The Image of the Ruler on the Reliefs of Tiglath-pileser III. Elements, Motifs, and Composition

The present work is based on information from 17 reliefs (or their drawings) discovered in Nimrud (ancient Calah) and Arslan-Tash (ancient Hadatu) during the 19th and the 20th c. All monuments describe the image of Tiglath-pileser III in scenes which are different in meaning and form. The arrangement of the monuments in wider narrative schemes remains obscure or at least, disputable. Exceptions to said observation are the monuments belonging to the narratives about the Babylonian campaign, the Triumph from Arslan-Tash and partly to the Arab campaign. Only half of the artifacts – eight in number, can be situated in relation to another relief or group of reliefs. The arrangement of the other eight reliefs with the king is uncertain. The compositions allow the identification of the ruler’s image on a third level of reading and place his figure in a wider historical context. The leading role of the monarch is outlined on every level of interpretation. The motifs preserved depict him as a king-ruler, a triumphant king and a king-warrior, sending propagandist messages about his abilities and invincibility. The messages are not new, even when they contain novelties. Nevertheless, they are in harmony with traditions attested in earlier monuments of this type.