Shalmaneser IV

Shalmaneser IV
King of Assyria
King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire
Reign783–773 BC
PredecessorAdad-nirari III
SuccessorAshur-dan III
Died773 BC
SpouseHama
AkkadianSalmānu-ašarēd
DynastyAdaside dynasty
FatherAdad-nirari III

Shalmaneser IV (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform:  Salmānu-ašarēd, meaning "Salmānu is foremost")[1] was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 783 BC to his death in 773 BC. Shalmaneser was the son and successor of his predecessor, Adad-nirari III, and ruled during a period of Assyrian decline from which few sources survive. As such his reign, other than broad political developments, is poorly known. Shalmaneser's time was marked both by an increase in the power held by Assyrian officials relative to that of the king and Assyria's enemies growing increasingly powerful. Most of Shalmaneser's military efforts were spent warring against the Kingdom of Urartu in the north, which during this time was reaching the peak of its power.