The Ideology of Rim-Sin II of Larsa

Abstract

Abstract The great rebellion against Samsuiluna of Babylon represents a watershed moment in the history of ancient Mesopotamia. In the span of a single year, most of the major cities of the south rose up against Babylon, catching Samsuiluna off guard and plunging the entire region into crisis. The Kassites made their first appearance in history, fighting against both Babylon and the rebels, and when Samsuiluna finally restored his kingdom four years later, the damage caused by the fighting was so severe that much of the south was abandoned, forcing the Babylonian king to accommodate large numbers of refugees and reconsolidate his rule in the north. Rim-Sin II, the leader of the rebellion, remains, nonetheless, an enigmatic figure. Hailing from Larsa and taking his name from the famous Larsite king of a generation before, he was eventually defeated and killed by Samsuiluna, but not before he had taken steps to secure his place as king of the entire south. Based on his year names and a letter, Rim-Sin II clearly saw himself as the legitimate king of southern Mesopotamia, using culturally weighted ideology to secure the support of important figures in the cities he sought to control. This study considers how he appealed to past kings for ideological justification as he attempted to cleave his own state away from that of Babylon, and how he aligned himself to the standard Old Babylonian royal narrative of divine selection to justify his claim to power.