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Rusa I 𒊒𒊓 | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8th century BCE Tushpa, Urartu |
| Died | 714 BCE Urartu |
| Nationality | Urartian |
Rusa I (died 714 BCE) was a king of Urartu. Following his father Sarduri II's defeat by the Assyrians, he reorganized the country into smaller provinces and crushed rebellious elements in the military. He organized economic projects north of Lake Urmia, where Urartu's ally of Manna was based. He also created a reservoir and the city of Rusakhinili near Lake Van.[1]
War with Assyria[edit | edit source]
In 714 BCE, Šarrukīn II led an Assyrian attack on Lake Urmia. The rulers of Manna fought against the Assyrians while Rusa's army attacked them from the rear. Urartu lost its cavalry and chariots, but the rest of the army escaped. Šarrukīn then attacked the economic centers around Lake Urmia and looted the temple at Musasir. Šarrukīn's records claim that Rusa committed suicide after the fall of Musasir, but other sources say that he continued to fight.[1]
The Assyrians destroyed much of the country but did not try to capture the cities of Tushpa or Rusakhinili. However, they were able to prevent Urartu from achieving hegemony.[1]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Grigory Bongard-Levin, Boris Piotrovsky (1988). Ancient Civilisations of East and West. https://archive.org/details/ancientciveastwest/mode/1up.