The Royal Journey in the Middle Assyrian Period

The Assyrian king was a very busy person who had commitments in a number of different sectors: personal, political, military, and ritual. He had to be present not only in Assur, the capital of the kingdom, but also in other administrative centers in provinces—those within the Assyrian core, such as Nineveh and Arbail, as well as those in remote regions, even at the frontiers. In this article, we gather the attestations for royal journeys in the Middle Assyrian archival documentation. First, we list the attestations designating these royal travels and then discuss the terminology used. After that, we analyze the modus operandi of royal trips: who accompanied the king, which means of transport were used and how they were supplied. Finally, we discuss the implications of the royal arrivals in any given place and end with a summary.