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The Annexation of Kummuh by Assyria (708 BCE)
In 708 BCE, the Neo-Assyrian Empire, under the rule of King Sargon II (r. 722-705 BCE), formally annexed the small but strategically significant kingdom of Kummuh (also known as Commagene in later Greek sources). This event marked another step in Assyria's relentless expansion across the Near East, as it sought to dominate key trade routes and subdue rebellious vassal states.
Kummuh was a Luwian-Aramean kingdom located in southeastern Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), near the Euphrates River. It had long been a buffer state between major powers—Assyria to the east, Urartu to the north, and Phrygia to the west. Due to its location, Kummuh was often caught in the power struggles between these empires.
For much of the 8th century BCE, Kummuh had been an Assyrian vassal, paying tribute to avoid direct conquest. However, as Assyrian power fluctuated under different kings, Kummuh occasionally sought alliances with Assyria's enemies, including Urartu and the Cimmerians, nomadic invaders from the north.
The immediate cause of Kummuh's annexation was likely its ruler's disloyalty or failure to meet Assyrian demands. Sargon II, a ruthless and expansionist king, had already crushed rebellions in other regions (such as Carchemish in 717 BCE) and was determined to secure Assyria's northwestern frontier.
In 708 BCE, after a military campaign (possibly following a revolt or refusal to pay tribute), Sargon II abolished Kummuh's independent monarchy and incorporated it directly into the Assyrian provincial system. The last known king of Kummuh, Kuštašpi, was either deposed or killed, and the region was placed under the control of an Assyrian governor.
Kummuh would later re-emerge as an independent kingdom (Commagene) after the fall of Assyria in the late 7th century BCE, but in 708 BCE, its fate was sealed under the might of Sargon II's empire.
The annexation of Kummuh in 708 BCE exemplifies Assyria's policy of direct control over formerly semi-independent vassals. It highlights the empire's military efficiency and its relentless drive to dominate the Near East, setting the stage for further conflicts with rising powers like Babylon and the Medes.
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