CONTENTS

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

*X. *XI. "^XII.

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

things, when finding out bit by

do

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

Peeps at Many "Egypt," by E. Talbot

"Ancient

Egypt,"

by

J.

Baikie:

Kelly.

"

"'

ANCiENO"

ASSYRIA
Two

the

of the cfn/^iUe.Band TWb'K'i'vi^i/''

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,

with onlya few wild and hills,

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

firstlearned the two

to

and

not

and where brutes,

on

great

as they rolled rivers,

walls and and

towers

and

the sea, reflected the templesof many of the oldest has

can ever

towards

greatestcities that the world

is the

known.
to

Egypt
a

onlyother
we are

land
as

that
as

claim

have

storywhich goes back

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

rivers of the land,the for straight

Tigris,

takes

its rise. It flows almost

all along so swiftly its course running

the sea, that the people

THE of the

CRADLE

OF

MANKIND

and cutting ("TheArrow"), countrycallit "Dijla"

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

with parallel roughly

that of its sister stream, though and flows on towards considerable distance south of it, its northern upper less or

the Persian Gulf much than The

more

and sluggishly deliberately neighbour.

more

part of the land between

and hilly
bare
;

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

stood inland, actually the is

now

the
we

in the that

time

of Alexander which place be

a

Great
125

and

another used
to

miles from that

was

the Gulf than

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

Now of the mankind

this flat

between plain,
sea,

the the

two
was

rivers and

the

that

cradle

first rocked, and

that the infant human

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

and, indeed, I shall have also,

them than about the

more

to

tell you about

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 Bible describes

in the

the

Garden

of Eden
;

lay somewhere
it was

plain
one

between

the rivers
here and that

indeed,the Bible says that

the
first

of the rivers that watered

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

doubt, the great temple-

that the firstbuilders of

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

but they quickly earlyspringy get parched and dry

when
comes

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

very different. At every spot mound, there once stood a great

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.

great Greek Christ,and

other
saw,

called Herodotus, writer,

countries several hundred has

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

thingshe says because people would

believe

there known

such fruitfulnessas that

But Babylonia.

three hundred often three and the land

now,

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

ancient writers confirm

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

throughall the land,and used to water itselfuselessly over instead of spreading

the

ground. If

the canal

system had

been

dry parts the low-lying kept up and

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

if wise and good governors Still,

once

to

get it into their hands

the canals and
no

more,

and

were

to

remake

keep

there is order, would be

as

doubt
ever

in pro2)er working that this wonderful old land them

goodas

againbefore long ; and perhaps

our

that may
Now the time

come

to pass in

time too.

about when

the very earliest history of this

men were were

country,

and civilized,

to become just beginning still using tools and weapons of

so

stone,
the
same

we

cannot

tell

much

as

we

can

tell about well

time in

Egypt.

For the land in

Mesopotamia
as

does not preserve

the relics of the

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

all built of brick, for there protectit,

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

the flocks of the townsfolk

and It
was were a

were

driven out to

pasture,

by shepherdsand herdsmen. little kingdom,quitecompact and complete

watched
over

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

up to the top of the the plain, you would

temple-tower,

circles of fields and the two The and

states would

pasture widened, the borders

meet, and then there
killed. And then
was

of

trouble.

herdsmen

and

and fought, shepherdsquarrelled the

somebody w^as
that had and other helmets

citizens of

the town and

lost

man

took and

down
on a

big shields
town.

went
was as

their spears the warpath of the land

town

the against of its enemy

There

and the battle,

victorious side took

as

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

about the time when this land

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

they were he altogether

not

carried out, as did a wonderful

work
as a

country. But after the greatman's death,

go so well. And then of Asia tribes from the highlands

did things happens,

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

meanwhile, and for

more

the folks from into the

considerable time,some of had been moving upstream the plain

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

bold face, fiercer and strong,

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

the mastery of the old

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

laid the foundation

of

our

modern then God's

sciences of

And astronomy and navigation.

came

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

end of it. 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

and its inhabitants senseless,

even

it fell.

Then

of that little glimmer

went light

out, and
back

there
more

was

darkness
more

absolute.

And

the land went the

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

until in the middle of last all,

of their graves, and the whole

century the buried citiesof this ancient world began

to suddenly

rise out

BURIED world How

TREASURE
that glory tell you
was

11

stood astonished at the

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

stories of reading adventurer

for buried
as

treasure, and

felt the strain of excitement

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

into the great mounds

cities of

that covered
to
a

some

of the buried that

honour
Emil and

Assyria. It was fellof being firstin

was

Frenchman

the

the field. In 1842

to

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

told him infidels, about

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

The and inscriptions. figures

as soon as

himself

he heard week

and

then, day after day and

of their success, after week, as the

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

and wingsof angels, home

the bodies of lions

of men, the bulls. When

stillmore

when

of his great discoveries, drawings the actual sculptures themselves

arrived in Paris,the excitement and admiration of the French knew no bounds. Fresh helpers sent out were
to enable

the consul to

his work complete

and revealed,
a

and bit

by
the

bit the whole

town

palacewas
out

part of

which

crouched beneath
that the

its walls. the town

a

It turned been

palaceand

had

about 700 years before Christ,by built,

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

the great reception-halls the bedrooms, the

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

for the time when share in these At

pages, and how he longed would be able to have his His

great discoveries.
came.

last his chance

Sir Stratford chief,

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

spot be very careful,

on

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

for his work

and the

at

on last, a

8, 1845, he drifted down

three and companions, of Nimrud. he started

on Tigris

landed

beside the

greatmound Next day

workmen.

with digging
them
to

staif of six Arab

at two

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

of Layard'swork, put jealous

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

God, we shall find please don't say anythingabout

are

few

it to those

days. Only Arabs, for they

matter

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

holdinga waving fly whisks

Beside the

lions killed in the chase, his attendants umbrella his head, or over gorgeous
to

great man,

those away there stood perhaps,

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

his bow chariot, drawn

were

bent with

strong arm,

and

the his be

to

enemies the

the very and fleeing

head, while before him

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

falling.Or it would archers shootingon

after

arrow

among and

the

miserable

fenders de-

In made
was

of the spite

bad weather

which continual rain,

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

when discoveries, Mosul that the It had been

pasha at
once.

suddenly diggings

be

stoppedat

found, he said,

16

ANCIENT
were diggers

ASSYRIA the disturbing

that the
should

Moslems, and

graves of good it could not be tolerated that unbelievers

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
"

get up an it by bringing gravestones

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

easier to deal with.

still tried to make the
at

Some

of the officialsat but the work

Mosul

trouble,
ancient
one last,

came palacesa day came Layard tell you

graduallyon, and bit by bit to light.And crowning wonder of which

went

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

that the head

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,

soldiers, Cadis, merchants

conditions of
which
were

Mosul, all
see

sorts

and

peoplecrowded
found

it and the similar creatures their

later ;

and

remarks, if

least very amusing. '' hands,"said the first Arab

**

at were very instructive, This is not the work of men's

not

chief who whom

saw

the monster, the

"

but of those

infidel
"

of giants,

peace be with him ! has said,that than the tallest date-tree ; this is which flood." Noah
"

prophet they were higher

one

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

such when many Pasha, the ambassador. I

saw

18

ANCIENT ! they have them and

ASSYRIA
in all the churches, and burn
"

Wallah
"

the

kneel Papas (priests)

candles

before them." the

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

lamb," said another, I have

peace Cadi
curse

be upon
under

him his

!
"

reduced But
true

to

obedience the

and

prisoned imthe

seal." Turk's

the expressed

deputy of feeling. May

''

God
from

all infidels and is of Satan.

their works It has

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

greaterin the next." of Nimrud, Layard

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

slabs of alabaster which

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,

TREASURE in this which

one

19

of them

mound
out to
once

of Nimrud. be the ruin been the

This of

mound, by the way,

one

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

If you go to the through the Assyrian

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

Mesopotamia to that Layard had difficulty

one,

face,and it was

tremendous
measures

for the lion that

a

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

old iron get,and some after his excavations, he made a

as

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

BURIED If the Arabs

were were

TREASURE

21

amazed, the peopleof England

not less astonished.

of gift when and

Layardhad a most wonderful his storyin an interesting and manner, telling

"

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

This time his main of

work

was

be

done, not
mound

at

his old mound

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

which called Qoyunjik,

delivered out of his cruel hands.

The

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

only too glad to

other
about
sources

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

valuable in the end. which

were

He

came

upon

two

small

allover which
Mr. When

with the
we now

tablets inscribed clay curious Assyrian arrow-headed writing, Later

store
to read
on

filledwith small

call cuneiform. found

another
out

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-

of the show there how

planetsand
were

all sorts

of mathematical

calculations ; there
us were

the

hymns and prayers which God in worship ; approached Assyrians

even

letters of all kinds, and

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

both he and Bassam

and

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

many other fine discoveries, and done in been done since,

called M.

de

Sarzec

laid bare

the

ruins
or

very ancient what

so

Babyloniantown
far older than he found of what

called
Kalah
or we

Lagash
Nineveh
have

town a Shirpurla,

and it is from able to learn

there that life was

been

much of

earliest dawn
states

the history,

time

like in the very of the little city-

of which

I told you

in the first chapter. An

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

been able to tell his story

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

the search interesting

for buried treasure be not

may

be,even

though the
wisdom.

treasure

but only goldand jewels,

CHAPTER
AN ASSYRIAN CITY

III

2,800 YEARS littleof how

up

AGO

Now

that
want

we

have heard

the wonders of the

of
like

Ancient
we

were Assyria

dug
some

againout

ground,

to

try to get

idea of what

lifewas

in the far-offdayswhen and

these buried citiesand

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

his time rather

or

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

all there flashes the merchants

High brilliant goldenlight

who have been here
sun sinking

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

such cities, behind the

men us.

Thebes

Of course;

towers projecting

Memphis,which we have left with the longline of the walls, battleat frequentintervals,
the wall there the wall
in

ted all round

an

their tops^looks not unlike

more

of

Egyptian city too, though

be less brick and
stone.

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

with the customs be

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

and corselet, In the

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

quarters their head-

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

passage to the inner door.

get

view

over

the roofs and the

streets

towards city its

Ninib, with

and royal palace dark great tower rising

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

templeof the against by a battle-

'

."

Vc

THE

CITY

GATE.

(rai;e 26)

AN

ASSYRIAN
me

CITY

2,800

YEARS

AGO

29

might carry

evil man, they be driven from

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

May they never

eye,
never

behind my

back, never

body ;

enter my may they never of my roof, descend never

house,never
into my

the beams

of heaven, conjure them ! Double Charm them." charm, however, we no or

Double dwelling. of the earth, conjure

are soon

all too sound

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

Sarludari have the

come

to

terms.

gate of Ninib takingwith us a

The
and read his
over

where

all go out to the judge will be sitting,

we

So

scribe and

the

needed
on a

witnesses.

deed of sale is the

written settled,

claytablet,

all. Then and

by the judge in the presence of us judge affixes his seal,and Sarludari

of the well-to-do many write,affix their nail-marks in the like
*'

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

Amat-suhla,his wife, owners

The

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

house, which is in thorough its woodwork, doors,and court, situated

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

wands, covered with and of them, however, are very large,

of cargo. for going upstream, and is this
:

carry

Of
so

course

they are
in which
are

use

they are used to make a gathered

When
a

the way sufficientgoods

cargo for

the merchant

alongwith
trade.

loads them, puts a himself and his goods and

to

littlefleet of them, few asses board on

servants, and
he

drifts downstream
There he

the

town

where

wishes

to

sells his
he has

baskets from
the skins
return
on

which

goods and the wickerthe skins, stripped packs

the backs

journey by but trading certainly,

Of
course

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

except time,and folks are

there
are

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

sizes ; but the riverside is rather

have
seen

disappointment

to those who

the Nile covered with its fleets and

of swift and

beautiful boats whether

we

uptown
at
once

to

see

cannot

worthy of Assyria's great fame.

in the crowded
streets
we

ships. So we turn find anything more One thingwe notice

is the dress of the

people. No longerhave
the pure
wears

the bare bronzed

skin,or

white linen of the

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

laced boots, though these

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
"

coloured gailysay much

more

Egyptian
far
more

not

to

gaudy, and
are

greasy. of the town The differentquarters

the various trades

"

one

to the weavers,
a

divided among another to the

smiths,a third

to the

and dyers,
so

fourth to the stonecutters

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

ASSYRIA softest and

are as

house, glowing with

for 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,

delicate fabrics for the

dresses of the fine court

In the smiths*

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

carry home visit ; and when you

ring to

your choice, you get alongwith your ring written on a claytablet and guarantee of its quality the nail-marks
:

with printed is how

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

before the end

twenty years,
to

of ten manehs indemnity that we shall be here likely emerald

shall pay of silver." It isn't at all claim the fine if the

a

does fall out

but the

are Assyrians

careful

people.
It will be worth
to turn to the
;
our

while before

we

go
see a

home

street, and engravers'

are no

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

tools could wonderful

be

had, they managed

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.

their fine how

work, and when

ever

wonder
On

men

had

the result you the patience and the skill you

see

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

be seen, and hard-earned wages.

to

where But

fools go and there is one

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

after last, shopsof Kalah, we pass

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

his throne to receive his courtiers

of

or

sadors the ambas-

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

very noble always afraid to build

a

made

it

his
knew

because
to

of the
act
as

beams

long enough
how
to build
over a an

of getting difficulty and though he rafters,

never

arch of brick, he
room

ventured So the

to vault

whole

in this fashion. in
a

great hall is only 33 feet wide, and

decoration looks more gorgeous chamber. corridor than a king's All around
rooms public

like

spiteof its very splendid

round all the

this
of

and gallery, the palace, runs Each

indeed
a

line of

alabaster slabs. of
or some

slab has carved upon of the king, of the achievements either in

so

sculptured it a picture
war

in the chase ;

that

as

you

walk

round

the

rooms

36

ANCIENT have The

a

ASSYRIA his

you eyes. from

of history pictured halls

are

roofed

with

reignbefore your cedar beams costly

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

upon them. Now the great

imp:

king

goes

hunting.

( I'iijje
"

THE passes. The

KING

GOES conqueror and

HUNTING
is
a
man

37

great
both

of middle

broad-chested,and heavily height, square-shouldered,

bearded
head and
on

cheeks

chin,the black locks of

multitude of curls and
On his head of he
wears

beard

oiled heavily the royalcap,

arrangedin a and perfumed.

of white

woollen
a

with stuff, striped

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

Oriental in its gaudiness and thoroughly figure,

as

imposing glitter
as

chariot. With stepsinto the waiting start, and

sober and the the the

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

stately on courtyard royalchariot

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

of the courtiers who

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

king's duty than

upon hundred
as

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

the scrub at the foot of the hills and

in

to be found. marshland,he is generally By the time that the royalparty has reached the state

huntingcamp, the a locating pairof

huntsmen
a

have

succeeded

in far

lions in

patch of junglenot
moves

away, and the whole company the spot. Arrived there,the

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

are bodyguard, rangedin

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

the chariot. other

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

to Unconquerable with mingled anger

flank,and a third in the crest. he stillcomes the last, on, roaring

and

pain; but

fourth shaft takes

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

all of the presence

of mind

which

he

has shown.
the

It is not
to

speedytriumph rewards
lions take the and

however, that such always, the huntingparty. Sometimes

the bush-covered
no

islands in

great marshes,and it is a task of

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

difficulty throughthe tangled

small

with their lives. One without

much

lion had been secured and

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

time for ceremony. under beneath the

two

gunwale
the lion

mighty paws
to

of the

fierce brute,
met

guardsmen sprang

their feet and

with the thrust of their spears, while a third covered for the king with his shield. Ashur-natsir-pal never
a

moment

lost his presence

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

THE of the boat.

KING Then the

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

less ferocious than brutes,

and turns to vanquished, human still more congenial sportof hunting

whom he has himself, the arrangements for 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

Assyriahas she always means

nations
to
an

in warfare

her

enemies, that,
because

she is always mischief, prepared.

war,

Other

make

sometimes

must, have their

^war

themselves,sometimes because ambitious king over them, who leads them

which

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 fertile land,nor

her the
a

her

it is trade, she has than

which spoil existence

any

at always,

from wrings depends upon givenmoment,

she

enemies. conquered
fact that

strongerhand

any and will

power or combination when the time comes her. pity For she

of powers when that

opposed to
ceases

her ; to be the
no one

case, she will fall beyond hope of recovery, and

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

is the great robber-nation of successful robber may be feared

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 slabs in the British

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

head of the chariot

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

and cavalry, the

more

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

cumbrous, requires top much j is^ through mountainous countries,

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

THE world has

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

shield ; while the

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

shield at all. The

army

has carried the

the

Hittites would
that

have

made

fair match

for the
;

greatest army
but
and
A.A.

them could bringagainst Assyria

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

the walls of his town.

He
was

hastened

to make

his of

and Carchemish submission,

a

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

on strong fortress town Lebanon, more daring or

the
more

western

slopeof than desperate

and
"

the his the

refused neighbours, earth"

to

come

out

smell

before the conqueror. His his cattle driven in,and his walls the

closed, gates were manned, and when

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

get his troops blooded, and have

even

an

oppor-

for the tunity which

was

exercise of all that cold-blooded dearer to

an

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

began. Under the huge shields which

archers, commanded

moved

close,and the siege of great wooden mantlets, of on wheels, detachments

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

littlefortress of wood wheels. In front that

a

and

wicker-

work, mounted
towers
: one

on

were

two

light
party latter,
raw

so square-topped over
ram

few archers could

cover

fire from

it

the town
;

wall and

so

the

workingthe
with
raw

the other From

and round-topped the its front of of wood the

covered

hide.
two
ram
a

between

great mantlets
swung
on

and

hide, the
beam
a

with

heavy

bronze

a pivot, great of head, capable

wooden ing deliver-

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

inevitable destruction could

to

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

burning torch or faggot in under cover of a the ram against

and
stones

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

left to die in slow agony

under

the eyes of their

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

able to find death

at the head

of his

men

was

led before and

a

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

and head eye

over

the

Assyrian king, jerking up the cord, slowly thrust his

then

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

twist in its bonds under

an

the hot
sent

sun

till

merciful death put

women

end to
children
serve no

sufiering.
were as

and

back
;

under for the

guard into Assyria to there was men fighting

best fortune that could

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

slain. Even lust of

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

the whole again, shout of triumph ?

hear the
"

report of thee,"said the Hebrew

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

books, as the "Rocket"

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

"; and it is before his time, indeed, almost as

there is
to

end

making of many quitetrue. Long

soon as men

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

made mightbe parchment,

papyrus,

out of

an

animal's

what

we

call paper, made

wrote

out

there
say

were

nations which
a

what

or skin, of a plant ; and they wanted to

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 "

LIBRARIES with their and quaint

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

been read out of these old

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

door,"they would draw

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

any word get tired of

books|
the
and
8

and Assyrians Babylonians gave up earlier than did ; the far Egyptians picture-writing
A.A.

LIBRARIES you will find that the

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 first situation to

at
a

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

the canal of Bit-Slkir.

In the had

for food. send

there is nothing to be living sealing up and sendingyou In return for the

of a three-quarters money,
me some

silver shekel.

good fish and

been
been
a

other

for provisions

to eat."

Then the

if the

had writing
have it

very

one, important

claytablet would being sent off. As

that
;

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

than bigger the fresh

He the

laysthe
sheet

tablet with and clay, that the

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
;

letter is written, then, in the Land

of the Rivers the

same

and

books

are

written in

just exactly
as

as writing of the chapters

Each tablet is covered with way. it will hold,and is then numbered,

a

much

justlike
the

book.

Let

us

suppose

that the first

^'

tablet of the book

with begins

the words,

When

LIBRARIES

OF Then that the

"

CLAY

57

gods Anu
"First
The
next

and

."

tablet will be called

Anu and
'
.

tablet of ^When will be called and

.

gods
on.

/"
.

Second
so

tablet of For

When

the

gods Anu
word
to

.'
,

"

and
out

should

be missed

fear that any in passing from one tablet

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

the last word

or

two

custom

at the page repeated which has almost died out

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

each tablet to the next.

can

made of understand, when books were small bricks, like that, it was clay tablets, really rather business
to

have

library.Whatever
in

was

the character of the stories written themselves

were

them, the books

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

of the world,what history

their
own

the

course

of events
come

in

times,and what
about of
was

traditions had

down

to them

their heroes and

these found in recent

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,
"

times at the ancient Enlil the great spirit-god

Hormuzd

Bassam. the
as

Of like been
best

course so

of royallibrary of the other

Nineveh

is

nothing
have

old

some

libraries that

found, for Ashurbanipal reignedonly a short

idea of the well. books For the us Assyria ; but it gives but of not only of Assyria, the kinghad a great love for his scribes to make of and history, religion, of Babylonia, and add So
we

time before the fall of

as Babylonia

ancient science them

and he ordered histories, all the chief books in the

of copies

great libraries
own

to the records of his

land. he

have

now

thousands

of the tablets which the

with all kinds of

knowledgeof
when

inscribed gathered, ancient literature, and nearly all our old stories of Babylonia and the days
young has
come

the world

was

in the first instance

from the book-shelves of this

Assyrian king

HERO

STORIES

OF

ANCIENT

EAST

59

CHAPTER
HERO STORIES
me

VII
THE
some

OF

ANCIENT

EAST.

Now
have

let

try to tell you

of the stories that

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

of the stories that used in the nurseries of Assyria lot of the

to be told round

have

come

down and

us.

We

have

stories of that kind

stories of wizards, and

Egyptian godmothers fairy

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

fun with their children

once

in if

while and

some

fanciful tales to tell them. of

were

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

the world in the

earlydays,
accounts
;

with all kinds and books of magic, science, records of tradesmen's business
''

and plenty of evil spirits, against time

"

of law cases, and have no real we

but

once

upon

stories.

Perhaps I
stories that I
and

shouldn't
am

quitesay goingto tell you

them,
too ;

for the that either, have

some romance

fancy

about

but, compared with

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

of the tale. have the it, begins,

the

story,as
are

of people

Erech

in

great trouble.

good an Evidently

of some enemy he may be, we

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)

HERO the beasts His

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

days the huntsman creature goingabout with their watering-places ; but

this wild
the very
master
man

Sadu

watches

the strange
at drinking to catch

the beasts and

he is quite unable At

of the told

woods, and indeed is terrifiedat

last he returned
he had fared. He
sent to

sightof
and

him. him

his the

how another

Then

Gilgameshfell
huntsman
him
a

upon

plan.
time when

away beautiful
man

again ; but this Ukhat, and girl,

wildness,and

Sadu

took
saw

with

Eabani
once.

her,

the wild

fellin love with her at his the wild beasts with

He
to

forgot

all about and cared

his mission whom

and Gilgamesh, for

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

and brothers-in-arms. Now

A.A.

it befell that

great enemy

from

the East
9

62

ANCIENT the and

east

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

castle of the distance

on

every wonderful it the dark

tyrant. All around side,there stretched

so grandeur, save

it,for
a

vast

great dark
that the and
none

wood, of

dense knew
;

could penetrate

those

who

secret

paths

to

castle in the midst

of the

beside the castle,

monarch its shade upon the

wood, grew
wide
and

far and air.

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

the wood heroes

alive to tell the tale.

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

know, for justat this

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 emerged from

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

of her love. who

He

knew

the miserable

lot of

the mortal and gods,

with the immortal to mate presumes he rejected her offer with scorn.
queen of heaven flew to her

The
the

insulted

father,

the chief of the

man

who

craved for vengeance upon had scorned her. Then the great father
and gods,
a

of the him

gods created

mighty and

forth to ravage had defied Ishtar. mortal who

and sent bull, the lands of the presumptuous fierce But

even

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

the entrails from

64

ANCIENT

ASSYRIA
threw
to

the dead
of the

body of the bull and Woe : goddess, crying

"

them
thee !
as

in the face For I have I will done

conquer thee, and to him."

will do

to thee

even

But

Eabani
and

had

what done, in his pride,

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

so, the vengeance

was

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

for counsel and

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

with fear and

robbed received him

and the wildness of their aspect terror,

But the had scorpion-men and had coming,

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,
"

before his eyes stood

**

wonderful

tree.

Branches The And

hung

from it which

Precious stones it bore as fruit, beautiful to behold. were

-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 Princess sea-shore, and dwelt in

a

who ruled over Sabitu, by the shore,refused upon down

an

the coast
to
see

palace

him, and shut her doors

not
cross

him.

As

Gilgameshcould
was

without her
to break

he demanded advice,

entrance, and threatened

the door if it
how
was

interview he

with the

opened. So at and asked princess,

not

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,

boat,told the whole

how eagerly he

story to his ancestor, and

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."

As And And And

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

said, might know

the

day

of his death.

decree fate, Annunaki, the great gods,

of

the maker with them Mammetum, And theydetermine death and life. But the days of death are not known."

destiny.

Not
came

asked unnaturally, Gilgamesh

to pass, if all this
were

his relative how

it

true, that he had

escaped

from

the doom

In answer, which we shall hear when

came which, as he said, upon all men. tellsthe story of the Deluge, Ut-napishtim we come

to talk of how

the He

their gods. and Assyrians Babylonians regarded told how

he and

his wife had

been

saved

from

the

HERO flood which

STORIES

OF

ANCIENT the the world

EAST because

67 of its

overwhelmed

wickedness,and how, when

saw

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

god who sent the flood he decreed that they escaped,

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

down stooped the shape of the plant out and with

to drink ;
a

but, as he drank, a demon

him
was no

serpent darted upon

of his hand.
sorrow

and wrenched

There

it, regaining
to return to

bitter

Gilgameshhad
was as no

but Erech, healed,indeed,of his disease,

aware

onlytoo

well

that for him

must

there

which Eabani.

claim him

escape from the death it had claimed his friend

After

but
know

while he grew there still lay upon

a

more

reconciled to his fate

his

the secrets

of the world

a spirit great desire to beyond the grave. So

HERO lame been and

more

STORIES

OF

ANCIENT

EAST There

69

fashion. unsatisfactory

his end ; tablets leave

of it,to tell us how but we have no more as

us

the

have may hero came to

yet,and the twelve

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

In the British Museum from the

there liesanother the heaven

set of

tablets,

of King Ashurbanipal at royal library

Nineveh, which
who the

tells
to

us

story of
and
see

rash mortal the abodes of

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

his wife is in she and

sore son

and sickness,

is afraid that both consults

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

perish. may and the god

the

both

Etana
secures

finds it and

goes in search of it,and no his wife and child from

was

In his search he carried him

some

by helped
that
we

his friend the

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

very ill-natured and

a

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.
"

liftup thy face, My friend, carry thee to the heaven of Anu.

Come, and let me

On On On my my my breast side

place thy breast,

pinionplacethy palms,

place thy side."

wheeled
out

So
flew For

once

more

the two

into the air and

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

the earth into the

appears, than For

Etana
The
sea

looked down
appears no has shrunk to

and answered, depths,

a

earth

mountain, and the

hours
more

two

then the earth

"

Eagle said and appears,"

sea

they resumed their how again, Look, my friend,

"

bigger a pool." and flight,

the

Etana

looked

down

and

answered,
Then for

The

is

mere

belt round

the earth." when the

another two
"

hours

they flew,and

once

more,

Etana

how Look, my friend, answered, The sea is a mere

"

Eagle said the earth appears," ditch." gardener's

ETANA

AND

THE

EAGLE.

(Tage

70)

HERO

STORIES

OF
to the

ANCIENT

EAST

71

So at last they came

and there But

gate of the second heaven,

while.

they rested the Eagle, the

not to

for

was Ishtar,

tool of the anger of satisfied yet. There was stilla third

not

unconscious

heaven had He
"

reach, and he would

friend

be content

until he

his placed

by

the side of the

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,

pinion thy palms."

was

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

story of Gilgamesh he is mentioned

of those world for with
an

for fall, by Eabani dark and

was

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

"who birds, him

endowed
an

with much
**

wisdom," warned
not

againstsuch
a

action. of Shamash

for it is father,

net

eat, 0 my that is laid for thee.

Do

72 The
snare

ANCIENT

ASSYRIA
will fall upon
too

of Shamash
But the

thee, and
on

catch

thee."

Eagle was

intent

to

listen to the wisdom and ate the young

his tunity opporof his child. " He

swooped down

of the him

Serpent."

Then, in anger, the of the Sun-god and

upon the

Serpentwent appealedto
a

before the throne

evil-doer. He
ones was

for vengeance described how his nest with

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

Shamash, the Judge of

the

all the Earth, gave wily counsel unto Go into the mountain," he said, and
**

Serpent.

the

carcass

of

an

ox

that

is dead.

you will find Enter into its Then when

body, and

hide

in thyself

its entrails.

the birds of the air swoop with them. When come

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

into the mountain, and

of the and

did
open took

to the word according

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 :
" *

body of a wild in his dwelling

ox,

god ; for he tore and entered into it,

its entrails. When

Come, let us swoop

was

down, and let

ox
" !'

us

also eat of the

young

flesh of this wild *'who

The

same

eaglet,

endowed
"0 my

with much

him.

suade wisdom," tried to dishe said,"the Serpent father,"

HERO

STORIES

OF

ANCIENT
But
on

EAST the

73

lurks in the flesh of this wild ox." would

and
not

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.
"

the carcass, of the flesh.

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

and you remember the world of the Robert

PiperSteenie
to

down

from get his receipt

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

drink, but he would

that if he for
a

not

touch

them, for he knew

to

did he would

be forced

the

dead

ever.

They
but he

off*ered him that the

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

delivered up the throne of God.

Now
two
were

Adapa
came

his
the

son

when

they

Watchers
on

gate of heaven, the of the Gate, Tammuz and Gishzida,

to

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."
*' "

with them, so prevailed before King Anu, and stood

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

But," said he,

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
"

god looked Adapa,why

canst not

him

lamented

him.
'*

Come,
thou

didst thou not eat and drink ?

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

greatcaution poor Adapa missed the chance

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

bridged. But it is curious and the great Babylonian

the
same

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

ancient world, the

in religious ought to be very very

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,

*'

Hear, O Israel ! The

Lord

our

PLATE

14

THE

GODS

AND is One !"

THEIR No
;
nor

TEMPLES

77
to

God, the Lord

allowed beside allowed to make

other
were

gods were
the

be

Jehovah any other

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

called Herodotus, historian, has left

us a

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

there,so that the

there
was

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

of all, even silly givemedicine to the it

was

doctor the

Sabbath.
the Jews

course

from

these old laws that the strictness of the such for

to tell them
man

took their ideas about it

was

Sabbath, and I think when

a

to they carried things

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,

fruit, tables, vegeOn

special

80

ANCIENT

ASSYRIA

of which festival days,

there

was

great number, the

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

tellyou about the

go
men on

of religion the other The

these old folks before

and gods, that is what world to which

to the stories of their

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
"

into the abode

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

more anything imagine

and

Now, it was

from

that old idea that the life after the

so that future,

Hebrews

took most of

of their

about thoughts
upon

death,and their gloomy outlook

they talked
tillJesus

goingdown
come

to the

Christ had
was

and

pit. And it was that taughtpeople

not

the

other world

the

really got away mian thought of

HeavenlyFather's House, that men from this grim and gloomy Mesopotait.

CHAPTER
LEGENDS OF
THE

X
GODS

Now
were

let me
handed

try to tell you

down became

some

of the stories which

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

the earth bore Not

no

name

but the

ocean

the mother

and of all things,

even

that existed.

broughtforth the gods had come

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

"

giant serpents,sharp of tooth, armed

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

They ate bread,theydrank

The
sweet

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

fight. He by four fiery

he drove followed

and with the thunderbolt horses,

to meet

in his hand
seven

the him.

dragon,while
At last he
came

the

winds

behind the

in

of Tiamat, and sight Then he

demon god and the. her to combat. challenged

"

stood face to face.

Stand

up ! I and

thou, come

let

us

fight."

LEGENDS When the

OF

THE the

GODS

83

dragonheard openedher
He

she challenge,
to out spit

shrieked

wild and loud,and advanced

to the conflict.

As the two her incantations

met, Tiamat
her movement.
so

mouth
;

agamst her enemy

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

tablets of fate and

fastened them

that henceforth so breast,

lieswith the the fate of all things

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

other half of the

body he

fashioned the earth.

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

night. Then, havinggivenrules and created of the night, ordering

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

Mesopotamian story of the Creation. takes us on a littlefurther, to a time legend

as

men,

in the Bible

have become wicked, story,

when

the

gods

resolve to

flood. You
ancestor

remember

how, when

destroythem by a asked his Gilgamesh

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

him, but asked

how

he

to

manded god comhis explain

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,

rainstorm will come and beasts will perish." birds,

a
"

PLATE

15

}r^\

"

LEGENDS So It
same was

OF

THE

GODS

85

built his ship as Ut-napishtim

a

Ea had commanded.

great square box,

and height,

180

feet broad and

63
rooms.

the Like Then

in

it contained

Noah's Ark, it was

he loaded it with

coated with

both pitch

outside and
made

with all kinds of in,and well provided all his household

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

gods came destroying

and rain
were was

marchingat
clouds
;

the head of

their battalions of storm

whirlwind and for
seven

thunder, lightning, let loose upon the earth,

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 gods beyondrepair,

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

and on the position, it was Ut-napishtim thought he could venture

a

days she remained morning of the

First,he
no a

in the

seventh
sent

time to find out whether

out

to leave his ark.

dove, which
so no

flew about returned. which waded

but

could find
he
sent out

restingswallow,

and place,
out

Next found

but it fared
a

better than the dove.

that the

Then

raven,

he sent had waters

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

top of the mountain.

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

LEGENDS hated mortals

him that from

OF

THE
;

GODS but Ea
made
a

87

destruction
how

him speech, telling

a

foolish he had

been,and
"

long telling

flood

was

brought upon the would or famine, pestilence

"

the very last thing he should have earth. tigers, Anything lions, have
came

been better than

to

flood. decided thus

like

So

at

last he since

even

Bel
not

his senses,
a

that seeijig that

could

make

and, better of it,

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

to dwell far off at the

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

the rivers, where

be

no

doubt of

that
an

both old

of these stories

are

different forms really

of story telling
the land before from about

some

great disaster which

the

overwhelmed
ancient

between the

rivers in very
had

days, long
Abraham,
to

Hebrews

under separated,

the
the home

Chaldeans.
The

last story that I have

us

tell you

gods takes
of the and
went

down that

to that

most

uncomfortable

dead

tells us
down

what

Gilgamesh wanted to learn about, when she happenedto a greatgoddess

It is a

there in search of her husband.

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

comingof winter. to bring the lost one

standstill on when

Then

when

the

rescuer

goes down
to
a

back

and again,

all life comes

season

earth,that is the dead

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

another of these stories of the

is that it shows of
us

seasons

; but

portanc imits great

what

these ancient

Mesopotamia thought about the world death. Ishtar, the goddessof love who, as
"

peoples beyond
you can rather a

see

from the other stories you have

a

changeable lady,though
one
"

very

read, was great and

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

No-return, behold ! it was

barred and

bolted.

There-

LEGENDS

OF

THE

GODS

89

fore she liftedup her voice and at the gate : '' Ho, warder !

called to the watchman

Open

Open thy gate

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,

for the husbands

are are

leave their wives,and for the wives who their husbands, and for the children who
away
entrance

torn

from

snatched
not

before their time."

to the

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

the nether world.

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

laws of Allat." Then

as

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

from her her

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

disease Queen Ishtar with loathly

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

gates would open speakbefore Queen Allat the

command her in their of lifeunto

him, and
of the
to

great gods,
waters

name

grant the
came

Ishtar. before Allat

So it befell that Uddushu-namir

and
came

called upon the name of the great gods. And it much to pass that when Allat heard him she was knew that she

displeased ; for she

smote
arose

might not

resist the
she

requestof the great gods. Therefore in her wrath

Then she upon her breast and bit her fingers. and cursed Uddushu-namir with a terriblecurse ;
to be

of her cursing the order of the great gods yet in spite

had

obeyed. So

Allat

spakeunto

Namtar

her

LEGENDS messenger
"

di^

GODS ^T^Hfi

91

"l^i'^ii"^* th'^*j5ryon; 'srfiash the Go, Namtat*',

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

that I may done it was of

was

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

passedeach given back to

was came

by

one,

until at the last her

set upon her head once more, back to earth again in all her

great crown and Queen Ishtar

beauty. Then
the desert

did the

earth did

her yield bringforth

as

increase and
rose.

as

and the wilderness before, and rejoiced

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
"

search of her lost husband.

#

Such, then, were

and that
men some

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

crafts and I don't

skilful in many brave,strong, And wise in many yet, somehow ways. that anyone,
even

think

of those who

have

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