Table of Contents

Preface1. Imperialism: Materiality and Ideology2. God's Will3. Communicating with God4. Holy War and Just War5. Exploring and Conquering6. The Disposable Periphery7. Collecting8. Public Display9. Marking Territory: The Steles10. Celebrative Inscriptions11. Royal Titulature12. The Justification of Self-Defense13. Battles and Sieges14. Oaths and Their Transgression15. Punishment and Forgiveness16. Destruction and Reconstruction17. Exporting Despotism18. Organizing the Territory: (a) The City at the Center of the World19. Organizing the Territory: (b) Provinces and Governors20. Organizing the Territory: (c) From Tributaries to Deportees21. Organizing the Territory: (d) The Communication Network22. Becoming Assyrian23. Imperial Prosperity24. Cultural Unification: (a) Technology25. Cultural Unification: (b) Religion26. Cultural Unification: (c) Language27. Conclusions: (a) The Prototype Empire28. Conclusions: (b) Trajectories of Imperialism29. Conclusions: (c) Celebration and Reality30. The View of Others31. Ancient and Modern EmpiresAbbreviations and BibliographyIndexesPlaces and PeoplesTemples and PalacesPersonsDivine and Mythical Beings