page_title: Serua-eterat
hierarchical_section_title: Serua-eterat
caption_attribution_description: English: Cuneiform tablet containing letter written by Assyrian princess Serua-eterat
context_page_description: Serua-eterat or Serua-etirat, called Saritrah in later Aramaic texts, was an ancient Assyrian princess of the Sargonid dynasty, the eldest daughter of King Esarhaddon and the older sister of his son and successor Ashurbanipal. She is the only one of Esarhaddon's daughters to be known by name and inscriptions listing the royal children suggest that she outranked several of her brothers, such as her younger brother Ashur-mukin-paleya, but ranked below the crown princes Ashurbanipal and Shamash-shum-ukin. Her importance could be explained by her possibly being the oldest of all Esarhaddon's children.
  Although she is mentioned in several royal inscriptions, she is most known for her letter dated c. 670 BC to Ashurbanipal's wife Libbali-sharrat in which she reminds the future queen that Serua-eterat outranks her as she is a king's daughter and also reprimands her for not doing her homework. Serua-eterat lived into Ashurbanipal's reign and her eventual fate is unknown. A later Aramaic story has her play a central role in attempting to broker peace between Ashurbanipal and Shamash-shum-ukin on the eve of their civil war c. 652 BC and disappearing after Ashurbanipal kills his brother.
context_section_description: Serua-eterat or Serua-etirat (Akkadian: Šērū’a-ēṭirat or Šeru’a-eṭirat, meaning "Šerua is the one who saves"), called Saritrah in later Aramaic texts, was an ancient Assyrian princess of the Sargonid dynasty, the eldest daughter of King Esarhaddon and the older sister of his son and successor Ashurbanipal. She is the only one of Esarhaddon's daughters to be known by name and inscriptions listing the royal children suggest that she outranked several of her brothers, such as her younger brother Ashur-mukin-paleya, but ranked below the crown princes Ashurbanipal and Shamash-shum-ukin. Her importance could be explained by her possibly being the oldest of all Esarhaddon's children.
  Although she is mentioned in several royal inscriptions, she is most known for her letter dated c. 670 BC to Ashurbanipal's wife (her sister-in-law) Libbali-sharrat in which she reminds the future queen that Serua-eterat outranks her as she is a king's daughter and also reprimands her for not doing her homework. Serua-eterat lived into Ashurbanipal's reign and her eventual fate is unknown. A later Aramaic story has her play a central role in attempting to broker peace between Ashurbanipal and Shamash-shum-ukin on the eve of their civil war c. 652 BC and disappearing after Ashurbanipal kills his brother.
caption: Serua-eterat's c. 670 BC letter to her younger brother Ashurbanipal's wife Libbali-sharrat, in which she reprimands her for not doing her homework.
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