During the late ninth and early eighth centuries, the territorial expansion of the Assyrian Empire stalled, with powerful magnates increasing their own power at the expense of the king. One such magnate was Šamši-ilu, field marshal of king Adad-nirari III, who increasingly portrayed himself as acting independently of the office of the king. Šamši-ilu's power may have even been a motivation for the revolt of several Assyrian cities in the mid-eighth century. Moreover, during this period of stagnation, Assyria faced external threats, most notably from Urartu, Assyria's northern neighbour, who won a number of significant victories against Assyria in the mid-eighth century.
The accession ofTiglath-Pileser III marked a reversal of Assyrian fortunes. He reduced the power of the magnates, dividing the territories they controlled into smaller individual units; he defeated Urartu, forcing the king to flee; and he expanded Assyria's power towards the Mediterranean, conquering the North Syrian and Phoenician city-states. In
