King Ashurbanipal was one of the last great kings of Ancient Assyria. His name is also spelled Assurbanipal or Ashshurbanipal. He ruled from 668 to 627 BC. He was a successor to his father, King Esarhaddon. He was popular among his people but known for his cruelty towards his enemies. He was a strong military figure and wasn’t afraid to fight for what he wanted. He was proud of his scribal education and loved to learn. He is most known for the Library of Nineveh.
Ashurbanipal was born to King Esarhaddon and Aššur-hammat. He was the successor of his father. He was born 685 BC in Nineveh. Raised in the palace Ashurbanipal received a great education. His education included horsemanship, hunting, chariotry, craftsmanship, and royal decorum. He exceeded in reading, writing, mathematics, and soldiery. He learned to read and write in Sumerian, Akkadian, Aramaic. It is a legend that Ashurbanipal is the only Assyrian king who could read and write.
The King was recognized as an intellectual. He is remembered for the library of Nineveh. The library of Nineveh was the royal library at Ashurbanipal’s palace. It was the first systematically organized library in the ancient middle east. It was a cataloged library with over 20,000 clay tablets. The library held…show more content… He was feared because of his insane cruelty to those whom he defeated. There are images that depict him taking one of the Arab kings he defeated and putting a dog chain through his jaw and making him live in a dog kennel. Assyrian harshness was reserved only for those who took up arms against the Assyrian king. Ashurbanipal did not conducted any harm against civilian populations nor did Ashurbanipal's predecessors. Ashurbanipal was only cruel to those who tried to cause harm to him or to his people. During his rule he conquered many civilizations previously unconquerable by the Assyrians. Ashurbanipal took over so much land that it became nearly impossible to defend it
