Ashurnasirpal II (r. 884-859 BCE) was the third king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. His father was Tukulti-Ninurta II (r. 891-884 BCE) whose military campaigns throughout the region provided his son with a sizeable empire and the resources to equip a formidable army. Ashurnasirpal II is known for his ruthless military conquests and the consolidation of the Assyrian Empire, but he is probably most famous for his grand palace at Kalhu (also known as Caleh and Nimrud in modern-day Iraq), whose wall reliefs depicting his military successes (and many victims) are on display in museums around the world in the modern day. In addition to the palace itself, he is also known for throwing one of the most impressive parties in history to inaugurate his new city of Kalhu: he hosted over 69,000 people during a ten-day festival. The menu for this party still survives in the present day. He reigned for 25 years and was succeeded by his son, Shalmaneser III (r. 859-824 BCE).
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Definition
Timeline
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884 BCE - 859 BCERule of king Ashurnasirpal II of Assyria who moves capital from Ashur to Kalhu (Caleh).
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883 BCE - 880 BCEAshurnasirpal II leads his army on military campaigns to put down rebellions.
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879 BCECity of Kalhu (Caleh) completed, Inaugural Festival with over 69,000 guests held.
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878 BCE - 859 BCEAshurnasirpal II engages in further military campaigns and building projects, writes his inscriptions.
