Ellipi was an ancient kingdom located on the western side of the Zagros (modern

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

), between

Babylonia Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...

at the west,

Media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is inter ...

at the north east, Mannae at the north and Elam at the south. The inhabitants of Ellipi were close relatives of the Elamites.

History

The period of major development in Ellipi was from the 9th to 7th centuries BC, as is reflected in archaeological research. The prosperity of the country came from the control of

trade route A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over land or water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a singl ...

s. They were also cattle dealers. It functioned as a buffer state between Assyrian provinces of Kishesim (Kar-Nergal) and Harhar (Kar-Sharrukin) and Elam.Elayi 2017:170

Assyrian Vassal

During the 8th and 7th centuries BC it was ruled by an Iranicized dynasty.

Talta of Ellipi (d. 707 BC)

Talta (Dalta) was the King of Ellipi. He was probably on the throne contemporary with Assyrian kings Tiglath-Pileser III (r. 745-727 BC) and

Shalmaneser V Shalmaneser V (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , meaning "Salmānu is foremost"; Biblical Hebrew: ) was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 727 BC to his deposition and death in 722 BC. Though Shalmaneser V's brief reign is poorly known from conte ...

(r. 727-722 BC). He paid tribute to the Assyrian king Sargon II (r. 722-705 BC) since 714 BC.

War of Succession (Civil War)

In 707 BC, when Talta died of old age, his (sister's?) sons Nibe, supported by Elam, and Ishparaba, supported by Sargon II, started a civil war with Ishparaba winning and becoming king of Ellipi.

Ishparaba of Ellipi

In 703 BC, Ellipi was implicated in the Babylonian rebellions of Marduk-apal-iddina II against Assyria. In 702 BC, he was strongly punished by king

Sennacherib Sennacherib ( or , meaning "Sin (mythology), Sîn has replaced the brothers") was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 705BC until his assassination in 681BC. The second king of the Sargonid dynasty, Sennacherib is one of the most famous A ...

of Assyria, who took Marubishti, the capital city. The Sennacherib Prism Column 2 states: "The front of my yoke I turned around and took the road to the land of the Elippi. Before me Ispabâra, their king, abandoned his strong cities, his treasurehouses, and fled to the distant parts. Over the whole of his wide land I swept like a hurricane. The cities Marubishti and Akkuddu, his royal residence-cities, together with 34 small towns of their area, I besieged, I captured, I destroyed, I devastated, I burned with fire. The people, great and small, male and female, horses, mules, asses, camels, cattle, and sheep, without number I carried off. I brought him to nothing; I diminished his land."Luckenbill 1924:27-31

Fall

During the 7th century BC, Ellipi suffered

Cimmerian The Cimmerians were an Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Eastern Iranian languages, Eastern Iranian peoples, Iranic Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe, part of whom subsequently migrated into W ...

invasions, and then disappeared from sources.

Literature

* Lendering, J.:
Cimmerians
"
www.livius.org
* Liverani, M. (1995)): ''El Antiguo Oriente: Historia, Sociedad y economía.'' * Quintana, E. (1997)
''Historia de Elam, el vecino mesopotámico.''
* Rogers, R. W. (1900)

* Luckenbill, Daniel David (1924) The Annals of Sennacherib. Oriental Institute Publications 2. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago * Josette Elayi (2017) Sargon II, King of Assyria

References

{{Reflist Ancient history of Iran Iron Age peoples of Asia Former countries in West Asia Former kingdoms Iron Age countries in Asia