further the borders of the country.
Tiglath-pileser III ascended the throne of Assyria in the 8th century BC. He immediately started a war against Urartu. The Assyrian king wanted to regain control of the trade routes to Asia Minor. As a result of the decisive battle on west bank Euphrates, the Assyrians defeated the Urartian army and captured a large number of prisoners and various trophies. Taglatpilasar III did not stop there, he moved deep into Urartu.
Sarduri II died under unclear circumstances. The state of Urartu partially disintegrated. Many previously conquered tribes rebelled against the central government. Rusa I came to the throne of Urartu, who, in spite of everything, managed to maintain the statehood of Urartu. He put down rebellions, and for a long time wisely avoided war with Assyria. During the reign of Shalmaneser V in Assyria, a truce was established between Urartu and the Assyrians. Rusa I rebuilt the new capital of Urartu Rusakhinili.
Soon, a more determined and militant Sargon II came to power in Assyria. He wanted to restore his country to its former glory. Sargon II sent his troops against Urartu, who suffered a severe defeat. Rusa I himself was forced to flee. After he learned that Sargon II reached the religious center of Urartu Musasir and destroyed and plundered not only the city itself, but also the main temple of the god Khaldi, Rusa I committed suicide. All these events became the beginning of the destruction of the Urarian state.