Sargon II

Sargon II ruled the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 722 BC until he died in battle in 705 BC. He took the throne after Shalmaneser V, most likely his brother, and is generally treated as the founder of the Sargonid dynasty, although scholars debate whether he seized power in a palace coup. He modelled his reign on the older Sargon of Akkad and on Gilgamesh, expanded Assyrian territory, kept Assyrian control of the Levant, weakened the northern kingdom of Urartu and reconquered Babylonia. From 717 to 707 BC he built a new capital, Dur-Sharrukin, and made it his official residence in 706. He died on a campaign in Anatolia against Tabal, and because the army could not recover his body he was denied a traditional burial, which later damaged his legacy.