The Concubine's Son

by H A CULLEY

  This enraged the others who changed direction and ran to kill their tormentors. The archers had sacrificed themselves to allow the man with the torch to reach Arishaka. The boy grabbed it and ran through the gate, frantically waving it to and fro. He collapsed onto his knees when he heard the unmistakable sound of thousands of pounding feet.

  As the Babylonian army rushed towards the open gate, the Marians were killing the last of the brave men who had opened the gate. Arishaka saw the gates beginning to swing shut again; screaming with frustration and rage the boy rushed back through the narrowing gap and plunged his torch into the beard of one man and his dagger into the belly of another. For a moment the enemy were taken aback by the fury of the attack by their small opponent; then one of the men stopped pushing at the gates and picked up an axe.

  Swinging it high he was about to bring it crashing down on the boy’s head. Had it landed it would have cloven his skull in two. The axe started its downward journey but the boy wasn’t there any more. Tarhunda was the first through the closing gate and he threw the boy to one side with one hand whist he drove his bronze sword up underneath the axe man’s chin and into his brain, killing him instantly. Then the Babylonians were pushing the gates open again.

  Arishaka had picked himself up from where Tarhunda had shoved him but then he was shoved to one side by the men pouring through the gates. He was slammed back against the mud brick gatehouse and lost consciousness. The hero of the hour slid to the ground, where he was trampled on and kicked by the uncaring horde intent on sacking the royal palace.

  ~#~

  ‘So Zimri-Lim managed to escape?’ Shamshi-Adad said with some annoyance. ‘He is the heir to Mari and could cause us problems if he is supported by the King of Yamhad.

  ‘He is the only one, the rest of the royal family of Mari are all dead,’ Ishme-Dagan reported with some confidence.

  ‘Along with half the population,’ Hammurabi interjected. ‘Your son will be king of a city of ghosts.’ He looked at Yasmah-Addu with distaste.

  ‘You’re too soft. They’re submissive now and so will happily accept my son as their new king.’ He looked at Hammurabi for moment. ‘I’m told that the plan wouldn’t have succeeded without your brother’s courage and initiative. He’ll make a formidable leader when he is older.’ The comparison with his own sons was unspoken, but it was obvious to all present. ‘That is, if he lives to grow older. How is he, by the way?’

  ‘A sore head, three cracked ribs and a fractured leg; it could have been worse. He should also have a lacerated back as soon as he recovers.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘He disobeyed me. I should give him twenty lashes for that but the army would never forgive me.’

  ‘So you won’t punish him at all?’

  ‘Oh yes, I’ll send him back to our mother as soon as he can travel, with a note about his escapades. By the time Ashlatum has finished nagging him he’ll wish he’d had the twenty lashes.’

  The next day a chariot arrived with a message from Assur. When Hammurabi arrived at the Assyrian king’s tent he was told that the king was leaving immediately as a rebellion had broken out amongst the tribesmen in the east of his kingdom.

  ‘I’m leaving three thousand of my men here to help my son rule Mari. I wonder if I can ask you to finish subduing the other towns in Mari for me? I’m sure that Yasmah-Addu can then manage to rule Mari on his own.’

  ‘Who do you think is behind the uprising?’

  ‘Oh, Elam without a doubt. They are beginning to worry about our growing power: you with Eshnunna on one border and me in the northern Zagros Mountains. Had this happened before we had captured the city, I would have been in a difficult situation. I owe you and your brother a lot.’

  He went over to a chest and picked up a bow lying on top of it.

  ‘This is a composite bow. It was a gift to me from the King of Yamhad when relations between us were better than they are now. I believe it was made by a people who live on wide grass plains far to the north of here. It’s much more powerful than our layered bows. We’ve tried to reproduce it, so far without success. I don’t think we have found the right glue. Please give it to Arishaka with my thanks when he has recovered.’

  Hammurabi took the bow and drew back the cord with some difficulty. ‘The people who use bows like this must have powerful arms and shoulders.’

  ‘I’m told they train to use them from an early age. That’s why I thought of your brother.’

  Chapter Seven – In Search of Horses - 1788 – 1786 BCE

  Zimri-Lin, the only surviving son of the late King of Mari, hid in the rocks to the north of the city. He had been in charge of the troops holding the south wall against the diversionary attack, unlike the rest of his family who had been trapped in the palace and then slaughtered after it fell to the Babylonians. When he realised that his enemies had broken into the city, he tried to lead his men to reinforce those defending the palace. However, he allowed himself to be persuaded to flee to Yamhad instead. There he hoped to raise an army and retake his homeland, but at the moment he was a fugitive with only a few faithful friends at his side.

  By the time that the sun rose over the horizon they were three miles away and heading for a small village on the Euphrates that he believed had escaped the attentions of the invaders so far. The country through which they fled was a barren gravel plain strewn with rocks. He kept looking fearfully behind him. There was no cover and anybody pursuing them would see them from a mile away. The terrain changed to low brown hills as they nearer the river and, thankfully, they were now hidden from view. Once there, Zimri-Lim hired two boats to take them up river. Just as they were walking down to the small pier against which the boats were moored, he heard a shout behind him as three Assyrian chariots entered the village. One of his companions carried a bow and he swiftly sent two arrows, one after the other, winging their way towards the chariots. The first missed but the second struck the lead charioteer in the throat. As he fell he pulled the reins and the onagers turned to the left, in front of another chariot so that they crashed. The archer in the third chariot shot at the Marian bowman, causing a flesh wound in his arm.

  By this time the others were in the boats and so he turned to run and join them. Just as he reached the pier another arrow struck him in the back and he toppled into the water. The owners of the boats hurriedly cast off and headed out into the middle of the Euphrates, out of range of the Assyrians. There they hesitated, watching the Assyrians as they rounded up their women and children. Suddenly the four surviving Assyrians were attacked by the men of the village wielding wooden clubs and fish gaffs. Although the Assyrians were better trained and had bronze weapons, they were heavily outnumbered and were quickly beaten to death.

  Satisfied that their families were safe, the fishermen hoisted the sails and they set off up river until they reached a point due east of Aleppo. From there Zimri-Lim and his men walked the remaining distance to the city.

  In the royal palace Sumu-Epuh, King of Yamhad, heard the news of Zimri-Lim’s arrival with mixed feelings. Mari had been his staunch ally for many years; with its fall to Assyria he was left exposed. Qatna on his southern border and Urshu to the north both coveted the fertile land that lay between them but his alliance with Mari had kept them at bay. He had little doubt that Shamshi-Adad would want to eliminate the last member of the Mari royal house and that would bring the two of them into conflict. On the other hand, Zimri-Lin was due to marry his daughter, Shibtu. He was tempted to allow the wedding to go ahead and support the youth’s attempt to regain his throne, but he was worried about having hostile neighbours on three sides.

  Whilst he debated his options, he found excuses not to receive Zimri-Lin. Then he received reports that Shamshi-Adad had left to deal with problems in the east of his kingdom, leaving Hammurabi of Babylon to finish the conquest of Mari.

  ‘What do we know about Hammurabi?’ he asked his chief advisors.

  ‘He is young, still only twent
y I believe, but he managed to seize the throne from his brother, Zuuthusu, four years ago when he was only sixteen. Since then he has developed agriculture around Babylon to make it one of the wealthiest cities in the area,’ his chief minister told him.

  ‘More importantly he has proved himself a capable military commander, defeating Eshnunna and, if the rumours are true, being instrumental in the capture of the city of Mari,’ his son, Yarim-Lim, added.

  ‘Why then has he allied himself to Assyria?’

  ‘Because Elam wants to bring Eshnunna back into its sphere of influence and that has brought it into conflict with Babylon. That is why they’re harbouring Zuuthusu. An alliance between Babylon and Assyria acts as a counterweight to the threat to Eshnunna from Elam,’ the chief advisor explained.

  ‘Remind me again why Eshnunna is important to Babylon.’

  ‘It wasn’t, I don’t think. But Eshnunna attacked Sippar, a Babylonian city. After Hammurabi practically annihilated the Eshnunnan army and killed their king, Hammurabi put the old king’s son on the throne, made him an ally and married his sister.’

  ‘Conquering her is his greatest achievement from what I hear; Adiar is reputed to be a fiery vixen who despises men,’ one of the other councillors muttered.

  ‘Evidently not Hammurabi though. She has had a son by him, I think?’ the king asked.

  ‘Yes, and another baby is on the way, or so I have heard.’

  ‘We need him as an ally.’ Sumu-Epuh frowned for a few minutes then continued. ‘We’ll send two barges of cedar wood from Lebanon as a gift; Babylon has few trees and the wood will be welcome, I’m sure. Our ambassadors can travel disguised as merchants.’

  ‘But why would Hammurabi desert the Assyrians and support us, father?’ Yarim-Lin didn’t follow the king’s logic.

  ‘Because I’m not asking him to, at least not whilst Shamshi-Adad is king. I’m offering him a secret agreement that we will place Zimri-Lim on the throne of Mari as his vassal once Shamshi-Adad is dead. He’s an old man and can’t have more than a few years left on this earth.’

  ‘But what good will a secret agreement do us? It won’t help to deter our enemies from attacking us,’ Yarim-Lin asked.

  ‘Because, once Hammurabi has agreed to it, it won’t stay a secret for very long.’

  ~#~

  Hammurabi’s triumphant return to Babylon provided the excuse for a week of celebrations. Not only had the army suffered very few losses, but Babylon now had strong allies in the north. These were politically useful but, more importantly as far as the city council were concerned, they had expanded the area in which they could easily trade without hindrance.

  A parade to celebrate the victory was planned for the fourth day after the army’s return, during which Hammurabi would sacrifice twenty goats and ten bulls to the glory of Marduk. He would also thank the god of Babylon by announcing an expansion of the ziggurat on which his temple stood. This would necessitate the destruction of the present temple but he planned to build one twice as big. Adiar thought he was mad. Although she worshipped the gods, she believed that the money should be spent on creating a standing army instead.

  This wasn’t the only thing they had quarrelled about as soon as he had returned. He was furious with her over the arrest of Kinau. Although no harm had been done in the end, he was well aware that this was thanks to Isiratuu. He believed in a legal system to which all were subject; she believed in an autocracy under which the word of the king was the only law.

  ‘You say you rule by laws but where are these laws; how do the people know about them?’ She shot at him derisively.

  ‘They are known to me and my council and we administer them fairly.’

  ‘So you say, but if they are kept secret how does anyone know you are acting fairly. You might just as well be a despot for all anyone knows.’ She knew the dig would hurt him; what she wasn’t prepared for was his reaction.

  ‘You are right; of course, you are right. I’ve let other matters take priority and let this one slide. I had planned to get my laws carved on steles.’ He was lost in thought for a while then he suddenly beamed at her, his anger forgotten. ‘I need to write down a full code of laws, not just the few we have at the moment. Then everyone will know what is expected of them and what the penalties will be if they transgress.’

  He seized her round the waist and whirled her in a circle.

  ‘Thank you, my love. Why didn’t I think of that?’

  ‘Careful, you’ll hurt the baby.’ She laughed, delighted that her mistake over Kinau seemed to be forgotten.

  ‘Baby? Why didn’t you tell me? How long have you known?’

  ‘I’ve suspected for a month or more but now I’m certain.’

  He kissed her then stopped. ‘How will people know? That’s what you said isn’t it?’

  She nodded, puzzled. He thought for a moment, then smiled.

  ‘I know. I will get the masons to make copies of the original stone steles inscribed with my laws and punishments so that they can be displayed in every city. It will take a long time, especially as I will need to be certain that my code is fair and complete before the masons can start work.’

  ‘Can’t you work on a section of the code and put that on one pillar and then the next section on another when it is ready?’

  ‘Yes, good idea. Why have you just solved a problem for me when you don’t agree with my ideas?’

  ‘I don’t agree with you, Hammurabi, but I realise that it is important to you; and I did make a mistake over Kinau, so I hope this makes up for it.’

  ‘I could never remain mad with you for long, especially now you are expecting another child,’ he grinned at her before kissing her again.

  That evening Tarhunda came to see him.

  ‘The army want you to include Arishaka in the parade,’ he told him. ‘They regard him as the hero who enabled them to capture Mari so easily. On top of his exploits in the desert and his youth, this has made him their idol.’

  ‘How do you know this?’

  ‘A delegation came to see me almost as soon as the parade was announced.’

  ‘I see.’ Hammurabi wondered if he was becoming jealous of his brother, then dismissed the idea as unworthy. Nevertheless, he needed to bind him to his side now more than ever. He was suddenly reminded of the younger Arishaka shouting “I hate you” at him. He had intended to leave him with his mother at Kid-nun for the next six months to keep him out of trouble and, hopefully, teach him a lesson, but that obviously wasn’t going to work now.

  He nodded. ‘Send a chariot for him. No, wait. I’ll go and collect him myself, then I can get away from these interminable dinners and see how my project at Kid-nun is progressing at the same time.’

  ~#~

  His mother and sisters were delighted to see him and he was pleased that Arishaka seemed equally thrilled. If Arishaka was the army’s hero, it seemed that Hammurabi was regarded in the same light by his brother. This gave the elder brother a warm glow and made him even more ashamed of his qualms about the boy.

  The next day Ashlatum showed him around the embryo city. The walls were taking shape and half the space inside was now either occupied by houses, or they were in the process of construction. The ziggurat was beginning to rise above the roofs and, outside the city itself, the network of irrigation channels was progressing well.

  Twice as much land had been brought under cultivation since the first time he had visited the town and a wharf with warehouses had been constructed over what had been marshy reed beds alongside the river.

  ‘You have done much better than I had expected, mother. Are you enjoying it?’

  ‘Yes, more than I thought I was going to when you announced your plans for me. And, of course, I am much happier now that Arishaka has returned to my side. You should never have exposed him to such dangers, Hammurabi,’ she reproached him.

  ‘He got himself into those dangers, mother, disobeying my specific orders,’ he replied with some asperity. He noted that his
brother had the grace to look at the ground, though he suspected he didn’t repent his actions at all. ‘But I’m afraid I’m here to take him away again.’

  His brother looked up, excitement written all over his face.

  ‘Really? Where are we going to fight his time?’

  Hammurabi laughed. ‘Nowhere, you little firebrand; I want you to ride in my chariot for the victory parade. Then you’ll return to your studies in Babylon.’

  ‘Oh,’ there was no disguising the disappointment in the boy’s voice.

  In contrast, Ashlatum was relieved.

  ‘It’ll be hard parting from him again, but at least I’ve still got my daughters for company.’ Then she saw the expression on Hammurabi’s face. ‘Oh, no. Not them as well?’

  ‘Not immediately, mother, but Humsi is now sixteen and Ettu thirteen. I need to start thinking about a suitable husband for Humsi soon.’

  ‘You mean to marry them off to old men to further your political ambitions, don’t you?’ Ashlatum couldn’t keep the disappointment and repulsion out of her voice.

  ‘I’ll do my best to find suitable young men, mother, but they are the daughters and sisters of kings, so this can hardly have come as a surprise to you.’

  ‘Perhaps not, but I had hoped for better from you, Hammurabi.’ With that she turned and left him.

  ~#~

  The army formed up outside the south gate of Babylon for the victory parade with the chariots leading, followed by the infantry and the archers; the camel riders brought up the rear. Hammurabi had presented Arishaka with a padded linen vest sewn all over with small plates of bronze and a burnished copper helmet. He beamed with pride as he stood beside his brother in a four wheeled chariot. Hammurabi had eschewed armour in favour of a normal Babylonian robe, worn with the left shoulder bare. The robe was made of blue silk embroidered with golden stars. On his head he wore the symbol of kingship: a tall hat embroidered in gold wire with more stars and two lions passant facing each other.