Neo-Assyrian Empire Historical state in Mesopotamia The Neo-Assyrian Empire (Assyrian cuneiform: mat Aš-šur)[a] was an Iron Age Mesopotamian empire, in existence between 911 and 609 BC,[10][11][12] and became the largest empire of the world up until that time.[13][unreliable source?] The Assyrians perfected early techniques of imperial rule, many of which became standard in later empires.[14] The Assyrians were the first to be armed with iron weapons, and their troops employed advanced, effective military tactics.[15] The Neo-Assyrian Empire succeeded the Old Assyrian Empire (c. 2025–1378 BC), and the Middle Assyrian Empire (1365–934 BC) of the Late Bronze Age. Upon the death of Ashurbanipal in 631 BC, the empire began to disintegrate due to a brutal and unremitting series of civil wars in Assyria proper. Background[edit] Assyria was originally an Akkadian kingdom which evolved in the 25th to 24th centuries BC. Middle Assyrian Empire[edit] Middle Assyrian Empire seal. 1400-1100 BCE. History[edit] A.W. Army[edit]
Perseus Ancient Greek hero and founder of Mycenae Etymology[edit] Because of the obscurity of the name "Perseus" and the legendary character of its bearer, most etymologists presume that it might be pre-Greek; however, the name of Perseus' native city was Greek and so were the names of his wife and relatives. There is some idea that it descended into Greek from the Proto-Indo-European language. The further origin of perth- is more obscure. Mythology[edit] Origin at Argos[edit] Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danaë, the daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos. Fearful for his future, but unwilling to provoke the wrath of the gods by killing the offspring of Zeus and his daughter, Acrisius cast the two into the sea in a wooden chest.[7] Danaë's fearful prayer, made while afloat in the darkness, has been expressed by the poet Simonides of Ceos. Overcoming the Gorgon[edit] When Perseus was grown, Polydectes came to fall in love with the beautiful Danaë. Marriage to Andromeda[edit] Oracle fulfilled[edit]
First Babylonian dynasty Map of Iraq showing important sites that were occupied by the First Babylonian Dynasty (clickable map) Maximum extent of the First Babylonian Empire during the reign of King Hammurabi's son, Samsu-iluna of Babylon reaching as far west as Tuttul (light green), c. 1750 BC – c. 1712 BC Chronology of ancient Mesopotamia showing the domination of the First Babylonian Empire between c. 1763 BC – c. 1594 BC The First Babylonian Empire is dated to c. 1830 BC – c. 1531 BC, and comes after the end of Sumerian power with the destruction of the 3rd dynasty of Ur, and the subsequent Isin Dynasty. The chronology of the first dynasty of Babylonia is debated as there is a Babylonian King List A[1] and a Babylonian King List B.[2] In this chronology, the regnal years of List A are used due to their wide usage. Before the First Dynasty[edit] First Dynasty: short chronology[edit] The short chronology is: Origins of the First Dynasty[edit] The first kings of the dynasty[edit] King Hammurabi[edit] Seals[edit]
Medusa Goddess from Greek mythology In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα, romanized: Médousa, lit. 'guardian, protectress'),[1] also called Gorgo, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair; those who gazed into her eyes[citation needed] would turn to stone. Most sources describe her as the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto,[2] although the author Hyginus makes her the daughter of Gorgon and Ceto.[3] Medusa was beheaded by the Greek hero Perseus, who then used her head, which retained its ability to turn onlookers to stone, as a weapon[4] until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield. Mythology Near them their sisters three, the Gorgons, winged With snakes for hair—hatred of mortal man[5] In most versions of the story, she was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry Perseus's mother. Modern interpretations
Apotropaic magic Type of magic intended to turn away harm or evil influences Symbols[edit] Egypt[edit] An ancient Egyptian apotropaic wand shows a procession of protective deities. Objects were often used in these rituals in order to facilitate communication with the gods. Likewise, protective amulets bearing the likenesses of gods and goddesses like Taweret were commonly worn. Ancient Greece[edit] Among the ancient Greeks, the most widely used image intended to avert evil was that of the Gorgon, the head of which now may be called the Gorgoneion, which features wild eyes, fangs, and protruding tongue. Evil eye[edit] Eyes were often painted to ward off the evil eye. Grotesquerie[edit] Similarly the grotesque faces carved into pumpkin lanterns (and their earlier counterparts, made from turnips, swedes or beets) at Halloween are meant to avert evil: this season was Samhain, the Celtic new year. Other[edit] Mirrors and other shiny objects were believed to deflect the evil eye. Good luck tokens and charms[edit]
Gorgoneion A wooden door panel intended to guard the house from an unwelcome guest (Thomas Regnaudin, former Hôtel des Ambassadeurs de Hollande, rue vieille du Temple, Paris c. 1660). In Ancient Greece, the Gorgoneion (Greek: Γοργόνειον) was a special apotropaic amulet showing the Gorgon head, used most famously by the Olympian deities Athena and Zeus: both are said to have worn the gorgoneion as a protective pendant,[1] and often are depicted wearing it. It established their descent from earlier deities considered to remain powerful. Origin[edit] According to Marija Gimbutas, gorgoneia represent certain aspects of the Mother Goddess cult associated with "dynamic life energy" and asserts that the images may be related to a cultural continuity persisting since Neolithic examples. Development[edit] The direct frontal stare, "seemingly looking out from its own iconographical context and directly challenging the viewer",[4] was highly unusual in ancient Greek art. History[edit] Gallery[edit] Sources[edit]
Nabataeans Arab people who inhabited northern Arabia and the Southern Levant The Nabataeans, also Nabateans (; Arabic: ٱلْأَنْبَاط al-ʾAnbāṭ , compare Ancient Greek: Ναβαταῖος; Latin: Nabataeus), were an ancient Arab people who inhabited northern Arabia and the southern Levant.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Their settlements—most prominently the assumed capital city of Raqmu (present-day Petra, Jordan)[1]—gave the name Nabatene to the Arabian borderland that stretched from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. The Nabataeans were one of several nomadic Bedouin tribes that roamed the Arabian Desert in search of pasture and water for their herds.[8] They emerged as a distinct civilization and political entity between the second and fourth century BCE,[9] with their kingdom centered around a loosely controlled trading network that brought considerable wealth and influence across the ancient world. Origins[edit] The precise origin of this specific tribe of Arab nomads remains uncertain. Culture[edit] Religion[edit]
Petra Ancient rock-cut historical city in Jordan Petra (Arabic: ٱلْبَتْراء, romanized: Al-Batrāʾ; Greek: Πέτρα, "Rock"), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu (Nabataean: 𐢛𐢚𐢒 or 𐢛𐢚𐢓𐢈, *Raqēmō),[3][4] is a historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. Famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit systems, Petra is also called the "Rose City" because of the colour of the sandstone from which it is carved.[5] The city is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[6] The area around Petra has been inhabited from as early as 7000 BC,[7] and was settled by the Nabataeans, a nomadic Arab people, in the 4th century BC. UNESCO has described Petra as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage".[13] Petra is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction. Petra is listed in Egyptian campaign accounts and the Amarna letters as Pel, Sela, or Seir.[15] Crusaders and Mamluks [edit]
Manungal Hymn to the goddess Nungal by a scribe accused of a capital offense Manungal (or simply Nungal) is a goddess of the underworld, worshipped by the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Akkadians. She is the consort of the god Birdu. Her title was the "Queen of the Ekur" where she held the "tablet of life" and carried out judgement on the wicked.[1][2] ^ Sjöberg Ake., "Nungal in the Ekur," Archiv für Orientforschung 24, pp. 19-46, 1976.^ Frymer, Tikva Simone., "The Nungal Hymn and the Ekur-prison", Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 20, pp. 78-89, 1967. Jordan, Michael.
Asag In the Sumerian mythological poem Lugal-e, Asag or Azag, is a monstrous demon, so hideous that his presence alone makes fish boil alive in the rivers. He was said to be accompanied into battle by an army of rock demon offspring—born of his union with the mountains themselves. References[edit] Black, J. External links[edit] Ninurta defeats the Asag—ETCSL tablet translation Bes Egyptian deity Bes (; also spelled as Bisu), together with his feminine counterpart Beset, is an Ancient Egyptian deity worshipped as a protector of households and, in particular, of mothers, children and childbirth. Bes later came to be regarded as the defender of everything good and the enemy of all that is bad. While past studies identified Bes as a Middle Kingdom import from Nubia or Somalia,[1] more recent research indicates that he was present in Egypt since the Old Kingdom[citation needed]. Mentions of Bes can be traced to pre-dynastic Nile Valley cultures[citation needed]; however his cult did not become widespread until the beginning of the New Kingdom. Iconography[edit] Modern scholars such as James Romano claim that in its earliest inception Bes was a representation of a lion rearing up on its hind legs.[2] After the Third Intermediate Period, Bes is often seen as just the head or the face, often worn as amulets. Worship[edit] Popular culture[edit] Bibliography[edit]
Enlil Ancient Mesopotamian god Etymology[edit] Worship[edit] Modern photograph of the ruins of the Ekur temple at Nippur Floor plan of the Ekur temple in Nippur Cuneiform inscription on a diorite mortar from Nippur stating that this was an offering from Gudea to Enlil (c. 2144 – 2124 BC) Enlil was the patron god of the Sumerian city-state of Nippur and his main center of worship was the Ekur temple located there.[9] The name of the temple literally means "Mountain House" in ancient Sumerian. The Sumerians believed that the sole purpose of humanity's existence was to serve the gods. The Sumerians envisioned Enlil as a benevolent, fatherly deity, who watches over humanity and cares for their well-being. Kings regarded Enlil as a model ruler and sought to emulate his example.[22] Enlil was said to be supremely just and intolerant towards evil. Enlil first rose to prominence during the twenty-fourth century BC, when the importance of the god An began to wane. Iconography[edit] Mythology[edit]
Edimmu The edimmu, read incorrectly sometimes as ekimmu,[1] were a type of utukku in Sumerian religion, similar in nature to the preta of the Hindu religions or the jiangshi of Chinese mythology. They were envisioned as the ghosts of those who were not buried properly. They were considered vengeful toward the living and might possess people if they did not respect certain taboos, such as the prohibition against eating ox meat. In modern fiction[edit] Games[edit] References[edit]