The Doom of Sargon II

From Oldest Stories by James Bleckley

March 25, 2026 · 34 min · Season 3 · Episode 18

About this episode

This episode explores the final major campaign of Sargon II of Assyria and his conflict with Marduk-apla-iddina II for control of Babylonia.

This episode examines the final major campaign of Sargon II of Assyria (reigned 722–705 BCE) and the long conflict with the Chaldean ruler Marduk-apla-iddina II (Merodach-Baladan) for control of Babylonia. Early in Sargon’s reign the Neo-Assyrian king suffered a serious defeat near the city of Der when an Elamite army intervened in support of the Babylonian revolt. The loss allowed Merodach-Baladan, leader of the Bit-Yakin Chaldean tribe, to claim the throne of Babylon and rule much of southern Mesopotamia for roughly a decade. After spending many years campaigning on other frontiers of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Sargon finally returned to Babylonia in a major campaign around 709 BCE. The episode explores the political and military situation in southern Mesopotamia at the time, including the complex relationships between Babylonian cities, Chaldean tribes, Aramean groups, and the kingdom of Elam. Evidence from Assyrian royal inscriptions and administrative texts suggests that Sargon relied not only on military force but also on diplomacy and internal divisions within Babylonia, encouraging cities and tribes to abandon Merodach-Baladan before the main Assyrian army arrived. The…

People in this episode

Host: James Bleckley

Topics covered

Assyrian history
Babylonian conflict
military campaigns
diplomacy in ancient Mesopotamia
Sargon II's reign
Chaldean tribes

Keywords

Sargon II
Marduk-apla-iddina II
Babylonia
Assyrian Empire
military strategy
ancient Mesopotamia
Chaldean tribes
Elamite army
Akitu festival

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Neo-Assyrian Empire, Bit-Yakin Chaldean

Places: Babylonia, Der, Mesopotamia, Elam