"Assyrian Nomenclature" Topic

Calling anyone who either is or fancies themselves to be remotely knowledgeable on the so called middle Assyrian period.

I am near completing a WAB Middle Assyrian army list for an intended army to be taken into battle by Shalmanaser I (or spell his name as you will).

I note in the WAB Forum members army lists they refer to ASHARUTTI, HURADU and HUPSHU troop types.

My research indicates that HURADU refers to the Chaldean tribe called Bit-Dikkaru whose capital was Haradu but who were not incorporated into the expanding Assyrian concern until 850 BCE.

The HUPSHU are simply levy but the reference to ASHARUTTI confounds me. Figure manufacturers design and sell figures so labelled but I can find no reference. The closest I get is Assuritu in reference to the goddess Ishtar and it taken to mean 'Ihtar of the Assyrians'. Given Ass… is pronounced 'Ash' am I to conclude the term refers to Assyrian regular infantry or rather, Infantry of the Assyrians? The abovementioned list has them as guard quality foot with high leadership and weapon skills; however, I am satisfied that the Qurubti Sha Shepe (let's call them the Assur guards division) existed by my period and so suspect the ASHURITTU to be regulars.

I have no doubt just demonstrated I'm a bit of a k**b but if anyone else has a view, please share.

The Asharittu 'were better trained and equipped elite troops. The term is related to the words asharidintu (prowess) and asharidu (vanguard)."
(Tallis and Stillman, Armies of the Ancient Near East, WRG).

Many thanks.

The "Vanguard" of the king's army. I think I will use that -- everyone else are a sort of militia.

The confusion arises because list makers and figure manufactures have consistently and incorrectly lumped the middle Assyrian period of the late Bronze Age from c.1500 – c.1000 BC with the early neo-Assyrian period hundreds of years later. The terms you cite are not appropriate for the middle Assyrian period and the uniforms and organisation of the middle Assyrian army would of been akin to Mitanni or Kassite and middle Babylonian armies. Even the WRG book makes this clear if people would care to read the print and not just look at the pictures. For example, the chariots and infantry shown in the WRG book are of the early neo-Assyrian period of the 9th century and not the middle period, hundreds of years before. There are no pictures of the middle Assyrian army but the script says they would have appeared similar to Mitanni or Middle Babylonians. I blame the list writers and product manufacturers for being lazy and not researching the lists and uniforms. They have just followed the same from the 1970s.

So… what are the "correct" terms for the Assyrian forces in the Bronze Age?

Off the top of my head I wouldn't know what the name of the Assyrian infantry was in the late Bronze Age. I am sure you could find that out easily enough if there is that information available? Perhaps in the WRG book but there are many others.