THE SCENE: Twelve centuries may have passed since he walked the earth, but the wrath of the Assyrian king Assur-Nasir-Pal is still terrifying.
THE TEXT: To Suri which is in Bit-Halupe I drew near; the great men and the multitudes of the city, for the saving of their lives, submitted to my yoke; some slain, some living, some tongue-less I made. In the valor of my heart and the steadfastness of my soldiers I besieged the city; the soldiers, rebels all, were taken prisoners; a trophy along the length of the great gate I erected: the rebellious nobles who had revolted against me and whose skins I had stripped off, I made into a trophy: some in the middle of the pile I left to decay; some on the top of the pile on stakes I impaled; some by the side of the pile I placed in order on stakes; many within view of my land I flayed; their skins on the walls I arranged; of the officers of the King’s officer, rebels, the limbs I cut off; I brought Ahiyababa to Nineveh; I flayed him and fastened his skin to the wall.
– The Annals of Assur-Nasir-Pal, 9th Century BC
