Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
CHAPTER
PAGE
I.
THE
CRADLE
OF
MANKIND
-
II.
BURIED
TREASURE
-
H
.
III.
AN
ASSYRIAN
CITY
2,800
YEARS
AGO
-
24
IV.
THE
KING
GOES
HUNTING
-
34
V.
THE
WARS
OF
ROBBER-NATION
-
41
VI.
KING'S
LIBRARY
OF
TWENTY-FIVE
CENTURIES
AGO
-
51
-
VII.
HERO
STORIES
OF
THE
ANCIENT
EAST
-
59
VIII.
HERO
STORIES
OF
THE
ANCIENT
EAST
"
Continued
69
IX.
THE
GODS
AND
THEIR
TEMPLES
-
76
X.
LEGENDS
OF
THE
GODS
-
81
-
LIST
OF
ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATES
*I.
MARDUK
CONQUERS
TIAMAT
Frmtispiece
FACING PAGE
II.
WINGED
MAN-HEADED
LION
13
-
III.
DYING
LION"
DYING
LIONESS
20 29 36 39 42
"*IV. *V.
VI.
THE
CITY
KING
GATE
THE
GOES
HUNTING
STATUE
OF
ASHUR-NATSIR-PAL
SCENES
III.
VII.
HUNTING
VIII.
THE
LION'S
CHARGE
47
50 53 60
IX.
ASSYRIAN
CAVALRY
CHARGING
LION-HUNTING
BY
WATER
THE
HEROES
AND
COME
TO
KHUMBABA'S
-
CASTLE
ETANA
THE
EAGLE
71 74 77
84
cover
*XIII.
XIV.
ADAPA
BREAKS
BATTERING
THE
WINGS
OF
THE
SOUTH
WIND
THE
RAM
IN
ACTION
XV.
CREATION
TABLETS
"^XVI.
THE
KING
MAKES
OFFERING
OVER
DEAD
LION
On
the
Sketch-map
on
page
iv.
These
eight
illustrations
are
in
colour
; the
others
are
in
black
and
white.
aS7fi4"i
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
CHAPTER
THE CRADLE OF
I
MANKIND
At
new,
the and do
were
beginning
men were
of
all
the bit
two
world
what
was
they
could that
were
and
more
how
to
it, there
than
were
countries
important valleys
them
"
any
others. it
was
They
the
one
both that
was
the
of
great
what
rivers, and
rivers
made
they
were.
The
the land where wonderful that Egypt Basin Nile Great Lake from the comes rolling down of miles of equatorial Africa, and flows for hundreds between temples and pyramids erected by the greatest builders the world About has ever seen. Egypt, two of these have little books already told you."^ The other known by several different country was There names. were really two kingdoms in it that was Babylonia and Assyria ; but the name given the whole to nations of the country by all the other different in various the world, though it sounded the languages, always meant same thing. If it was Greek who if it was a spoke, he said "Mesopotamia"; Naharina an "; if it was Egyptian, he said Hebrew, a
country
"
"
he
*
said
"Naharaim":
Lands:
but
they
all meant
"Between
"Ancient
Egypt,"
by
J.
Baikie:
Kelly.
"
"'
ANCiENO"
ASSYRIA
Two
the
Rivers,"
for the
that it lay great feature of the country was and the Euphrates, the Tigris between two big rivers, from the mountains of Asia Minor, down which come and flow south-east into the Persian
Gulf.
If you will look at your map, you will see that almost of the Mediterranean from the north-eastern corner tion direcin a slanting Sea to the Persian Gulf there runs of country. It is rather flat strip comparatively at its upper end at least highuplandcountry, or hilly,
a
but it grows flatterand flatter the Persian Gulf,it the further you go east, till, near side of this is as flat almost as a table. On the one
near
the Mediterranean
land
outer
rise the
great mountain
and
ranges
narrow
that
form
the
wall of Kurdistan
Persia,huge forbidding
passes leading the other side,
fastnesses ; on up into their solitary towards the great desert rolls away
Da^oascus and
Arabia, wave
sand and and
after wave, mile upon mile, of barren shingle.But the land between, wretched
w^as once
it looks now, as poverty-stricken Garden of the World, the place where men be
men
the
to
and
not
great
towers
and
towards
known.
to
Egypt
a
onlyother
we are
land
as
that
as
claim
have
far
that of the
country
about which
thinking.
Far away up in the mountains of Asia Minor there lies a littlemere lake called Gioljik, and here the or
more
of northerly
the two
Tigris,
takes
THE of the
CRADLE
OF
MANKIND
for itself a
deep trench below the level of the plain. rises among the Euphrates, the hills The other river, and heads still further north and east than the Tigris, for the Mediterranean,as though it at first straight neck of land which meant to cut through the narrow Changing its mind, keeps it from the middle sea.
however, it sweeps
a
round
in
great bend
to
course
that of its sister stream, though and flows on towards considerable distance south of it, its northern upper less or
the
rivers is
the slopes gradually and the land becomes a level plain, less steep, become which, indeed, has been made by the mud and silt brought down by the two rivers. At a placecalled rivers unite, and the the two Kurna, in the plain, called the Shatt-el-Arab,rolls singlestream, now and unhealthy slowlyto the sea, past the dirty ports and Basra. of Mohammerah Many hundreds of years nearlyso far,for the ago the plaindid not extend
sea came
but
further inland.
Mohammerah,
on
which
shore know
is
now
47
miles
the
we
in the that
time
Great
125
and
another used
to
seaport. But
more
5,000 years
rivers have and the
sea
ago, and every day since then the been bringing down soil from the in the and plain,
so
great
tains, moun-
layingit down
was on
pushing uplands
of
further back. it
this flat
between plain,
sea,
the the
two
was
rivers and
the
that
cradle
ANCIENT first
ASSYRIA
opened its eyes and began to see what wonderful a placethis world might be. Later, the further up the rivers became important lying uplands
race
more
to
the plain that ; but it was plain first became important. That was so long ago that imaginehow long. In all likelihood scarcely you can
that firstsettlement
as
of
men
which
the
Garden
of Eden
;
lay somewhere
it was
plain
one
between
the rivers
here and that
Euphrates. And
build cities and has become
it was
towers
men
began to
temples. One
because
of their towers
for
as
ever
famous
the Book
of Genesis
tellsof it
of Babel ; and when we hear that name know we pretty well where we are, for Babel and the one is "The Gate name Babylon are the same the Tower
"
of God," and the other *' The of Babel was, no the Tower
tower
Gate
of the Gods
and
Babylonreared
to the
gloryof their god. Nowadays you would not think that there ever had of the garden about this country. It is been much wild and bare and desolate. Higher up the rivers there are stretches which are gay and bright especially,
with greenery
summer over
and
wild
flowers for
and the
littlewhile in
lower
parts
are
all
dotted
with swamps filledwith the water which the rivers leave behind them after the annual floods
"
swamps
where
fever,and
ague,
and
malaria
breed
The onlythings that break the monotony continually. of the great bare plains few unsightly are a heaps, very like the rubbish heaps that are piled up around
THE
our
CRADLE
OF
MANKIND
and shale-pits ; and altogether coal-pits you can doleful or uninteresting ing looka more imagine scarcely
country.
But where all this was there is now
once a
and temples, its busy town, with its walls and palaces and its crowded streets ; and the land market-places between the A
towns
was one
of the
richest soils in
the world.
travelled all
years before
throughthese
left the
story of his
that he won't
never
journey. Among
tellall that he
for never it, of
was
believe
there known
But Babylonia.
he says that the seed often yielded and that the blades of corn fold, were
even
four
broad. fingers
To look upon
was you would think that Herodotus onlyhoaxingyou with traveller s tales ; but we know
he tells us are quite other things that many true, and that he is telling the truth so it is natural to suppose for instance, in this also. He describes, the funnyold round leathern boats that the used on the rivers ; people boats represented and not onlycan we see the same on but the folks actually boats exactly their sculptures, use the rivers to this day. Besides, like them on many other
what
Herodotus
then and
says
now
about the fruitfulnessof the country. of the difference between The reason
is that in the old
and governors used days the kings to see that the floods of the rivers to take great pains and used to water the land by means were regulated of canals. A king used to be as proud of the canals he had dug as of the conquestshe had made. And
A.A.
ANCIENT
when the floods
came
ASSYRIA
so,
down,
the
sluices of the
was
canals were
and opened,
the floodwater
distributed
the
ground. If
the canal
system had
been
to-daywould be as rich as ever. of the country, the Turks got possession But whenever this, as useful, they neglect everything they neglected and all the wonderful canals of the old kingshave long
the land looked after, You since gone to wreck and ruin. can beds where they ran, with the banks
across stretching to-dayfollow the
still see
on
the
either side
best roads
now
the beds
plain ; indeed,
of the
the
old canals.
But
is allowed to go to waste, or worse, to make and the whole country the land into a sour swamp, the water
almost is desolate.
were
to
more,
and
were
to
remake
keep
doubt
ever
goodas
that may
Now the time
come
to pass in
time too.
about when
country,
and civilized,
stone,
the
same
we
cannot
tell
much
as
we
can
time in
Egypt.
Mesopotamia
as
can dry sandy soil of Egypt does. go back And that what a can we see very longway indeed. like this : A cluster of people happenedwas something would gathertogether for convenience and for safety, and gradually Bit by they would form a little town. bit the town would grow bigger. Strong walls would
past Still, we
so
the
be reared to
was
THE
no
CRADLE
OF
MANKIND
of mud, like stone in a country made good building in Egypt ; and then would there was as Babylonia, come was a templeto the god who supposedto watch the town, and beside the temple a tall tower, over rose as a child builds a castle with wooden built, bricks, just in stages, growing smaller and smaller as they went of the town, who was higher. And then the bigman would require both kingand priest, to live a big house in ; and so by-and-by there grew up a palacebeside the temple and its tower ; and you had a city-state its walls lay the fields which the complete. Round citizens farmed,going out to their work in the morning and coming home again the gates were when opened, before the gates were shut ; and beyond the at sunset where ploughedfields laya wider circleof pasture-land
were
driven out to
pasture,
within itself.
But and if you
went
across
far away the horizon,the top of another tower, like the one on in the sunlight. There standing on, gleaming you were another city-state at the foot of that tower too ; was and by-and-by, the two towns and the as grew bigger
see,
looked
temple-tower,
of
trouble.
herdsmen
and
somebody w^as
that had and other helmets
citizens of
lost
man
took and
down
on a
big shields
town.
went
was as
There
of possession
much
it could hold.
Or
perhapsone
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
and then went on its neighbour altogether, conquered round about until it had the other towns conquering made that quitea little kingdom for itself. When -kinggave himself no end of airs. happenedits priest He called himself King of the Four Quarters of the World," and thoughtthere was nobody like himself and tumbled him till somebody stronger still came down and set up another littlekingdom. of years. for hundreds So things The went on whole country was dotted with these littlecity-states, and its history and is nothingbut their squabbles all But all the same were men struggles. advancing and better the time,becomingwiser and more skilful, when able to govern And themselves. everything the right to knit things was came man ready, together. His name in Babylon was Hammurabi, and he reigned
"
"
much from
Abraham
the Hebrew
came
into Palestine,say somewhere about drew the whole 2,000 years before Christ. He really and made wise laws, into an empire, country together
and
a saw
to
it himself that
;
good kingshould
for the often
and
work
as a
great raid of wild Minor the land, and broke all settled swept over and things were government in pieces, very miserable
and
confused for
longtime.
a
But
hilly country ; and there in the bracing air of the uplands, and with plenty of fighting to do, both against and wild beasts, men they were growing
into
a
more
warlike than
THE
CRADLE
OF
MANKIND in the
the
took
peoplethey had
with
them
a
left behind
plain. They
name was
their native
god, whose
cityfor him, which they called Asshur ; and in course of time they came to be known the Assyrians, and their land as Assyria. And as when Babylonia for awhile,to grief, have we as came, to the front and to claim seen, they began to come a rightto be the lords over all the ancient East. And from the time when they set out to conquer the of years of the East for hundreds world, the history is just the history and the of how the Assyrians with another, one Babyloniansfought,sometimes
Ashur; they built
sometimes
world.
with
the
smaller
nations
around,
times some-
with distant
Egypt,for
and almost beyond belief, greedy of the things which more some even they did were dreadful than the things of in have been hearing we the Great War and Babylonians ; but both Assyrians were people. They built great cities very wonderful
They were
cruel and
all over
greatthat the very of them, Nineveh and Babylon,have always names in stood for all that is greatestin the way of a city the world. to the gods ; They piledup huge temples theyexecuted wonderful works of art ; they gathered great libraries of books, about which I must tell you later ; they learned to trace the motions of the stars,
the land
"
two
of them
so
and
so
of
our
sciences of
upon
them
for
First
Babylon,with Assyriaoff the map ; and then the Persians turned on Babylonand made
Then
came
judgment all their cruelty and their pride. the help of the Medes, wiped
Medes
an
and
the
hundreds
of years of
darkness,when
10
ANCIENT
held rule
over
ASSYRIA
all that
Persians had
once
Assyriaand Babylon
and when Persian and Greek possessed, all that time for the mastery. And fought fiercely
greatness of these old countries was dying out of the world, and the dust of slowly until the ruins of their great cities, covering ages was
the memory of the from mans altogether they had disappeared could tell where and no man sightand knowledge, had stood. Babylon still Nineveh, that great city," for a time ; lived on, a poor ghostof former greatness, but even Babylon at last was hidden under rubbish knowledge; and as for all heaps and lost to human that knew them the place the other great cities, once
at
last
"
knew
them
no
more.
Four
hundred
years
before
the great Greek soldier and writer, Christ, Xenophon, of led his Ten Thousand Greeks past the ruins of some the greatest citiesthe world had ever known, and all all wrong that he could learn,with the names even pregnab that such and such a city, then, was great and imhad made
once
stood there
but
so
the
gods
had
it fell.
Then
went light
out, and
back
there
more
was
darkness
more
absolute.
And
and
on
to
and wilderness,
desert sands
and piling and higher drifting, higher drifting, Sometimes the relics of vanished splendours. over a traveller told a story, that nobody more than half in Mesopotamia that about great mounds believed, were supposedto cover ancient Nineveh and ancient even or Babylon, brought back with him a brick or could two with strange writing upon it that no man
went
read.
But
that
was
rise out
TREASURE
that glory tell you
was
11
revealed.
it all
happened I
must
in the next
chapter.
CHAPTER
BURIED TREASURE
II
We
have
have
all been
fond, at
the search
one
time
or
another,of
for buried
as
treasure, and
the
spadeof
the
bound chest jarred upon the lid of the iroijfull of gold and jewels. But I question if ever any searcher after Captain Kidd's or Teach's hoard had a time or more wonderful fortune than more thrilling fell to the lot of the men who first dug their trenches
that covered
to
a
some
honour
Emil and
Frenchman
the
M. Paul
Botta
almost
sent
out
Mosul
as
French
consul,
immediately began to make excavations in called Qoyunjik, not far from Mosul. a great mound For a good while he had no luck worth talking about, when a and he was almost ready to giveup in despair, wandering Arab who had stoppedto watch Botta's how Allah doubt to wonder at work, and no diggers
should
ever
have
made that in
such
a
fools
as
these
Frank
mound
called Khorsabad,
journey from Mosul, there were stones and lettered bricks for of the sculptured plenty which he was looking. believed the man, but after a time he Botta scarcely mound and his workmen decided to givethe new a trial, had settled down to dig when they scarcely beganto uncover parts of a wall that had been sculpfive hours*
12
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA consul
came
tured with
at
once
himself
he heard week
and
dug further and further into the mound, the of a great palace to walls and galleries began to come it was light. Of course onlythe lower part that was left ; but all along the walls stretched wonderful and triumph, of war scenes sculptures, representing while the doors of of huntingand of feasting, scenes the rooms tures were guardedby strange and mighty creaworkmen
carved
Botta and
sent
in
stone, with
the
the
heads
or
stillmore
when
arrived in Paris,the excitement and admiration of the French knew no bounds. Fresh helpers sent out were
to enable
the consul to
and bit
by
the
palacewas
out
part of
which
crouched beneath
that the
It turned been
palaceand
had
great
the man king and conqueror named Sargon, Assyrian who capturedSamaria and destroyed the kingdom of Israel. He had planneda magnificent self house for himin after all his wars to rest and take his pleasure were quiteeasy to trace what the over, and it was different rooms
had had been where like, where
been, and
and to the cellars of the great palace, follow the line of the huge walls that made the palace
kitchens,and
a
the citadel of the town which strong fortress, it did layaround. But strong though the palace was, not prove strong enough to protectthe man who built it. The great soldier-king had only enjoyed his
into
BURIED
new splendid
TREASURE for
a
13
home his
own
little while
when
he
was
palaceby conspirators ; and after that the magnificent were buildings gradually blood lay as deserted, though the curse of the king's them, and Dur-Sharrukin, Sargon* s Burgh," upon fell into ruins,and lay unknown for centuries till the spadesof Botta s workmen broughtit to light again. Meanwhile a Englishman,Austen Henry young at Constantinople, where he was was waiting Layard, attache to the British Embassy,for his opportunity to He had already in similar work. travelled engage and had marked down one of the throughthe country, big mounds, called Nimrud, as the one he would like
'*
murdered
in
to
excavate.
men
Moreover, he had
taken make
to
one
met
Botta, and
at
once.
the
two
had
another
When
his great finds at Khorsabad, he used to send his reports and sketches to Layard before
Botta
began to
theywere
the young turned over
and you can how published, imagine at Constantinople Englishman grew, the wonderful he too
eager as he
great discoveries.
came.
offered to contribute anxiety, and with this sum towards the cost of digging, "60 to help it out, Layard and a few pounds of his own to excavate the buried set out from Constantinople citiesof Assyria. He was so eager to get to the scene of his work that he galloped nightand day across the country without takingrest, save to change horses at twelve days after setting tillat last, the post-stations,
knowing of Canning,
his
out, he reached
where
A.A.
Mosul, and
to work.
was
almost had
to
he meant
He
the
3
14
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
was
other Europeans friendly, were not, and the Turkish pasha, who was would for a Turkish pasha, have been pretty bad even So he to get rid of him. onlytoo gladof an excuse made a great show of goingto hunt, and displayed boar spears and guns, while secretly buying the few tools that November raft with
were
however,for,though Botta
needed
and the
at
on last, a
on Tigris
landed
beside the
with digging
them
to
likely begun to spots on the mound, and they had scarcely dig before it was evident that they were goingto be successful. Slab after slab of sculptured alabaster lined the walls of an Assyrianking's which had once and before he laydown to light, to sleep came palace that nightLayard had discovered two palaces a very fair beginning for one Of day'swork with six men. it was course onlya beginning.The walls had to be followed up and traced so that the planof the various
"
Layard set
work
The workmen passages could be made out. unskilled and not very great workers, and the were Turkish officials of the at Mosul, stirred up by some
rooms
and
Europeans who
every
was
were
in his way. The very idea that he stones seemed ridiculous onlyfor sculptured digging hindrance
that he wa-s for sure They were seeking buried gold. One day his friend Awad to him came and showed him a few morsels of very mysteriously, to some of the goldleaf which he had found sticking sculptures. 0 Bey,"he said, Wallah ! Your books and the Franks know that which is hid from are right, the true believer. Here is the gold, sure and, enough,
to
" "
them.
BURIED
TREASURE it all in
a
15
few
it to those
asses,
come
and
to
cannot
hold their
tongues. The
He
was
will
the
ears
of the Pasha."
greatly
when surprised Layard told him he was welcome to of the keep all the gold he found, and his opinion wisdom of the Franks greatly diminished. Bit by bit,however, in spite of all difficulties, the lines of the walls of the ancient palace chambers were laid bare. like bringingto life againa long It was dead and buried world. of the Here were sculptures or king making an offering, pouring out a libation
over
wild bulls
or
lions killed in the chase, his attendants umbrella his head, or over gorgeous
to
great man,
drive
nuisances.
a
guardian
with human form, but with eaglehead, and spirit, great wings outspread. On another part of the wall you might see the king goingforth to battle in his
war arrow
bent with
strong arm,
and
the his be
to
enemies the
all siegeof a town, with sides againstthe towers of the town wall, and a down ram battering hammering away, and bringing the walls in ruins,while the king,standing behind, shot
arrow
after
arrow
among and
the
miserable
fenders de-
In made
was
of the spite
bad weather
very uncomfortable,everything heart was well,and Layard's gladdened being going life at the mound after
came
day
word
must
day by
from the
fresh
pasha at
once.
suddenly diggings
be
stoppedat
found, he said,
16
ANCIENT
were diggers
that the
should
Moslems, and
profanethe rest of the faithful. Of course, Layard knew that this was all nonsense, and was only the officer an excuse. Indeed, when he questioned who was at the mound, to look after things appointed that he and his this worthy told him quitefrankly had been ordered by the pasha to manufacture men
Moslem
excuse.
graves
on
the
mound
They had done from distant villages, of the fact that quite regardless lievers thus they were the rest of the true bedisturbing We have destroyed real tombs of the more he said, "in making sham ones, than true believers," you could have defiled between the Zab and Selamiyah. We have killed our horses and ourselves in carrying
"
in order
to
those accursed
stones."
while, however, the opposition began to The old pasha proved too great a rascal die down. for even the Turkish Government to put up with,
a
After
and
his
successor
was
much
Some
Mosul
trouble,
ancient
one last,
must
let
in his
own
words.
''
**I I
saw
was
returning
two
to
the
mound," he says,
when
Arabs
to the top of their speed. On urgingtheir mares approachingme they stopped. Hasten, O Bey,' Hasten exclaimed one of them. for to the diggers, Wallah ! It is himself. they have found Nimrod
'
wonderful,but it is
our
true
We
have
seen
him
with
" There is no god but God.' Hurrying eyes. back to the mound, he learned to his delight the cause
BURIED of the
TREASURE
"
17 had
excitement.
The
workmen
uncovered
was
the upper part of a figure, the remainder stillburied in the earth. I saw at once
must
of which
winged lion or bull,similar to those of Khorsabad and Persepolis. in admirable It was I was that the Arabs not surprised preservation had been amazed It and terrified at this apparition. stretch of imagination to conjure no required up the most head, blanched strange fancies. This gigantic with age, thus rising from the bowels of the earth, of those fearful beings to one might well have belonged which in the traditions of the country, are pictured to mortals, slowly as appearing ascendingfrom the below." regions The discovery of this wonderful monster (itturned out to be a winged, human-headed lion)made a belongto
...
tremendous
sensation.
Arab
chieftains with
their
from
to
Turkish following,
Mosul, all
see
sorts
and
peoplecrowded
found
later ;
and
remarks, if
saw
but of those
infidel
"
of giants,
peace be with him ! has said,that than the tallest date-tree ; this is which flood." Noah
"
of the
idols
peace
on
be with the
him
!
"
cursed
before the
in pasha of the district came force of regular person to see, accompaniedby a large and irregular troopsand three guns ; and the remarks of his satellites were justas wise as those of the Arab Later
chief
of them I
was
*'
These
are
the
idols of the
**
said infidels,"
one
who
had
travelled.
Reshid
in Italia with
18
ASSYRIA
in all the churches, and burn
"
Wallah
"
the
candles
images of the infidels in the churches of Beyoglu ; they are dressed in many of them colours ; and althoughsome have wings, have a dog'sbody and a tail ; these none the works of the Jin, whom the holy Solomon are
seen
"
No, my
peace Cadi
curse
be upon
under
him his
!
"
reduced But
true
to
obedience the
and
prisoned imthe
seal." Turk's
the expressed
God
from
what
comes
their hands
the Almighty pleased than the be more to let them powerfuland ingenious and true believers in this world,that their punishment the reward of the faithful may be in this great mound Altogether,
no
found
of these monstrous pairs of them of them winged lions, creatures, some some the guardiangenii winged bulls. They were really who were placedon either side of the doorwaysinto the great chambers to of the royal of Assyria, palaces and enemies of all kinds from prevent evil spirits With such strange but majestic entering. guardians, thirteen with made the
a
fewer than
wonderful
carved
round the walls of each pictures of war importantroom, showing all kinds of scenes which and hunting, and with all the gay colouring adorned the walls and the cedar roofs, an Assyrian indeed have been a magnificent must palace placeto
band
of
look upon. been had far, then, Layard's success quite Between November, 1845, and June, extraordinary. he left Mosul at \he close of his first 1847, when he discovered expedition, in
no Assyria
So
fewer than
eight
BURIED
seven palaces,
19
of them
mound
out to
once
This of
turned
of
the
towns
had
of Assyria. It had then been called Kalah, capital had had most and the king who it was to do with cruel soldier and called Ashur-natsir-pal, a fierce and conqueror, and British Museum
a
great huntsman.
and walk the
see
long ranges of these very slabs which alabaster Layard dug out sculptured of the mound of Nimrud, with their wonderful pictures of King Ashur-natsir-pal, hunting, feasting, charging in his chariot against his enemies, or besieging their cities; and you will see, too, the very wingedlions and
Galleries, you
bulls which
and Turks. did ? How London
to
was
will
roused
such
excitement
from far-off
among
the Arabs
they get
That
was
a
the
face,and it was
tremendous
measures
first discovered
eleven and
half feet
in
a
height by
few
tons.
cranes
and the bull is only length, inches smaller, that these figures so weigh many with steam Layard had no skilled engineers
to lift them,
or
twelve
feet in
railroads to
move
them
to
seaport. He had only his clumsy,untaught Arab workmen, and a few beams of very poor wood, and
some
bad rope. Most people would have exceedingly given up in despairthe idea of moving the great blocks ; but Layard was beaten. not easily Out left of such wood M. Botta such made and
as
by
he could
great
before.
cart
had
never as
been
much
seen
in Mosul
as
It
almost
sensation
it was drawn
the
over
winged bulls
and lions,
when
TREASURE
21
his book,
was
Nineveh
by read the storywith breathless discoveries, everybody and thousands thronged to the British Museum interest, the great winged monsters which had cost so to see much trouble to bringthere. the sensation made by these discoveries Altogether would not be content until so was great that people Layard was sent out againto continue the work he he started in 1849 had so well begun ; and accordingly the representative in command of a new as expedition
of the British Museum.
to
followed
and its Remains," came out, his great series of pictures of the
work
was
be
done, not
mound
at
Nimrud, but
at
another
*'
provedto have famous capital been the site of the most of Assyria, Nineveh, that great city."His work here was just had successful as at Nimrud, though it no longer as it was the charm of novelty. In some even respects because it brought to light the more interesting, of kingswith whom and sculptures Bibles our palaces cherib, have made us familiar. Everyonehas read of Sennadown who "came the Assyrian like a wolf on the fold." Layard unearthed at Qoyunjik the great palacewhich this mighty king and soldier built for and which he adorned with sculptures, himself, showing in the progress of that very campaign which Jerusalem
was
than other not fond,any more were Assyrians and Sennacherib of mentioning their defeats, people, has said nothingabout bad luck in this campaign. On the contrary, he pictures it as a most triumphant
A.A.
22
ANCIENT
one
ASSYRIA
him slabs represents sculptured the spoil of the cityof Lachish, the town receiving know which he was when Hezekiah's we besieging
success, and
of the
ambassadors
came
to
him.
Besides
that
he
tells us
of all the losses he inflictedon Judah, very boastfully in Jerusalem, and how he shut up Hezekiah like a bird says that he captured cage ; but he nowhere Jerusalem, and if he had done so, he would have been
a
in
have
said it.
And
we
know he
so
from
that
this
in
campaign
that
the
brags
says
"
ended really
as disaster,
Bible
in a great attack of plague his soldiers. probably among another discovery in this same But Layard made at first so mound, which, though not nearly striking has proved far pictures, sightas Sennacherib*s war
more rooms
He
came
upon
two
small
allover which
Mr. When
with the
we now
filledwith small
his
assistant,
tablets.
Bassam,
of these the
inscriptions them it on (I shall have to tell you about that too), discovered that these stores of claytablets were was the books of the great royallibrary of the really which of the was by some kings, gathered Assyrian later Assyrian monarchs, especially called by one whom the Greeks used to call SardaAshurbanipal, and about whom they told most wonderful napalus,
stories.
Bit
to
scholars found
how
by bit
from
the books
the the
were
read,and
was
we
were
able their
learn
own Assyrians'
all writings
ideas about
gods were
adventures
made, and who the and what they did, and the story of the of some of their greatearly heroes. Some
how
world
BURIED of these
TREASURE
23
stories I shall tell you later. There were histories which told of the chief events of the different there
were
reigns ;
astronomical
books
with
tions observa-
planetsand
were
all sorts
of mathematical
calculations ; there
us were
the
lots of medical
And not onlywere these books valuable prescriptions. about the Assyrians, but a great number as us telling of them proved to be careful copies, made by order of of far earlier Babylonian books, so that Ashurbanipal, and are learn from them about Babylonia we as well, carried away back hundreds of years beyondthe time written. at which these copies were actually it was wonderful most find,and if a Altogether found anythingelse it would have Layard had never amply repaidhim for all his toil and trouble. But
made
though much has and careful manner than Layard ever a more thorough had money enough to attempt, yet no one has ever Since then the fame of the first explorers. eclipsed has been and thorough work some very remarkable done at different places and Babylonia. both in Assyria another At one place called Tello, in particular,
Frenchman
of
a
called M.
de
Sarzec
laid bare
the
ruins
or
Babyloniantown
far older than he found of what
called
Kalah
or we
Lagash
Nineveh
have
town a Shirpurla,
been
much of
earliest dawn
states
the history,
time
of which
I told you
American
older
expedition working at Nippur found a still with thousands of claytablets belonging to city,
24
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
And of Enlil, the god of the town. templelibrary the Germans, workingat Babylon, uncovered the great Procession and the splendid of Nebuchadnezzar palace of dragons lined with beautiful enamelled reliefs Street, and bulls, victorious alongwhich the great conqueror's armies passedin triumph to give thanks at the great templeunder the shadow of the vast tower of Babel.
the
But in
so
none
of them
has
ever
and than
a way as Layard, interesting work rather taken our earliest explorer's so I have that of any later discoverer as an example of how
and bright
fresh and
may
be,even
though the
wisdom.
treasure
CHAPTER
AN ASSYRIAN CITY
III
AGO
Now
that
want
we
have heard
of
like
Ancient
we
were Assyria
dug
some
againout
ground,
to
try to get
idea of what
lifewas
palaces
the wide templesstillstood proudly overlooking of the land between the rivers. Suppose, then, plains that we magic get away back into the past on some about the year 870 or carpet,and that we are living before Christ. That seems far enough to go back, so but really it onlytakes us about half-way to the dawn of history in these old lands. At that time a very whose was name great Assyrianking was reigning, If you want to be able to put him Ashur-natsir-pal. in his right in your mind's eye, perhapsyou will place do it best by remembering that he reigned justa little while before King Ahab to the throne of Israel, came
AN
ASSYRIAN
chosen
to go
CITY back
2,800 YEARS
to
AGO
25
I have
come
than to Ashur-
further down
the
story to Sennacherib
banipaland Nineveh, partlybecause his palacewas the most importantone which Layard discovered at because he has left us a very clear Nimrud, and partly doings. story of his own the across Suppose,then, that we are travelling have been with a caravan We of merchants. plains for many days since we left Egypt, slowly journeying laden with fine thingsfrom the Land of the Nile beautiful Egyptian linen, work and ivory, goldsmith's and such-like things"and now in the far distance we
"
can
see
the
towers
of the heads
great
above
a
town
of Kalkhi horizon.
or
Kalah
their lifting
them
a
above like
the
star, and
us
before tell
that
it is the
rays of the
striking top of the great tower of the upon the gilded templeof Ninib, the god of the city. We hurry on fast as we camels to their as can, urging our weary for sunset is drawing near, and we have utmost speed, desire to find the city no gates shut when we come up, and to be forced to spend the nightoutside the walls.
The
an nearer we
come,
the
more
we
feel how
unlike
Assyriantown
as
is to
-or
any
of the
great Egyptian
Thebes
Of course;
towers projecting
Memphis,which we have left with the longline of the walls, battleat frequentintervals,
the wall there the wall
in
of
Egypt
Here
would
is
of brick, entirely except at the very foot,where it is rooted in a sloping faced with big stones, platform to be able to resist the sappers of a besieging so as
26
ANCIENT of the
ASSYRIA
But instead battering-ram. the huge stone gateways, obelisks, with gay pennons floating and the towering flagstaves from them which would mark out the templeof Amen Ptah in Thebes or Memphis, the main thing that or the eye in Kalah is the great temple-tower attracts the summit whose from far across saw we flashing a plain. It is really thing when you very wonderful it near at hand, though it is so different from the see and though it is built for all the Egyptian temples, world justas a child would build a tower with his first army, or the blows of the tall slender
box of bricks.
great gate of the city, under the shadow of the two frowninggate-towers ; and after a little in command, with the captain haggling
Now
we
have
reached
the
and
to
officer
over
the amount
of
duty
paid on the merchandise which we carry with are us, we dulypassedunder the dark archway which leads throughthe thick wall to the busy streets. On either side of the narrow passage the guard is drawn of the famous a Assyrian spearmen, up company soldiers whose backs no enemy has ever seen. High of lightfrom catch the glint we up in the towers
"
helmet and
are on
know
that
the bowmen,
our
too,
the watch.
dusk gathering
narrow
caravan
makes inn
its way
where
;
throughthe
southern
are we
streets
to the
great
the
traders
have
of the goingwith the secretary Egyptian Embassy, an Assyrian gentleman called in the Zil-Assur,to stay with one of his acquaintances Zil-Assur has a mind to buy this friend s house, town. to lodgewith Sarludari, the owner, so we are night, overand if the house is satisfactory, the bargain will be struck in the morning.
but
AN
ASSYRIAN
CITY does
2,800 YEARS
not
AGO
27
Sarludari's house
from arched which the
street
"
look
attractive specially
never
Assyrianhouses
enter
do.
narrow
low
gateway lets us
leads
into
dark
right throughthe house When host has opened this door, however, we our idea of the prettiness and comfort of his get a new dwelling.The door leads into a central court, whose coloured tiles. In the paths are paved with gailywhile the paths are midst a fountain is playing, flowers interspersed bordered by beds of bright with shrubs. In the fast fading evening sweet-smelling glow the little garden makes a very pretty picture. Around it there runs wooden on a verandah supported of the house and from this the various rooms pillars, After Sarludari has givenus water to wash our open. hands and feet, he invites us, tillthe supper is ready, to the house so that we may be readyfor business inspect next morning. First of all we climb, by a brick staircase, to the flat
whence roof, of the
we
get
view
over
streets
Ninib, with
the
eveningsky. The roof is surrounded favourite resort for the mented and it makes a wall, womenfolk of the household. Nearly all their work is taken up there in the early morning and at evening, and it is onlyin the great heat of the day that they Sarludari's wife and daughters sit in go downstairs. the fresh morning air, dery doing all kinds of fine embroiwhile in another work, by the hour together, of the roof,screened off from their mistresses, corner the servants are baking,or washing and dryingthe household linen. Sometimes, to tell the truth,a good and housedeal of gossip between house-top goes on
'
."
Vc
THE
CITY
GATE.
(rai;e 26)
AN
ASSYRIAN
me
CITY
2,800
YEARS
AGO
29
might carry
the evil imp,the off;the evil spirit, the evil eye, the slanderous tongue, may
away my from this man, from
come come near cross
his
body,
my
his bowels.
wound
behind my
back, never
body ;
house,never
into my
the beams
tired to
care
much
for evil
and spirits,
are
the house, Morning bringsbusiness. After seeing Zil-Assur has definitely decided to buy it ; and he and
come
to
terms.
where
So
scribe and
the
needed
on a
witnesses.
written settled,
claytablet,
wife, who,
cannot Assyrians, Here is the deed soft clay, and the business is done. nail-marks of The the judge reads it over as :
Sarludari and
house which
of the
is sold.
with repair, the houses of in the city of Kalah, and adjoining has been and Mannu-ki-akhi Ilu-ittiya, bargained has the Egyptiansecretary. He for by Zil-Assur, from standard, royal boughtit for one maneh of silver, has been paid The money Sarludari and Amat-suhla. drawal in full, and the house received as bought. Withfrom
hereby
A.A.
and claims,are contract, lawsuits, hereafter at any time, Whoever excluded. the
5
30
ANCIENT these
men or
ASSYRIA
whether
others, shall
bringan
action
of silver. shall be fined ten manehs Zil-Assur, against Witnessed Nebo-dur-uzur, by Murmaza, the official, the champion, Murmaza, the naval captain,and Then follows the date and the governor's Zedekiah/' the Assyrians You see are name. pretty slippery and things have to be tied up in business, customers to prevent fraud. very strictly the streets. Business over, we take a stroll through rolls swiftly Down by the riverside where the Tigris the of the city, see we past the quays and water-gates quaintboats in which a great deal of the trafiicof the land is carried on. They are very different from of the river-boats and sea-going the graceful galleys less than for they are neither more nor Egyptians,
great round
skins.
can
baskets of willow
than
ten
tons
Some
more no
carry
Of
so
course
they are
in which
are
use
When
a
cargo for
the merchant
alongwith
trade.
servants, and
he
drifts downstream
There he
the
town
where
wishes
to
sells his
he has
baskets from
the skins
return
on
which
the backs
of the asses, and makes the land. It is a cumbrous of way it is is lost for nothing cheap, not in a great hurry as yet. the river besides
other vessels on
with clumsy tubs, sharp-nosed police-galleys, armed board them, driven throughthe water men on of various shapes by sturdyoarsmen, and ferry-boats
these
AN and
ASSYRIAN
CITY
2,800 YEARS
a
AGO
31
disappointment
to those who
of swift and
uptown
at
once
to
see
cannot
people. No longerhave
the pure
wears
skin,or
Egyptian. Here
plenty. A good thick cap made of a like felt, and often quilted, The body the head. covers is wrapped In a thick woollen tunic, of gay colour, and bedecked with a fringe, which falls to the knees ; and in cold weather at all events, another heavy over this, robe is worn, which reaches nearly to the feet. The
arms are or
everyone substance
left bare,and
the army than
the feet
are
shod
are
either with
more
sandals
worn
often
by
by
civilians.
see
Instead of the
all around
us
clean-shaven
Egyptian faces, we
bushy curled black beards, and thick heads anointed with scented oils. hair, plentifully the Assyrians and Babylonians go by the
**
of black In fact,
name
of
the
black-headed
more
folk."
The
crowd than In
In the
an
streets
is much
town
"
Egyptian
far
more
not
to
gaudy, and
are
"
one
to the weavers,
a
smiths,a third
to the
and dyers,
so
has long Babylonia been famous for Its weavingof the Babylonish goodly garments" of fine texture and beautiful designand and the Assyrian not far behind. weavers are colour, all sorts of splendid stuffs fine Here see you can for a king's or a nobleman's palace hangings tapestry
and carvers,
and
forth.
"
"
32
ANCIENT the
richest colours,
as
dyersof
the
to
the land
famous
to
its weavers,
thick woollen
mantles,warm
wind blows
or
enough
fierce
keep out
the
the
cold when
mountains
across
snow-
the
north,
ladies.
armour quarterat presentit is mostly that is being made, for everyone in the town believes
that
anything else. Some and finished and inlaid, of the weapons are beautifully himself on the fine temper the Assyrian armourer prides of his swords and spearheads.In the next street you You will find the goldsmiths and jewellers at work.
war
is
near
it is seldom
turn
to
the brothers Bel-akh-iddina and Bel-sunu whose you, for you want of your memento a
a
shop attracts
with you have made
a as
ring to
your choice, you get alongwith your ring written on a claytablet and guarantee of its quality the nail-marks
:
of the two
brothers.
This
an
it reads
we
"As
for the
gold ringset
for
with
emerald,
emerald
fall out
an
guarantee that
fall out of
twenty years
the
shall not
of the
ring. If
we
it should
twenty years,
to
but the
are Assyrians
careful
people.
It will be worth
to turn to the
;
our
while before
we
go
see a
home
again seal-cutter
engravers in the world like the seal-cutters of Babylonia and Assyria. Long ago, before iron was known, and when onlysoft bronze and copper
most
at work
for there
be
to
cut
the very
little pictures on
seals of the
AN
ASSYRIAN
CITY
2,800 YEARS
AGO
33
Nowadays, they use the turning-lathe to shape the seals ; they polish the stones with emery and sand, and they engrave the most elaborate and intricate designs in a space so small that you would almost need a magnifying to follow all the details. glass It is a thriving for nearly has a stonetrade, everybody seal hangingat his girdle, a bit of jasper, or carnelian, carved with his own to impress or diorite, device, upon the clay tablets that record his business transactions. It makes your eyes sore to watch the engravers poring
over
hardest stone.
wonder
On
men
had
to do such
our
things.
road
home,
we
pass
"
one
of the
that places
beer-house situated in a you find in all great towns cellar below the level of the street, where decent a
folks don't
waste
care
their
where But
thingto be said for these Assyrian They lawgivers. and drinking. keep a tighthand over drunkenness time, the old king of Long, long ago, in Abraham's Hammurabi, made a law that if any woman Babylon, who kept a beer-house (it is mostlywomen who follow this trade) did not report any disorderly conduct in be put her house to the police, she should at once like that have literally Laws to death. put the fear of death into Assyrianand Babylonianpublic-house and drunkards ; and while their trade remains keepers
the beer-house managers business at the best, for the sake of their do their best to keep it orderly,
a
poor
own
necks. So at
a
longday among
return
we
the markets
new see
and
to
to Zil-Assur's
house the
the
night.
To-morrow
shall
great
THE
KING
GOES
HUNTING
35
cored with unburnt, and faced with burnt platform and glazedbricks, except on the outer side where it forms the continuation of the city wall,and where it is faced with stone. On this platform, which is solid it and carry off the except for the drains that pierce itself. It is a great square, rainwater,rises the palace 350 feet longon each side. In the centre of the square lies an open court, 125 feet longby 100 feet wide ; and round this court of the are grouped all the rooms the king's palace the women*s quarters on one side, own apartments on another,while the great reception and chambers the offices of the state departments Most magnificent of occupy the rest of the building. all is the great hall of audience, where the king sits
"
on
or
of importance. foreign powers, and to try cases which An elevated platform, stands a great chair on of ivory and goldcarved with lions' heads on the arms end of the and lions' legsfor the feet, one occupies and hall,
from
it the chamber
would have
was Assyrian
runs
for 154
feet.
little more
room;
width
wide
but the
rooms
made
it
his
knew
because
to
of the
act
as
beams
long enough
how
to build
over a an
arch of brick, he
room
ventured So the
to vault
whole
in this fashion. in
a
like
this
of
indeed
a
line of
alabaster slabs. of
or some
sculptured it a picture
war
in the chase ;
that
as
you
walk
round
the
rooms
36
ASSYRIA his
roofed
with
curtains of varied colours Lebanon, magnificent the entrances, and everywherethere is hang across that the eye and decoration, of gilding so a profusion grows weary of splendour. chariot of the king is waiting But now the travelling and in a few minutes at the gate of the inner courtyard, The chariot the royal hunting party will be starting. accustomed to the light to one seems heavy and clumsy of the Egyptians and graceful cars ; but it is gorgeously of beaten gold,and the three decorated with plates which paw the groundimpatiently horses, magnificent in goldas they wait for their master, are splendid Over the chariot, the side where mounted harness. on the king will stand,is fixed a greatumbrella, gay with from the blue,white, and red,to shade His Majesty Behind the chariot is Mesopotamian sun. blazing drawn guard. bodyup a double line of horsemen, the royal has paid great attention to Ashur-natsir-pal branch of his army, and these men the cavalry are a though their saddles are pretty workmanlike force, of stirrups makes and the want their very primitive, One line consists of lancers seat somewhat precarious. who bear a longspear in addition to their swords and daggers ; the other is made up of bowmen, whose bows, thoughsmaller than those of the archers in the infantry and stiff both strength divisions, are enough to require skill in the bendingof them. Both lines wear peaked bronze helmets and quilted cuirasses with metal scales
sewn
cedar doors of the bronze-plated forth in all palace open, and the king himself comes his glory, his courtiers bowing to the ground as he
imp:
king
goes
hunting.
( I'iijje
"
KING
HUNTING
is
a
man
37
great
both
of middle
cheeks
beard
woollen
a
blue, and
gold embroidery. and has sleeves coming His under- dress is of deepblue, the brawny and down almost to the elbow, leaving sun-burnt forearms exposed. Over this garment he with gaywears a heavy cloak of white woollen stuff, and heavy embroidery coloured astrakhan trimming, of red,blue,white, and gold. This cloak falls to his is completely that the royal feet, so figure enveloped and clumsy. In the in it, and looks rather shapeless broad goldengirdle thrust two daggers, while a are short sword, with a sheath of ivoryand gold, and a heavy design, goldenponjmelof somewhat hangs from the belt. His Majestyis bedizened with jewellery hang down to his shoulders ; a ; heavy earrings broad golden necklet encircles his thick neck, and
each wrist is adorned he and grease,
a
adorned
with
band
with very
massive
bracelet. Altogether
makes he
sumptuous and
imposing glitter
as
horses plunge or two the fiery into a more them charioteer pulls the outer doors that open from gait thrown wide, and the platform are
bulls sweeps out between the colossal human-headed and lions which guard the entrance, and glides down into the street which leads to the city longslope gate. The guard clatters alongbehind the chariot,
the
and
A.A.
the
cars
are
to
share
6
the
38
ANCIENT
follow at
a
ASSYRIA
royalhunt
distance ; and the respectful whole gay cortegewinds off across the plain towards the distant blue hills at whose base the huntingcamp has already been pitched. in Mesopotamia, and Lions are stillfairly plentiful the royalquarry in hunting. In they are peculiarly ancient days they were to be an so numerous as
to
absolute terror
the
land, and
it
was war
no
less the
his
to pleasure
make
upon
them,
kingdom. Three I., a mighty years before,Tiglath-Pileser hunter before the Lord as well as a mighty king, of the lions,the wild bulls,and boasted as loudly he had slain, of the foes he had the elephants as however, since the conquered. Times have changed, of days when the elephant gave the great Pharaoh for his life such a narrow run Egypt,Thothmes III., the banks of the Euphrates. The elephanthas on exterminated practically disappeared, by constant and scarcer, hunting ; the wild bull is growing scarcer and the lion no longer ranges almost to the gates of if you go to look for him in his the bigtowns. Still,
any other enemy of the
lairs among
the
in
to be found. marshland,he is generally By the time that the royalparty has reached the state
huntsmen
a
have
succeeded
in far
lions in
patch of junglenot
moves
at
once
towards
and huntsmen, foot-guards accompaniedby a number of fierce dogs of a brindled mastiff type,proceed with to beat the jungle, the view of driving the lions to the open plain ; while the chariots of the
party, and
a
the
horsemen
of the
wide
around ring
the spot
THE
KING
GOES
HUNTING
39
ready
intercept anythingthat may break out. Before long a fierce barking, with an accompaniment of thunderous that the dogs are growHng,announces in touch with their quarry, and presently a big blackmaned lion bursts out of the jungle, behind leaving him a guardsman whose helmet and skull have been crushed blow, and a coupleof mangled by a single considers discretion the better dogs. He evidently part of valour,and rushes past the royal chariot, bow is drawn making for the hills ; but the king's with a sure takes the fleeing hand, and a swift arrow brute rightbetween shot the shoulders a splendid which checks his speed at once. It is followed by second which the monster a pierces justbehind the and a third which enters at the back shoulder, right of the ear ; and, mortally the great beast stricken, sinks at once to the groundand dies almost without a struggle. Such good fortune is most unusual, and it is followed by what might well have been a tragedy. The king has scarcely had time to lower his bow after his last
to
"
successful shot,when
turn
shout
from There
behind
makes
him
in hastily is the
within
yards fifty
out
of him
which lion,
has broken
from
the
while the attention of all was rivetted upon jungle his companion. A few strides will bringhim upon the in and long before the foot-guards who are chariot, But divert his rage, all will be over. hot pursuit can Ashur-natsir-pal's eye is quickand his hand steady. full in the chest by a wellHon is met The charging aimed catches shaft. him As he winces from the
a second stroke,
in the
pain; but
40
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
as just
him paw
deepin
the breast,and
to strike down
and strengthfails, bow is stillbent for another shot. while the royal It is a sufficiently result for a short day's splendid and the king is not a little proud of his hunting,
success, and
mightyhis chariot and huntsmen together, he falls almost upon the king,
he raises his
above
of mind
which
he
has shown.
the
It is not
to
speedytriumph rewards
lions take the and
islands in
skiff dangerto drive a light reeds and water-plants and effective to get within arrow-shot of the quarry. Indeed, on one occasion the king and all his party nearly paidfor their daring
small
slain
drove difficulty ; when, as the oarsmen their craft througha narrow channel,half-choked with and water-plants, was roar a undergrowth deafening heard,and a huge lion hurled himself from the bank speaking, Generally upon the very gunwale of the boat.
it would worth
was
have
been
more
than
man's
life was
for any subject the to wound a lion while there in person to do the killing ; but this was As the boat heeled almost
king
no
gunwale
the lion
mighty paws
to
of the
fierce brute,
met
guardsmen sprang
with the thrust of their spears, while a third covered for the king with his shield. Ashur-natsir-pal never
a
moment
of mind.
His
bow
was
drawn
and an the flashed between arrow instantly, guardsmen into the lion's shaggy chest. After a short the great brute fell back dead into the water, struggle and was and slung hauled out in triumph the stern on
GOES
HUNTING
41
guardsmen who had dared to low before between the king and death bowed come their master and craved his pardon for having been so presumptuous as to strike the royalgame ; and in
consideration of the
need for haste, His unusual
circumstances
and
the
pleased Majesty was graciously their impetuosity. to forgive For the next two or three days huntingcontinues with varying success ; but on the fourth day a courier arrives from Kalah with important The tribes news. of Northern Syria, Ashur-natsirupon whose territories palhas longcast envious eyes, have at last givenhim the pretext which he desires. They have joinedin have robbed several Assyrian alliance, merchants, and slain an Assyrian could not resident. Ashur-natsir-pal Now he has a have wished for anythingbetter. for descending excuse plausible ing upon them and bringthem under the Assyrianyoke,as he meant to do all along. The hunting-campis broken up, and the royal party returns to Kalah in haste,bearingthe bodies of the slain lions slung on poles. Then in the hunter to the strains of sacred music,the royal palace, of the carcases solemnly pours a libation of wine over
the
beings.
CHAPTER
THE
V
ROBBER-NATION
WARS
OF
Having
his on making war loses no time about King Ashur-natsir-pal neighbours, his preparations. Indeed, this is the great advantage found
his
excuse
for
42
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
over
that
as
in warfare
her
enemies, that,
because
Other
make
sometimes
defend
they they
into adventures
own
is her
they would not have soughtof free will ; but Assyriamakes because war trade. She lives by war her chief source
"
of wealth the
Her
is not
her
at always,
she
enemies. conquered
fact that
strongerhand
power or combination when the time comes her. pity For she
opposed to
ceases
her ; to be the
no one
Vthe
world,and while a unsuccessful robber has no friends. and flattered, an is always a waron Therefore, footing.Her Assyria
army is fresh a manages
alwaysready; and whenever her king thinks robberyfeasible and advisable,she generally
to strike her
blow
before her
opponents have
their scattered forces or settled upon a united gathered plan of action. So now, though the North Syrian tribes have been provoked into giving the Assyrians is not difficult when to attack them (it an excuse you in provocation have had as much as practice Assyria is the king's has had), assembled,and is quickly army in ready to march almost before the doomed peoples the west realize the dangerof what they have done. The force destined for the war in Northern Syriais now camped outside the walls of Kalah, and mainl}?shall see it march off*with the king in command. we Armies have grown
somewhat in size within the last
IK
A. Mansell
Gr Co.
HUNTING
From
SCENES
(/'.3^J
Museum
THE
WARS
or
OF
A where
ROBBER-NATION Thothmes
or
43
century
two, and
a
Ramses
of
Egypt
thousand
found
force of from
twenty
to
twenty-five
will probably need double sufficient, Assyria the number, even though her troops are very much better equipped and organizedthan the Egyptian forces ever Later she will need biggerarmies were. find 120,000 men in her and too many none still, But her supremacy. to maintain struggles desperate ing is leadto-daythe army which King Ashur-natsir-pal forth may number like 50,000 or 60,000 something and will probablybe amply sufficient, at that men, for all its work. figure, The king himself marches which is the crack brigade,
at the
It has corps of the army. all the conceit and swagger of a crack corps, and its look members, who are nearlyall of the aristocracy, down
more
with
on
great scorn
on
the the
new
still
the
infantry.All
the
same,
modern!
are
and
aware
scientificmembers
that
a
of the
Assyrianstaff
war
well
day
of the chariot in
is drawing
to
room
close.
on
It is too march
the
to
and takes up far rivers, horses in proportion too many to its fighting strength. Even real work ; does far more it is,the infantry as and when the cavalry has been developed the properly chariot will drop out of use of the service as an arm Here is the brigade, however, magnificent altogether. to look at, and as sure that it is indispensable. as ever The chariots have three horses yoked to them, and are of lower rank and a man occupiedby a charioteer, and a bowman. equipmentthan his companion, plainer The bowman bronze helmet and a wears a pointed cuirass with metal scales. A bow case and a quilted
awkward
transportacross
WARS
OF
ROBBER-NATION
are
45
heavy and and slingers, and are lightarmed spearmen, archers, supplemented by a corps of sappers for entrenching The heavy infantry and siege work. the usual wear cuirass quilted conical helmet and with metal, and shod with heavy laced boots comingwell up the are leg. They carry a six-foot spear and a sword, with a round and dish-cover shaped, with a central bigshield, boss. The light have a crested helmet infantry
yet seen.
They
divided into
and
small wicker
no
bowmen
and
sappers are the branch of the service ; but humblest they are for no becoming of continually greater importance, have slingers of siege warfare so development and already of the siege far as the Assyrian, many famous in classicaldays are that will become engines in operation armies with the Mesopotamian to be seen have proved favourable, At last the omens being the same of Babylon, the greatSargon as whei^ exactly the typical hero of the race, marched his first out on campaign. Ninib, the patron god of Kalah ; Ashur, the national god ; and Ishtar, of war, as the goddess well as of love, their approval have signified of the king's and the great host moves off across the plains. plans, from the various provinces it as Picking up contingents goes westward, and droppingreinforcements for the in the commanding frontier fortresses, it garrisons the Euphratesalmost in face of the famous crosses over Carchemish,where a Hittite kingstill reigns city of that once a fragment great nation. Time was when
army
the
Hittites would
that
have
made
fair match
for the
;
greatest army
but
and
A.A.
they have dwindled and their rival has grown, the King of Carchemish, had though Sangara,
7
46
ANCIENT
to
ASSYRIA
resolved quite
were as fight long as the Assyrians far away, he changed his mind the when he saw serried battalions crossing the greatriver and deploying
under
He
was
hastened
to make
his of
sparedthe
horrors
siege, thoughitsinhabitants had to pay prettysharply of havingplotted for the luxury against Assyria. Other tribes, and especially the kingdom of Patin, of whose Lubarna, had been the moving spirit king, the insurrection, hastened to follow the example of to its Carchemish, and the Assyrian army, greatly seemed than a to have nothing more disgust, likely promenadethroughNorth Syria. But when military
the passes of the Lebanon had been reached,the prospect of a fight grew brighter. The chief of Aribua,
a
the
more
western
to
come
out
smell
before the conqueror. His his cattle driven in,and his walls the
Assyrianlightinfantry approachedthe town, a of arrows and stones made a good many flight gaps in their ranks,while a sudden charge from one of the gates broke and scattered one siderable regimentwith conactually loss before the daring driven back were Syrians into the town again. Ashur-natsir-pal, though he to be indignant, was professed delighted.Now really
he would
an
oppor-
cruelty
heart than all Assyrian's the spoil of war. The siege beganwith a great parade of the whole Assyrian force,which marched right round the walls under the eyes of the wondering inhabitants. It was no mere pieceof swagger, but a
' *
'
^VtLVU".^
THE
WARS
OF
ROBBER-NATION
47
some were
calculated attempt to impress the townsfolk with idea of the mighty instrument blows whose
about Then
to fall upon
them.
were cover
the
lines
drawn
moved
king in person, took hail of station near the walls, and poured a constant arrows hole. upon the battlements and against every loopWhile thus the attention of the besieged was the sappers swiftly earthen bank cast up an engaged, could be the walls, that the battering so ram against into play, and as soon the bank was as high brought and solid enough this great structure began to move by
the forward. It
was
a
and
wicker-
work, mounted
towers
: one
on
were
two
light
party latter,
raw
so square-topped over
ram
fire from
it
the town
;
wall and
so
the
workingthe
with
raw
covered
hide.
two
ram
a
between
great mantlets
swung
on
and
hide, the
beam
a
with
heavy
bronze
tremendous
blow.
In
the back
part of the
little fortress
the w^hich swung gang and the spare archers who took the place of their ram, killed or companions on the tower as these were
gathered the
wounded. The
to
advance the
of the
ram
meant
city unless its attack made effort was Accordingly, every instrument. the dreaded As cripple
the walls,the gate nearest to it was and a cluster of desperate men, spear
be
foiled.
destroyor
near
it drew
to
suddenly opened,
or
sword
in
one
48
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA the
hand, and
rushed
arrows
other,
of few
a
shower For
from
as
the battlements.
thoughthey had succeeded, for the wicker-work on one side beganto smoke and burn ; but the forlorn hope was and before the fast, falling well alight structure the arrival of fresh troops was the Assyrian side settled the business. The few on who remained alive were surrounded Syrians speedily and captured, and the burningram rescued and was extinguished.
moments
it seemed
And warfare.
now
followed
The
one
of the horrors
of ancient
led before the king. -were men captured He surveyed them with mingled satisfaction and contempt, and then made a signto the officerin command of the guard. That worthy, with a grin of fierce who had not been marched off the brave men delight, fortunate enough to die to a pointin full view of the city wall. Here lay a row of strong sharpened in number the captives. the same A stake as stakes, and thrust through the body of each prisoner, was burden and set into a then raised with its writhing deep hole in the ground,and the miserable sufferers
were
under
city. As the days draggedon, the state of the citizens and more desperate. The wall began to grew more blows of the ram, aided by crumble under the repeated of the sappers, who stole up to the very base the picks
and established themselves there fortifications, and then almost out of arrow-shot, though every now of their number would be crushed by a great one burned almost through One of the gates was stone. ; of the and
at last a combined
friends in the
assault
by all arms
resulted in
THE the
WARS
OF defence
ROBBER-NATION
49
being swept from the walls. The town and then began all the horrors carried, was of Assyrian triumph. The unfortunate king who had
not
weakened
been
at the head
of his
men
was
which
His nose had been pierced Ashur-natsir-pal. metal ring thrust throughit, to a cord attached handed to the king. The captivewas was his knees
before conqueror, the poor wretch's
one
forced to
his
the
by
and the
spear firstinto
into the
other, and
then
delivered
victim to the torturers. These bleeding four out his tongue ; then driving beganby plucking the strong posts into the ground they spread-eagled beaten chief by wrists and ankles to the posts,and him alive, his ghastly to leaving slowly flayed bocjy writhe and
The
blinded and
the hot
sent
sun
till
end to
children
serve no
sufiering.
were as
and
back
;
slaves
to
but
mercy.
Death
them
;
was
the
the
happen
but
in the art of making men die masters were Assyrians that they should feel every agony to the so by inches, last. The city burned, the site of it dug over and was
sown
with
salt.
Then
for
last memorial
of
his
of of
the kingreared before the spot where one triumph, the gates had stood a pyramid of the severed heads those whom he had
that
was
not
brutal
There remained cruelty. number of miserable prisoners not yet released by a death ; and of these, living as they were, he built another pyramid before the other gate ; and waited and sunstroke, and madness, till by slow suffocation, his enough to satisfy
^
" " " "
LIBRARIES
OF
500
CLAY
51
years, no nation sure for a year that the great freebooter of the Tigris might its treasures, or not cast envious eyes upon its territory
days lived
for
like something
and
come
down
to
slayand
burn
and
torture.
Can
that when at last the very iniquity by you wonder lived had drained her land of its manwhich Assyria hood, and All that Nineveh
sent
never fell,
to rise
civilized world
"
up
unanimous
hear the
"
prophetNahum,
whom The hath
not
clapthe hands over thee ; for upon ?" thy wickedness passedcontinually
one
world,with
voice,said
**
Amen
1"
CHAPTER
A
VI
OF
KING^S
LIBRARY CENTURIES
TWENTY-FIVE AGO
DARESAY
you
sometimes
you
go
into
museum,
and
see
might call them, of some of the of thingswe use most to-day a model, for instance, first railway-engine, the Rocket,"or a Stephenson's that ever model of the first steamship ploughedthe It is interesting the engine to see how ocean. or the has grown of the quaintold-fashioned out steamship into the powercase thingthat we see in the museum ful the huge or giantthat hauls our modern trains, that rules the seas. turbine-driven battleship Well, think that justin the same did you ever way you can
the ancestors, as
"
"
see
that you are ing, readand of all the other books that stand upon your shelves and on those of all the libraries in the world ? Some with of them
our are
the ancestors
of this littlebook
to justas quaint
look at,
modern
compared compared
52
ANCIENT
a
ASSYRIA
with
are
modern
the
they engine ; but, all the same, times removed, ever so many great-grandfathers,
express in your Solomon once
no own
of the volumes
bookcase.
:
'*
King
books
said
Of
end
had
shapeletters and words so that other peoplecould read them, they began to put together and stories about their godsand their bits of history, and truly books. heroes,which made what are really
learned how
Each
nation,almost, had its own separate way of making a book, and, no doubt, thought its neighbour and clumsy one. nation s way a very silly But, in the less reduced or main, the different ways could be more
to two.
There
were a
nations
that wrote
what
they
brush,or kind of pen, and inks of different colours, which stuff, on a roll of prepared
wanted
to say with
out of
an
animal's
what
we
out
there
say
were
nations which
a
what
flat tablet of tool on a sharp-pointed which might be wax, or might be clay. stuff, prepared In the old days these two different systems practically divided the bookmakingof the world between which way would prevail. them, and it was a question There was a long time when it looked as thoughthe second way, of the claytablet and the sharppoint, for us all, the would win the day ; but, fortunately convenient in the end, and the more other way proved of paper books, not of clay made libraries are our with
bricks.
the
The
or
chief race
pen
brush
that used the papyrus roll and with ink was, as you know, the
elsewhere how ; and I have told you people Egyptian and how they wrote upon them they made their rolls,
t "
OF
CLAY
53
The picture-writing. chief races that used the claytablet and the sharp and the Assyrians pointwere the Babylonians ; and I am goingto tell you now how they made their books and what they put into them, and perhaps one or two of the old stories that have books To of theirs.
beautiful
begin with, you know, all the nations of the world used pictures for their writing, instead of letters. Instead of writing the word for soldier," theywould draw a picture of a man with a feather on his head
"
and
*'
bow
in his hand
or a
instead
of the word
for
rough door made of three four plankswith a coupleof cross-pieces. Then or bit by bit the pictures, instead of alwaysstanding for to stand for a syllable a whole word, would come each, to so that you might need two or three littlepictures And make up a whole word. then each picture came and by arranging to stand for a letter, your pictures
in the order you
peoplebegan to and drew so carefully, havingto draw the pictures to make selves themjust as little as they could manage understood by. The Egyptians stood by their beautiful picture-writing longerthan any other because they were and a nation of real artists, nation, loved to see a thing look pretty as well as read even accurately dropped the they gradually ; but and writing, pictures except for great and important used a sort of running hand, which was just brokenfor their letters and business down picture-writing,
affairsand most But the of their
liked.
you And
wanted, you
then
could
write
books|
the
and
8
and Assyrians Babylonians gave up earlier than did ; the far Egyptians picture-writing
A.A.
OF
CLAY
55
it leaves behind is impression broadest where the point in, and you first pressed the draw tapers away to a pointas you gradually pointout, so all our Babylonianwriter's signswere broad at the beginning and taperedto a fine point, that they were so heads. justfor all the world like arrow-
And,
called
" *'
indeed, sometimes
characters
"
these
;
letters
are
they generally called are cuneiform,"which means wedge-shaped, because they must have been imprinted by a tool shaped like a wedge. If you can imagine a lot of barbed arrow-heads off their shafts and cut flung down higgledy-piggledy upon a pieceof flat ground, a pieceof you will have a pretty good idea of what cuneiform writing looks like. or Babylonian Assyrian then, that a letter is to be written. We Suppose, shall take a real one which was written by a young
fellow It
was
arrow-headed
but
in
his father
at
home.
and is now Sippara, in the museum at Constantinople. Young Zimri-eram takes a piece of clay and tablet about makes a three inches longby two broad, shaped very like a he takes his sharp-pointed Then small cushion. stylus or pen you know we talk still about a man's style"of writing and he presses it into the the surface, marks all over making wedge-shaped clay, and in all sorts of groups and at all kinds of angles, It looks a hopeless combinations. muddle, but really each group of wedges has its own meaning and when found
town
called
*'
"
"
*'
"
at last he
he
eram
this is what tablet, has written : "To father,thus says Zimrimy Marduk lasting : May the Sun-god and grant thee everhas the whole
covered
life!
ask how you
May
are
your
health
me
be
news
good !
I write to
send
back
of your
health.
56
ANCIENT
at
ASSYRIA
on
am
present at Dur-Sin
where place So I I
am am
In the had
of a three-quarters money,
me some
silver shekel.
other
for provisions
to eat."
Then the
if the
had writing
have it
very
one, important
baked
in
kiln before
no
is,there will be
need
of
of a least, since that three-quarters silver shekel has to be sent, it will be as well to put
but,
at
the
eram
letter and
takes
a
the coin in
of his letter. middle
an
envelope. So
rolls it out into
Zittiria
lump
clayand
of
thin
sheet
the wraps
He the
laysthe
sheet
letter in the
of
so
clay round
Then
about
it
envelope upon this clay he he inscribes the destination of the letter. Finally,
covered. is quite writing where it hangs by a string, girdle, little pieceof green jade-stone, a shapedjust like a like it, photographer's upon squeegee, and able to roll, it. which This as a cylinder-seal, pin passes through is carved with signs, it is called, that his father will so is from know that the letter which bears its imprint the Zimri-eram rolls the cylinder-seal his son. across of damp clay, and his letter is ready for the envelope and post-bag. I wonder if he ever got his good fish, ofiended when it came. if his landlady was
takes from
his
That
is how
;
and
books
are
written in
just exactly
as
much
justlike
the
book.
Let
us
suppose
with begins
the words,
When
LIBRARIES
CLAY
57
gods Anu
"First
The
next
and
."
gods
on.
/"
.
Second
so
tablet of For
When
the
gods Anu
word
to
.'
,
"
and
out
should
be missed
the second tablet always another, by repeating begins the last line of the first, and the third by repeating the last line of the second. Sometimes, in an old book in your father's at the bottom
next
now,
"
library, you
of
one
may
see
or
two
custom
top of the
now.
So
when
it
came
you see such a thing, you will know where of the from, and that it is just the repeating of
over carrying
a
old from As
Babyloniancustom
you
a
sentence
made of understand, when books were small bricks, like that, it was clay tablets, really rather business
to
have
library.Whatever
in
was
heavy and clumsy to the last degree. have looked rather A royallibrary of any size must of his essays Lord like a brickmaker's yard. In one Gomer : Macaulaymakes fun of such writing Chephoraod,"he says, making a king of Babylon out of his "was so own popularthat the clay of imagination, all the plainsround the Euphrates could scarcely It is furnish brick-kilns enough for his eulogists. recorded in particular that Pharonezzar, the Assyrian and four walls in his praise." a bridge Pindar,published of the and in spite of Macaulay's But in spite jest, of making books, real cumbrousness of this way and have provedof infinite libraries were got together, and Assyrians value in telling what the Babylonians us thought and believed about the gods,and the past
*'
58
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
was
the
course
of events
come
in
times,and what
about of
was
traditions had
down
to them
greatmen
been
of the
past.
Several
libraries have
discovered.
One, which
sacred
of Nippur, where city has greatvalue because it preused to be worshipped, serves the oldest forms of the national legends. Others from different have turned out to have importance of view because they contain medical some points and scientific books, others because they contain great such as of the accounts of big business firms, masses Murashu the firm of Egibi, the bankers of Babylon, or the most interesting of all is of Nippur. But perhaps which Ashurbanipal, of the last of the the library one of Assyria, at Nineveh, and which gathered great kings in the mound found there, of Qoyunjik, was parbly by and partly Mr* Sir Austen Layard, by his assistant,
"
Hormuzd
Bassam. the
as
Of like been
best
course so
Nineveh
is
nothing
have
old
some
libraries that
of copies
great libraries
own
land. he
have
now
thousands
knowledgeof
when
inscribed gathered, ancient literature, and nearly all our old stories of Babylonia and the days
young has
come
the world
was
Assyrian king
HERO
STORIES
OF
ANCIENT
EAST
59
CHAPTER
HERO STORIES
me
VII
THE
some
OF
ANCIENT
EAST.
Now
have
let
been found
on writing
written in this strange arrow-headed these curious clay books of the Assyrians. It
that really none pity the firesand
to
"
is rather
to be told round
have
come
down and
us.
We
have
magic crocodiles and boats, and so on ; and I suppose the Assyrians have had something must of that sort too. Even thoughtheywere such a terribly serious and savage nation, have had they must surely
some
once
in if
while and
some
not
they had, nothing that has come down to us. Perhaps the stories written down, or, if they were, never they may in the great have been counted worth preserving
But
we
libraries. So
have
histories of the
wars was
of the made
and tales of how Assyrian kings, and how the gods dealt with men and books of of charms
earlydays,
accounts
;
with all kinds and books of magic, science, records of tradesmen's business
''
but
once
upon
stories.
Perhaps I
stories that I
and
shouldn't
am
fancy
about
Egypt, they are very grim and serious business indeed, justas the Assyrian was a very grim and stern being comparedwith his rival on of the banks light-hearted, laughter-loving
the Nile.
the
wonder-tales
of Ancient
60
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
comes
the really The Assyrians epicpoem. copiedit great Babylonian from Babylonian but it actually to the belongs writings, older nation,and to times longbefore there was an at all. It tellsof the deeds of a great Assyrian people who lived ever hero called Gilgamesh, so long ago in the ancient cityof Erech, and of his faithful friend how they warred with beasts and men, how Eabani with and all the a they quarrelled great goddess, trouble that came upon them because of their quarrel. the claytablets on which the story is Unfortunately, and there are gaps here written are not quiteperfect, and there,especially and the end ; at the beginning Our
first story then from what
is
"
still we When
can
make
out
most
we
the
story,as
are
of people
Erech
in
great trouble.
good an Evidently
them, but who fighting against find that a can't tell. By and by we the over great champion called Gilgameshis ruling he was the enemy, and had conquered city. Whether the champion of the city Erech, or whether he was its foes, don't know. we Anyhow, it didn't against difference to the peopleof the town make much ; for, Gilgameshwas a hard master. conqueror or defender, All the young of the city he drafted into his men all the young maidens taken to be were bodyguard, in his palace. So when his tyranny had servants become unbearable, the townsfolk appeal to the goddess who had created Gilgamesh, and ask her Aruru will be able to resist him. to create a champion who The goddess She washes to do so. proceeds obligingly her hands,takes a piece of clay, and out of it she models
a
kind is
strange creature.
He
is half with
man
and half he
his beast,
body is covered
all over
hair,and
lives with
"
"""""
^ "
"
"
*^"
."_
"".
".
"
"
THE
HEROES
COME
TO
KHUMBAHA'S
CASTLE.
(Page 62)
STORIES
of the
OF
a field,
ANCIENT
EAST
61
wild, savage,
even
invincible
champion fit to
name
encounter
the hero
Gilgamesh.
is Eabani.
however, is as wily as he is mighty. Gilgamesh, He has no intention of being drawn into a battle with redoubtable an so help it. So opponent if he can
first of all he sends his chief huntsman
cannot
to
a see
if he For
catch the
Eabani half-savage
in
snare.
three
Sadu
watches
the strange
at drinking to catch
he is quite unable At
of the told
sightof
and
him. him
his the
how another
Then
Gilgameshfell
huntsman
him
a
upon
plan.
time when
away beautiful
man
Sadu
took
saw
with
Eabani
once.
her,
the wild
He
to
forgot
conquer he dwelt,
nothingbut to sit all the day long at Ukhat's feet,and to enjoy her company. When Ukhat felt that she had got complete command over
she told him strangelover,
no
her him
that
it
was
time
for
to to live with the beasts but to come longer of Erech, and to live there in friendship with the city and Eabani, unable to deny the mighty Gilgamesh; from her, followed her her anything or to be separated A dream warned him against to the town. contending when the two should meet ; and so with Gilgamesh and the two Aruru's plan failed altogether, great became friends one another, heroes,instead of slaying
it befell that
great enemy
from
the East
9
62
ASSYRIA
of Erech. of the
threatened
town
His
land
name
was
Khumbaba,
which
he
was
lord
of
Elam,
Euphrates. Gilgamesh and Eabani resolved to attack him in his own stronghold, The and set out together their great adventure. on baba and the terror of Khumlong and difficult, way was s name lay on all the country around, so that the almost discouraged hearts of the two heroes were at the thought of facingsuch a champion; but night for three nights dreams came to after night, together, him that he would Gilgameshfrom the gods,telling be victor in the fight, and would come off unscathed. So at last the long march was ended, and the lay
of the
brothers-in-arms Elamite
arrived
before
the
a
it,for
a
vast
great dark
that the and
none
wood, of
dense knew
;
could penetrate
those
who
secret
paths
to
wood, grew
wide
and
Indeed, the
huge cedar,which cast sent out a sweet perfume task that lay before the
a
much like that of the Babylonianchampions was Prince in "The Legend of the Briar Hose"; onlyit was no Sleeping Beauty who lay within the walls of
the castle in the midst of the thicket, but a fierceand whose roaring like the storm, and terriblewarrior, was
who and had
return
never
allowed
an
enemy
to
enter
How
the two
their way throughthe wood, and how the battle in the shade of the weird ragedin the dark stronghold
found
forest, we
ended in
may
never
most
teresti in-
the tablets are broken ; but the struggle point the victory of Gilgamesh and Eabani, and
HERO when
STORIES
OF
ANCIENT
the wood
EAST
63
they carried
tyrant.
with
to
them be
the gory head of the dead Elamite But the great victory that they had
gainedwas
of sorrows for them both. On only the beginning their return they made a triumphant entry into Erech. Gilgameshlaid aside his blood-stained garments and burnished his armour, and placed put on white robes,
a
his head. in Now, as he thus came upon into the city, the the great goddess Ishtar, splendour
crown
of love, filled beheld him, and her heart was goddess with love towards this magnificent hero. She came to him and besought him to be her husband. Goddess as she was, him. she said,she would serve Splendours chariots of lapis-lazuli and gold, beyond all imagining, with golden wheels and polesand yokesof sapphire, of the should be his, and all the kings and great ones earth should bow before him. But Gilgameshwould have
none
He
knew
the miserable
lot of
with the immortal to mate presumes he rejected her offer with scorn.
queen of heaven flew to her
The
the
insulted
father,
who
craved for vengeance upon had scorned her. Then the great father
and gods,
a
of the him
gods created
mighty and
Gilgamesh and
for this tool of
Eabani
were
more
than As
match
great bull Alu approached, and his friend plunged it by the tail, Eabani grasped his spear into its heart, and the bull of the gods fell
divine vengeance. the down heaven. for the dead And before when the
men
who in her
thus
defied
high
rage cursed them Eabani added insult to of the bull, slaughter Ishtar had done
;
the
he injury
for he tore
64
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
threw
to
the dead
of the
them
thee !
as
will do
to thee
even
But
Eabani
and
had
no
man
deadly stroke fell upon him in pain from the gods. For twelve days he lingered and weakness, and three times in the night there that warned to him a vision of fire and lightning came him that his death hour drew nigh. Then at last he in the midst of his bitter mourndied,and Gilgamesh, ing found for the loss of his companion and friend,
might do
live. A
that, even
course,
so
of Ishtar had
a
not
run
its
for he himself
stricken with
sore
sickness,
that he bore upon his body, for all men to see, plain the marks of the anger of the gods. Then the terror of death laid hold
resolved to
ask of old the of all men
him, and in his anguishhe and seek his great ancestor, Ut-napishtim,
on
gods had
to escape
help from him. For in the days alone grantedunto Ut-napishtim from death and to enjoyunending
"
life.
the distant one," and he was Ut-napishtim of the rivers, and lived afar off at the meeting-place the way to his abode was both longand drearyand full of dangers. As Gilgamesh he came to a wild journeyed for all the world mountain gorge, guarded by lions, like the road to the House Beautiful in the Pilgrim's Progress ; but the Moon-god showed him in a dream the mountains a path across by which he might avoid this danger. Then came stillmore terrible gorge of a the Mountain Its gatewas of Mashu. guardedby strange and half men, of terrible aspect,half scorpions beings and when Gilgamesh his face grew dark beheld them Now
*'
"
"
HERO
STORIES
OF
ANCIENT
EAST
65
of his senses."
to pass him
warningthat Gilgameshwas
on
his way. in The monster chargeof the gate described to the hero all the dangers
been ordered
that
laybefore him, and the stage of thick darkness throughwhich he would have to travel ; but Gilgamesh refused to turn back, and so the scorpion-man opened and allowed him to pass through. the mountain-gate For four- and-t wen ty hours the pilgrimmarched onward throughthe blackness, and the darkness drearily thick and there was And then at was no light." last he came and out into the blessed sunlight again,
"
wonderful
tree.
hung
from it which
-lazuli. top of the tree was lapis it was laden with fruit whicl;i dazzled the eye of him
who
beheld." tree
was
This
which
wonderful
were
surrounded
with
others
also
laden
could Gilgamesh
to
not
get to the
But when
sea
and
came
preciousstones ; but stop to gather.He was too eager to find Ut-napishtim. cross it,
with
to
he
the
the coast
to
see
palace
him.
As
Gilgameshcould
was
without her
to break
he demanded advice,
the door if it
how
was
interview he
with the
last he
got
him
her to tell
him
that it Waters
of
;
She warned might cross the sea. task to attempt,for these a hopeless which but a god had Death none he would
not
were ever
crossed
but when
be denied,she told
66
ANCIENT of
a
ASSYRIA
him
Arad-Ea, who might be able to help pilot, him. At last Gilgamesh found the pilot, and succeeded in persuading him to risk the voyage ; and when they had equipped their vessel with new and strong tackle, theyset out on their perilous journey. The voyage of a month and five days, but the hero and was one his companionaccomplished it in three days, though
not
without great risks and exertions. At last they landed on the shore where
his mankind. that of Death
the
two
immortals, Ut-napishtimand
from
wife, dwelt
have crossed
apart
the his
They
any
;
man
saw
Gilgamesh coming,and
should
wondered
Waters
but
in stillsitting Gilgamesh,
asked
might escape the death which had fallen upon Eabani. But Ut-napishtim's was answer sad and hopeless. Death comes **and he said, to all,"
**
no
man
"
can
escape from
it."
longas houses are built. as longas brethren quarrel. is hatred in the land. there as longas to as longas the river beareth its waters
the sea."
No
man,
"
he
The And
the
day
of his death.
the maker with them Mammetum, And theydetermine death and life. But the days of death are not known."
destiny.
Not
came
it
escaped
from
the doom
came which, as he said, upon all men. tellsthe story of the Deluge, Ut-napishtim we come
to talk of how
the He
been
saved
from
the
STORIES
OF
EAST because
67 of its
overwhelmed
they had should no longer be like other men, but should be All and dwell apart from men. immortal like the gods, the time of this longstory, Gilgameshsits in his boat, sick and weary, and unable to stir. Ut-napishtim's and sympathy was moved at the sightof his misery, he bade him sleep at last sleep came ; and upon the like a storm." hero the wife of Then, while he slept, Ut-napishtim gave him magic food which healed him he wakened, they told him of his disease ; and when what had been done to him, and added that, though they could not keep him from death,they knew of a he his youth whenever magic plantwhich would renew
**
that
ate of it.
set out again on a long Gilgameshand his pilot journey in search of this wonderful plantwhich has the power of eternal youth. At last they find it, and in his joy, cries out that he will carry it Gilgamesh,
So
back
to
as
Erech the of
with
him, and
sweet
so
be for
ever came
young.
Then,
travellers
journeyed, they
water,
and
.to
fountain
cool and
Gilgamesh
in
to drink ;
a
and wrenched
There
it, regaining
to return to
bitter
Gilgameshhad
was as no
onlytoo
well
there
which Eabani.
claim him
After
but
know
more
his
the secrets
of the world
STORIES
OF
ANCIENT
EAST There
69
fashion. unsatisfactory
the
nothingbut the sad thought that the hope of immortal life is onlya delusion, for the plant of eternal youth slips out of one's hand in
the very moment
when
with
it seems
to have
been secured.
CHAPTER
HERO STORIES OF
THE
VIII
ANCIENT EAST" continued
set of
tablets,
Nineveh, which
who the
tells
to
us
story of
and
see
tried to
and gods,
flyup
of what
the Unfortunately, tablets are very much broken and destroyed, that so it begins, the large partsof the storyare lost. When hero Etana is in great distress. He is expecting the birth of he So he
a son
befell him.
but
sore son
and sickness,
her
Sun-god Shamash, tells him of a wonderful plant, growing among and health to mountains,which will bring safety
mother doubt harm. But and
son.
the
both
Etana
secures
finds it and
by helped
that
we
who Eagle, in
over
the mountains.
cannot
way
or
other
make
engaged in warfare againsta had managed to offend Ishtar, hostile city, who, for a of love, to have been seems ladywho was the goddess
out, Etana, while
A.A.
10
70
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
take
ready to
offence.
She
laid
cunningplotto avenge herself upon him ; and his made the innocent accomplice friend,the Eagle,was in her cruel design. Meaning no evil, of the goddess that they might fly the Eagle suggestedto Etana Etana was togetherup into the heavens. nothing loath ; he clungto the great bird,and it flapped its and sailed up into the sky. As they huge pinions the earth, the gates of heaven above rose opened, the glorywithin, and the great and as Etana saw
throne
terror.
of
God, he
threw
himself
upon
no
his face in
But
the
Eagle was
troubled
with
fears,and
wished
to go farther still. He
turned to his
trembling
and companion
reassured him.
"
pinionplacethy palms,
So
flew For
once
more
the two
upwards throughthe sky to the higherheavens. and then the Eagle said to hours they flew, two
"
Etana,
Look and
down, my
the sea."
"
and friend,
see
how
Etana
The
sea
looked down
appears no has shrunk to
earth
two
Etana
looked
down
and
answered,
Then for
The
is
mere
belt round
another two
"
hours
they flew,and
once
more,
Etana
ETANA
AND
THE
EAGLE.
(Tage
70)
HERO
STORIES
OF
to the
ANCIENT
EAST
71
for
was Ishtar,
unconscious
heaven had He
"
be content
until he
his placed
by
great goddess.
said
Come,
With In the On my On my
friend,let me carry thee to Ishtar. thou shalt dwell. Ishtar,the mistress of the gods,
my of Ishtar, the glory
mistress of the
thou gods,
shalt sit.
side
placethy side,
and only too easilypersuaded, they till the earth seemed only and higher mounted higher than as as a garden plotand the ocean no bigger large Etana s heart failed him, a courtyard.Then at last, and he began to implorethe eagleto descend, but rash voyagers it was The too late. throughspace and her had come where Ishtar ruled, into the sphere fell upon them. Headlong they dropped vengeance from heaven, with lightning until at last they speed,
Etana
crashed In in the
as one
to the earth.
all likelihood
Etana
was
killed
by
his
who of almost
are
dwellingin
dead
;
the
miserable
reserved
a
the
but
the
Eagle
He
more
wretched
fate.
had
feud
came
had
under the prowhich was Serpent, tection of Shamash, the Sun-god, and an opportunity the Serpent's to him of eating young when they One of the young out of the egg. newly come the
was
endowed
an
with much
**
wisdom," warned
not
againstsuch
a
action. of Shamash
for it is father,
net
72 The
snare
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
will fall upon
too
of Shamash
But the
thee, and
on
catch
thee."
Eagle was
intent
to
swooped down
of the him
Serpent."
Serpentwent appealedto
a
evil-doer. He
ones was
tree,and how the Eagle had swooped down upon it and devoured the young. Behold, 0 Shamash, the evil he hath done me.
"
his young
set in
Help, O
"
Shamash
!"
Then
all the Earth, gave wily counsel unto Go into the mountain," he said, and
**
Serpent.
the
carcass
of
an
ox
that
is dead.
body, and
hide
in thyself
its entrails.
the Eagle will upon it, he hath entered into the ox,
^
down
seize thou
wing,tear off his wingsand his and cast him into a pit, that talons, pullhim in pieces he may die the death from hungerand thirst." Then the Serpent departed before the face from
by
of
him
his
Shamash, and
went
did
open took
the up
they saw the dead ox, all the birds of the air swoopeddown to eat of its flesh ; but at first the Eagle would not come. He and hovered aloof At last, a suspected snare, his prudence. Then overcame however, his appetite the Eagleopenedhis mouth and spakeunto his young :
" *
ox,
us
The
same
eaglet,
endowed
"0 my
with much
him.
HERO
STORIES
OF
ANCIENT
But
on
EAST the
73
Eagle
listen ; he
swooped down
began to tear at the choice parts Then the Serpentseized him by the wing. In terror the Eagle begged for mercy, and offered a ransom for his life; but the Serpenttold him that if he released them him, the anger of the Sun-god would be against
both.
"
and his talons. his pinions, So he tore off his wings, and cast him into a pit. him in pieces, He pulled And he died a death from hungerand thirst."
.
Now
we
come a
to
story which
has
curious
No in Tale
blance resem-
to
famous
tale of modern
times.
doubt
"
you
have
all read
Wandering Willie's
wonderful how dead
Red-
one gauntlet,"
of the most
of short
went
stories,
into Sir
PiperSteenie
to
down
his old friend Dougal and how Redgauntlet, MacCallum, who opened the gate for him, warned him to take nothing from any of the dead men who except spoke to him, neither meat, drink, or siller, and how when he that is your ain''; just the receipt all the ghostsof the perseinto the hall he saw went cutors,
''
with Cameron's blude on his hand," Earlshall, tiful and Claverhouse,as beauMackenzie," and bluidy with his long, he lived, dark,curled locks as when and the left streamingdown over his laced buff'-coat,
" " "
hand
always on
that the
wound the
to hide the right spule-blade, silver bullet had made." They offered
his
pipermeat
stay with
and
not
touch
did he would
be forced
the
dead
ever.
They
but he
to playthem bagpipes
tune
saw
ADAPA
BRKAKS
THE
WINGS
OF
THE
SOUTH
WIND
(Pai/e 74)
HERO
and Ea
STORIES
OF
ANCIENT
EAST
to
answer
75 before
Adapa
came
his
the
son
when
they
Watchers
on
guard.
with
But
Adapa
humbled
himself
before
them, and
that
wise words
they broughthim readyto intercede for him. Then said Anu : Come, Adapa,why hast thou broken the wingsof the South Wind ?" And Adapa answered : My lord I For the house of my lord Ea I was in the midst of the fishing The waters sea. lay stillaround me, when the South Wind began to blow,and forced me underneath. Into the dwelling of the fish it drove me ; and in the anger of my heart I broke the wings of the South Wind."
*' "
Then
and
**
the two
the he
Watchers
anger
"
of the Gate
interceded with
was
Anu, and
of the what
great god
shall
we
appeased,
that
an
pardonedAdapa.
do
now
impure mortal has seen the courts of heaven ? We do nothingbut make him like unto ourselves. can that he may eat of it." They Offer him food of life, of life Waters it to him, but he did not eat. brought they broughthim, but he did not drink. A garment Oil they brought they brought him. He put it on.
him.
He
anointed
at
himself. and
Therefore
over
Anu
the great
"
him
lamented
him.
'*
Come,
thou
Now
live." And
me
Adapa
answered
not
Ea, my
You
lord,
see
commanded
not
to eat and
to drink."
the supreme god had been kindlier than Ea expected, of death, had bread and water and instead of offering of life ; and so through his offered bread and water father's too
76 of
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
Ea becomingimmortal like the gods. Or perhaps himself was should become lest his son equal jealous with him, and tricked Adapa into refusing the food that would him live for ever. make Anyhow, the moral as both the Gilgameshand story has the same the and the stout-hearted fisherman, stories, there like the others, finds that between God and man Etana
is a
to
gulfthat
see
can
never
be
how
the
ancient
Scottish
hit storyteller
upon
idea.
CHAPTER
THE GODS AND THEIR
IX
TEMPLES
all the peoples of the nearly and the Babylonians were Assyrians Like their
own
way
and
it is a way
that
to us, because, as interesting you know, the Hebrews of from Babylonia, and a great many came originally the Babylonian and speaking about ways of thinking God are reflected in the Hebrew and so have religion, to influence even come our own thoughtsabout God of the old legendsare at the present time. Some of the early remarkablylike some parts of the Old
Testament
; and
when
we
come
to the
story of the
the same, Flood,you will see that it is almost exactly in its outline, the story that is told in Genesis, as of course, are different. though the details, and Babylonians Assyrians differed from the Hebrews very widelywas the questionof one God or gods. As you many know, the very first thingthat a Hebrew was taught
one
The
thingin
which
both
was
the
sentence,
*'
Lord
our
PLATE
14
THE
GODS
THEIR No
;
nor
TEMPLES
77
to
other
were
gods were
the
be
Hebrews
of God ever. whatsorepresentations On the had a hand, the Babylonians crowd of gods. Anu the god of heaven, Ea perfect the god of the deep, Enlil ^^god of spirits, Marduk, Bel- Marduk, who was or of originally*-the city-god but became at last the supreme Babylon, god,Ishtar the goddess of love,Nergalthe god of the dead, AUat the goddess of the underworld, and so on. And when the Assyrians set up for themselves, they converted all this troop of gods into Assyriangods simplyby the commandermaking Ashur,their own national god, in-chief of the lot. Nearlyevery town of any importance had its own Marduk of Babylon god ; but latterly
came
to be
almost
supreme,
and
even
the
greatest
kings of Assyrianever thought their empire secure until they had gone at to the temple of Marduk taken which was then in their power, and Babylon, the hands of Bel," as they said. what the great So let me try to tell you shortly templeof Bel,or Marduk, at Babylonwas like. Long
**
ago
an
old Greek
traveller and
and he paid a visit to Babylon, of the temple of Belus, as description He tells us that the enclosure of the
he calls him.
templewas
yardseach way. In the midst of this square rose a huge tower, built in stages. The which raised the lowermost stage was a solid platform building up above the level of the plain. Then came
great square of
400
each a little smaller than the one stage after stage, the smallest the seventh stage, below it, till at last, on of all, stood the shrine of the great god. and highest learn from other sources, Each of these stages, we as
A.A.
11
THE
so
GODS
AND
THEIR
"
TEMPLES
79
what the Bible says that the worshiphighwas just pers to heaven might get nearer by it ; and that the down to the top of the tower god might perhapscome and
a
meet
with
men
tower
would
be
kind of
All
over
between stepping-stone
the land,wherever the
heaven
and earth.
a
town, there
was
god of the town, and always one of the features of the templewas like this of a tower Babel, biggeror smaller according to the size and wealth of the citythat built it and the fame of the but much in general the same as Etemenanki city-god, The Babyloniansand Assyrianswere appearance. services. It was great folks for religious they who
a
templeto
started
name
the idea of
Sabbath, and
how
who
gave
us
the
the Sabbath used strictly to be kept in our grandfathers' and great-grandfathers ness days. Well, that was nothingcomparedto the strictof the Sabbath in Mesopotamia. No work could be done at all on that day. Even the king had to be allowed ; with a cold dinner, for no cooking content was and he could not changehis clothes, white, or wear or for it. You know drive in his
or chariot,
issue
decree.
And,
the sick
on
most
and extraordinary
was
most to
not
allowed Of
doctor the
Sabbath.
the Jews
course
from
ridiculous
"
excess
was
time made
for Jesus
that
the Sabbath
for man,
and not
the Sabbath."
Every day
as
in their
the Jews
had.
just templesthey had sacrifices, of all kinds These were sheep, oxen,
"
kids,doves,where blood had to be shed in other cases. bread, wine, and oil,
special
80
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
there
was
would be increased many times over. sacrifices ordinary and hymnFor their services they had prayer-books books ; and the curious thingwas that the prayers and hymns were that written, not in the language of the they used every day,but in the old language who inhabited the land longbefore. They considered people that this old language Sumerian theycalled it was the onlyone worthy of being used in the service and so they had to givea translation of the gods, and even with the h3^mns, directions as to how along the difficult words should be pronounced. It seems than usingLatin,as is worse ; but it is no very silly
" "
sometimes
One
done
in services still.
must
we
other
thingI
they thoughtabout
went
the souls of
after death.
had rather cheery and happy ideas about the Egyptians other world,though they had some wild and gloomy ideas too ; but to the Babylonians and Assyrians it was all gloomtogether. Never had any people able misera more and hopeless idea of the lifeafter death than they. Heaven they had no thoughtof at all. Here is the of the other world givenin one of their description in which we told how the goddess of love stories, are
went
down
"
of the dead
the Land of No -return,the region of darkness, Set Ishtar, of Sin,her mind : the daughter House of Gloom, the seat of Irkalla, Upon the the house whose has no exit. entrance Upon Upon the path whose way hath no return, of light, Upon the house whose enterers are deprived Where dust is their nourishment, mud their food ; in Lightthey see not, darkness they dwell, Clothed also like a bird, in a dress of feathers Upon the door and the bolt the dust hath blown."
Upon
LEGENDS
you ? miserable
OF
THE
GODS uncomfortable
81
Can
and
Now, it was
from
Hebrews
took most of
of their
about thoughts
upon
they talked
tillJesus
goingdown
come
to the
Christ had
was
and
not
the
other world
the
HeavenlyFather's House, that men from this grim and gloomy Mesopotait.
CHAPTER
LEGENDS OF
THE
X
GODS
Now
were
let me
handed
some
days,and
and
in these lands from the very earliest of both Babylonians part of the religion
the story of the Assyrians.First comes of all things and the way in which the world beginning and the heavens came into being. the heavens were In the beginning, says the legend,
unnamed, and
was
no
name
but the
ocean
the mother
that existed.
everything into
had been decided as to how things and nothing being, should be arranged. Then at last the great godswere them Anu, the god of heaven, and Ea, born,among and Bel,or Marduk, the creator. the god of the deep, of the deep,Tiamat, the But the dragon or demon rebelled against the very idea of of disorder, mother with her allies, and resolved, to gods and their rule, So she make and them war destroythem. upon all the powers of evil and prepared together gathered them for the fight. She created all kinds of evil mon-
82 sters
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
"
with
stings, having their whole bodies filledwith poison ; and of enormous with a terrible light, dragons, shining size ; fierce, ragingdogs; serpent-men,fish-men, and she set with this hideous army scorpion-men ; and forth to attack the throne of the gods. The gods were and not a little disturbed, greatly this threat to their dominion. First over frightened, of all Anu, the god of heaven,went out to stop Tiamat, the dragon, in her course of her at the sight ; but dreadful visagehis heart failed him, and he fled. Then Ea, the god of the deep, went out, and fared no better than his predecessor. Then the assembly of the gods,in terror, sent out Marduk pion. their chamas
Like
a a
true
son
of the
East, as he
was,
he made take
on
promise Tiamat and saved them, they would all be subject to his authority. agreed, They willingly and when the formal challenge had been sent, to war the whole company of the gods celebrated the occasion drunk. by getting royally
that if he bound
"
with the other gods before he bargain the task of delivering them, and made
would them
wine.
They
Then mounted
wine took away their senses. became drunk,and their bodies swelled
up."
Marduk his
preparedhimself
was
for the
which chariot,
drawn
in his hand
seven
the him.
dragon,while
At last he
came
the
winds
behind the
in
Stand
up ! I and
thou, come
let
us
fight."
OF
THE the
GODS
83
dragonheard openedher
He
she challenge,
to out spit
shrieked
to the conflict.
met, Tiamat
her movement.
so
mouth
;
but Marduk
took
of advantage
drove the windTnto her open mouth that she could not close it. Then he hurled her down
into her, tearing plunged his spear of lightning throughher heart,and trampled upon her carcass. of The defeat of the dragon terrified her army but Marduk monsters. was They all turned to flee, and put He captured them all, too swift for them. of all, them into his great net ; while, most important and he
tore
from
one on
of them his
own
the
fastened them
gods. Then Marduk itinto two, took the dead body of the dragon. He split and the one half of the body a gutted fish, as one splits itwith a he fixed as a covering for the heavens, fastening and setting that the waters above a watchman, so bolt,
the firmament
should
not
come
down.
Then
from the He
set
body he
and divided the year up the stars in constellations, into months, and he fastened large gates at each side of heaven, secured with bolts ; and out of one of these into the gates the sun goes in the morning,and
other he returns
to the
moon
at
for the
Little wonder and animals,he created man. plants that, after such a pieceof work, the great gods all round him and praised him, and that mankind gathered in particular to forget never Marduk, was enjoined
"
Who The
created mankind out of kindness to them, is the power of giving merciful one, with whom life. remain and be never May his deeds forgotten hands." created his By humanity, by
84
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
Such
Our when and
next
is the
men,
in the Bible
when
the
gods
resolve to
flood. You
ancestor
remember
how, when
about that he Ut-napishtimhow it came immortal like the godswhile all other men must was needs die, the story told him in answer Ut-napishtim of the Flood. told : Now this is the tale Ut-napishtim I will reveal to thee, O Gilgamesh," he said,*'the hidden word, and the decision of the godswill I declare the Euphrates, The city of Shurippak, unto thee." on where he dwelt, had grown wicked, and the gods decided to bringa rainstorm upon it. But the god Ea had mercy and his servant Ut-napishtim, upon when he left the council of the gods he came to the dwelt and spoke to him in a hut where Ut-napishtim vision. Thus he spake:
*' "
0 reed-hut, reed-hut ! 0 wall,wall ! understand ! 0 reed-hut, hear ! O wall, Thou man of Ubara-tutu, of Shurippak, son Pull down thy house,build a ship, Forsake thy possessions, take heed for thy life! And bring seed of every kind into the up living As for the shipwhich thou shalt build.
ship.
each,
Well plannedmust be its dimensions, shall bear proportion each to Its breadth and its length And thou shalt launch it on the ocean."
Then
to Ut-napishtim promised
do
was
as
the
how
he
to
action to his townsfolk ; and Ea ordered him to warn that he was them going down to the deep to dwell because with Ea, his lord,
"
destruction
was
coming.
Over
you
Men,
PLATE
15
}r^\
"
LEGENDS So It
same was
OF
THE
GODS
85
Ea had commanded.
180
in
it contained
coated with
both pitch
outside and
made
stores.
goods and
his
familygo
;
on
board, and
drove
in beasts of all
kinds
but he remained outside himself, for watching the firstsign of the comingstorm.
"
When the time came For the lord of the whirlwind to rain down I gazedat the earth. I was terrifiedat its sight, I entered the ship, and closed the door."
came
destruction,
Then
"
the storm.
the first appearance of the dawn. There arose from the horizon dark clouds. Within which Ramman caused his thunder to resound."
Upon
The
marchingat
clouds
;
the head of
but wild turmoil nothing that they and destruction. Men so were appalled, the gods, who all natural affections forgot ; and even all the mischief, at had broughton were affrighted what they had done.
days there
Brother does not look after brother, In the heavens another. not for one care the godsare terrifiedat the storm. heaven. in the highest They take refuge The godscowered like dogsat the edgeof the heavens."
"
Men Even
Now
when
the mischief
was
the began to feel that theyhad gone too far. Ishtar, of mankind, of love,and the mother goddess goddess for havingconsented to the herself bitterly blamed
A.A.
12
86
ANCIENT
own
ASSYRIA
creatures
;
destruction of her
and
all the
other
hard-hearted, sat gods,except Bel, who remained down and wept along with her ; but they could do nothingto help. On the seventh day the storm died There ventured to look out. down, and Ut-napishtim was nothingbut a wide desolation of muddy water on
and wept. every hand, and he sat down dumbfounded In another twenty-four hours, however, the waters
began to
top
and
same or
the go back, and an island appeared. It was ** of the mountain which *'Nisir," means tion" protecand here the great shipgrounded "salvation," remained
fast.
For six
in the
seventh
sent
dove, which
so no
but
could find
he
sent out
restingswallow,
and place,
out
Next found
but it fared
a
Then
raven,
about in the mud, cautiously So Ut-napishtimsaw but did not return. that it safe to leave his ship, and he made was now a great sacrifice of sweet-smelling and woods incense upon
decreased,and
the
gods,who in these ancient stories are by no attracted at once means were folks, by very dignified and gathered like flies," the fine smell of the sacrifice, the story rudely says, around it. Ishtar swore as that she could never these days,and solemnly forget said that Bel alone of all the gods should have no
"
The
share of the
because the destruction of mansacrifice, kind his work. was Bel, however, had no intention in great indignation of beingshut out. He came to ask who had his plan and spoiled saved
some
of the
OF
THE
;
GODS but Ea
made
a
87
destruction
how
foolish he had
been,and
"
long telling
flood
was
the very last thing he should have earth. tigers, Anything lions, have
came
So
at
last he since
even
Bel
not
his senses,
a
could
make
Ut-napishtimand his wife had been saved, they must be made now immortal, the gods,and must henceforth dwell apart from
men.
all other
man
So it
were
was
done, and
the
immortal
and
wife
sent
meeting-
Gilgameshfound them. Noah and Such, then, is the story of the Babylonian his Ark and the Flood. As you cannot have helped it bears a very close resemblance indeed to the seeing, story of Noah and the Flood in the Bible. In fact,
there
can
of place
be
no
doubt of
that
an
both old
of these stories
are
of story telling
the land before from about
some
overwhelmed
ancient
between the
rivers in very
had
days, long
Abraham,
to
Hebrews
under separated,
the
the home
Chaldeans.
The
tell you
gods takes
of the and
went
down that
to that
most
uncomfortable
dead
tells us
down
what
story
that
you find in all kinds of different forms among the ancient European nations. Sometimes it is called
storyof Venus and Adonis. Then in another form the it is the story of Ceres and Proserpine, or, as and Persephone. And Greeks called them, Demeter in another form stillit is the story of Orpheus and
the
88
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
form it may take, it whatever Eurydice. But always, tellsof someoDe goingdown into the dark underworld, and someone back else going to bring the loved one and happiness.And all the stories are againto light which just parables, put in a fanciful way the early the When ideas of men about the seasons. poetical
loved
into the shades, that is the goes down of the leaf,and the waning of the year, the falling
one
Then
when
the
rescuer
goes down
to
a
back
and again,
of winter,
wanderers And when the nothing grows. of that is the return return to lightand life again, with the comingof the buds and the blossoms, spring, and the nesting after and all the brightness of birds, the gloom. Now is just this storyof Ishtar in the underworld
seasons
; but
what
these ancient
Mesopotamia thought about the world death. Ishtar, the goddessof love who, as
"
peoples beyond
you can rather a
see
changeable lady,though
one
"
very
powerful
named
was
married
to
another
divine
being
while she grew tired of her husband, and destroyed him, but before longher heart repented Tammuz. After
a
of the evil she had done, and she resolved to go down So in search of her lost husband. to the underworld
Aralu, the Land of Noof the dead, and her the goddess return, where Allat, their husband the god of the dead, reign over Nergal, gloomy kingdom and their miserable, shadowy subjects. of to the gate of the Land Now, when Ishtar came
she set out for the Land of
barred and
bolted.
There-
LEGENDS
OF
THE
GODS
89
fore she liftedup her voice and at the gate : '' Ho, warder !
Open
that I may enter. If thou dost not open, I will smash the door, and break the bolt,and force open the and portals, I will raise up the dead and loose to devour the living, until the dead are let them far
more
living/'The poor watchman, in terrifiedto let her in for fear a great state of anxiety, of the anger of AUat, and terrified to keep her out, tried to pacify her by telling her that he would go
and mention her of the
name
in number
than
the
to
Queen Allat.
Ishtar she that
as
And
was
when
Allat heard
in her
was
*'
comingof
she knew
grieved
Ishtar earth.
must
on
because heart,
longas
who
in the underworld
there must
*'
be death
I must
weep,"she said,
leave their wives,and for the wives who their husbands, and for the children who
away
entrance
torn
from
snatched
not
But
she
could
deny
great goddess.
spake to the Warder of the Gate. Go, watchman, open thy gate. Deal with her Then the watchman to the ancient laws." according opened the gate and bowed low before the Lady of
Therefore she
"
Heaven.
'*
Enter," he said,"0
The
welcome mistress,
to
Lady
of the Land
of No-return
greets thee." Then he led Ishtar through the first gate ; but as she passedhe stretched forth his hand In anger from her head. the great crown and plucked she turned upon him : Why, O warder, dost thou But from my head V the great crown dare to remove
"
the warder
answered
"
Enter, O
Lady
such
are
the
the
they passedin silence to the second gate,and he its threshold, goddessset her foot across
90
ANCIENT
ASSYRIA
earrings gate ; and, as they passed after gate, of precious her necklace, her robe, her girdle And ever from her one stones were stripped by one. she asked the same the warder and ever question, answered grimly, "Enter, 0 Lady; such are the laws of Allat." Then she passed the seventh at length as
gate,her last garment
and stripped
was
took
taken
away
from
her, and
Queen
arose
bare Ishtar entered into the presence of AUat, and stood before her throne. And AUat bade her messenger,
in anger, and
Namtar, smite
in all
parts of her
body.
mourned things by reason of the absence of Ishtar. No plants no sprang forth, children were of all kinds ceased, and born, fertility all the world was Therefore the gods bare and dead. took counsel together how they might bringthe lifecreated back to earth again giver ; and Ea, the all-wise,
on
Meanwhile
earth all
messenger, Uddushu-namir, and bade him go down to the kingdom of the dead to bringIshtar back to
a
earth.
the and
seven
And
he
gave
him
words
to
name
of power
by
bade
which him
him, and
of the
to
great gods,
waters
name
grant the
came
called upon the name of the great gods. And it much to pass that when Allat heard him she was knew that she
might not
resist the
she
Then she upon her breast and bit her fingers. and cursed Uddushu-namir with a terriblecurse ;
to be
had
obeyed. So
Allat
spakeunto
Namtar
her
LEGENDS messenger
"
di^
GODS ^T^Hfi
91
and threshold,
destroythe door-posts. Bring forth the goddessand placeher on a golden throne ; and her with the waters of life, and take her sprinkle
from
me
So
waters
be rid of her."
as
Allat
had
over as
commanded.
The her
life
were
poured
away. and her
Ishtar, and
she
disease
her
taken
Then,
gate,her garments
one
were jewels
by
one,
set upon her head once more, back to earth again in all her
beauty. Then
the desert
did the
earth did
increase and
rose.
as
bud, and
blossomed
the
enough,this story of Ishtar and Tammuz Curiously with the Babylonians became a greatfavourite, not only and Assyrians, but with the Jews as well. In the prophecywritten by Ezekiel, he tells us of a vision that were that he had of all the evil things being that were done by the Jews, and the abominations allowed even them he in the Temple. And among tellsus that in the north porch of the Temple there doubt taking for Tammuz sat women no weeping part connected with this old in some religious ceremony story of Ishtar and her journeyto the underworld in
"
the homes, the customs, the lands, of the greatest of the beliefs of one peoples
ever
"
the of
old world
were Assyria
knew.
Very
wonderful
the
skilful in many brave,strong, And wise in many yet, somehow ways. that anyone,
even
think
of those who
have
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