| Adad-nīrārī III | |
|---|---|
| King of Assyria King of the Universe | |
 TheTell al-Rimah Stele was discovered in 1967 and commemorates Adad-nirari III’s campaigns in the West.[1] | |
| King of theNeo-Assyrian Empire | |
| Reign | 811-783 BC |
| Predecessor | Shamshi-Adad V |
| Successor | Shalmaneser IV |
| Died | 783 BC |
| Issue | Ashur-nirari V Shalmaneser IV Ashur-dan III Tiglath-Pileser III? |
| Father | Shamshi-Adad V |
| Mother | Shammuramat |
Adad-nīrārī III (alsoAdad-nārārī, meaning "Adad (the storm god) is my help") was aKing of Assyria from 811 to 783 BC.[nb 1]
Adad-nīrārī was a son and successor of kingShamshi-Adad V, and was apparently quite young at the time of his accession, because for the first five years of his reign, his motherShammuramat[3] was highly influential, which has given rise to the legend ofSemiramis.[4]
It is widely rejected that his mother acted as regent, but she was surprisingly influential for the time period.[5]
He was the father of kingsAshur-nirari V,Shalmaneser IV, andAshur-dan III.Tiglath-Pileser III described himself as a son of Adad-nīrārī in his inscriptions, but it is uncertain if this is true.[citation needed]
Adad-nīrārī's youth, and the struggles his father had faced early in his reign, caused a serious weakening of Assyrian rulership over their indigenousMesopotamia, and made way for the ambitions of officers, governors, and local rulers.
According to Adad-nīrārī's inscriptions, he led several military campaigns with the purpose of regaining the strength Assyria enjoyed in the times of his grandfatherShalmaneser III.
According to the eponym canon, he campaigned in all directions until the last of his 28 years of reign (783 BC), and he was the builder of the temple ofNabu atNineveh. Among his actions was a siege ofDamascus in the time ofBen-Hadad III in 796 BC, which led to the eclipse of theAramaean Kingdom of Damascus and allowed the recovery ofIsrael underJehoash (who paid the Assyrian king tribute at this time) andJeroboam II.
Despite Adad-nīrārī's vigour, Assyria entered a several-decades-long period of weakness following his death.
Media related toAdad-nirari III at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by | King of Assyria 811–783 BC | Succeeded by |
