“May Aššur’s Curse Be Upon Those Who Break the Oath to the Great Gods!”
The Role of Oaths in Assyrian Administration
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63872/YDPP1418Keywords:
Neo-Assyrian Empire, oaths, adê texts, Assyrian administration, ritual and powerAbstract
This article explores the role of oaths in the administrative practices of the Neo- Assyrian Empire, focusing on the so-called adê-type texts—formalized oaths imposed to ensure the loyalty of various societal groups and officials to the king and the imperial order. Through detailed philological and historical analysis, the study examines the legal, political, and ritual functions of these documents. It emphasizes how oaths not only served as declarations of political allegiance but also acted as symbolic reinforcements of power. The magical and rhetorical language of the oaths, the catalogues of divine punishments, and the performative dimension of their ritual utterance all contributed to the ideological framework of Assyrian domination, revealing that imperial integration was not solely based on military or economic means, but also on religious and symbolic cohesion.
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