4500-745
B.C.
)
349
The beginnings of history,
351
. The rulers of Shirpurla,
351
. Kings of Kish and Gishban,
356
. The first dynasty of Ur,
359
. Kings of Agade,
360
. The kings of Ur,
363
. Accession of a south Arabian dynasty,
363
. The Kassite dynasty,
364
. Assyrian conquest of Babylon,
364
.
CHAPTER III
The Rise of Assyria
(
ca.
3000-726
B.C.
)
366
Land and people,
369
. Assyrian capitals: Asshur and Nineveh,
371
. The rise of Assyria,
372
. The first great Assyrian conqueror,
377
. The reign and cruelty of Asshurnazirpal,
380
. Shalmaneser II and his successors,
387
. Tiglathpileser III,
391
. Shalmaneser IV,
395
.
CHAPTER IV
Four Generations of Assyrian Greatness
(722-626
B.C.
)
397
Sennacherib,
403
. Esarhaddon and Asshurbanapal,
416
. Esarhaddon’s reign,
419
. Asshurbanapal’s early years,
425
. The Brothers’ War,
431
. The last wars of Asshurbanapal,
434
.
CHAPTER V
The Decline and Fall of Assyria
(626-606
B.C.
)
438
Last years and fall of the Assyrian Empire,
440
.
CHAPTER VI
Renascence and Fall of Babylon
(555-538
B.C.
)
446
Contemporary chronology,
448
. Nabopolassar and Nebuchadrezzar,
449
. The followers of Nebuchadrezzar,
453
. The reign of Nabonidus,
455
.
CHAPTER VII
Manners and Customs of Babylonia-Assyria
460
War methods,
460
. Our sources,
461
. Assyrian war costumes and war methods,
468
. The arts of peace in Babylonia-Assyria,
472
. Babylon and its customs described by an eye-witness,
473
. A later classical account of Babylon,
479
. The commerce of the Babylonians,
484
. Ships among the Assyrians,
491
. Laws of the Babylonians and Assyrians,
494
. Sale of a slave,
496
. Sale of a house,
497
. The code of Khammurabi,
498
. The discovery of the code,
498
. Miscellaneous regulations,
501
. Regulations concerning slaves,
502
. Provisions concerning robbery,
502
. Concerning leases and tillage,
503
. Concerning canals,
504
. Commerce, debt,
504
. Domestic legislation, divorce, inheritance,
505
. Laws concerning adoption,
509
. Laws of recompense,
509
. Regulations concerning physicians and veterinary surgeons,
510
. Illegal branding of slaves,
510
. Regulations concerning builders,
511
. Regulations concerning shipping,
511
. Regulations concerning the hiring of animals, farming, wages, etc.,
511
. Regulations concerning the buying of slaves,
513
.
CHAPTER VIII
The Religion of the Babylonians and Assyrians
515
The Assyrian story of the creation,
520
. The Babylonian religion,
521
. The epic of Gilgamish,
525
. Ishtar’s descent into Hades,
530
.
CHAPTER IX
Babylonian and Assyrian Culture
534
Literature and science,
536
. Epistolary literature,
539
. Art,
543
. Assyrian art,
552
. Assyrian sculpture and the evolution of art,
558
. A classical estimate of Chaldean philosophy and astrology,
563
. The Babylonian year,
565
. The Babylonian day and its division into hours,
566
. Assyrian science,
567
.
APPENDIX A
Classical Traditions
571
The Creation and the Flood, described by Polyhistor,
573
. Other classical fragments: of the Chaldean kings,
575
. Of the Chaldean kings and the deluge,
576
. Of the tower of Babel,
577
. Of Abraham,
577
. Of Nabonassar,
577
. Of the destruction of the Jewish Temple,
577
. Of Nebuchadrezzar,
577
. Of the Chaldean kings after Nebuchadrezzar,
578
. Of the feast of Sacea,
579
. A fragment of Megasthenes concerning Nebuchadrezzar,
579
. Ninus and Semiramis,
580
. Semiramis builds a great city,
584
. Semiramis begins a career of conquest,
588
. Semiramis invades India,
589
. Another view of Semiramis,
593
. Reign of Ninyas to Sardanapalus,
594
. The destruction of Nineveh,
598
.
APPENDIX B
Excavations in Mesopotamia and Their Results
600
The ruins of Nineveh and M. Botta’s first discovery,
600
. Layard’s discoveries at Nineveh,
604
. Later discoveries in Babylonia and Assyria,
610
. The results of the excavations,
612
. Treasures from Nineveh,
613
. The library of a king of Nineveh,
618
. How the Assyrian books were read,
623
.
Brief Reference-list of Authorities by Chapters
627
A General Bibliography of Mesopotamian History
629
PART I. PROLEGOMENA
BOOK I. HISTORY, HISTORIANS, AND THE WRITING OF HISTORIES
CHAPTER I
SOME GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Broadly speaking, the historians of all recorded ages seem to have had the same general aims. They appear always to seek either to glorify something or somebody, or to entertain and instruct their readers. The observed variety in historical compositions arises not from difference in general motive, but from varying interpretations of the relative status of these objects, and from differing judgments as to the manner of thing likely to produce these ends, combined, of course, with varying skill in literary composition, and varying degrees of freedom of action.
As to freedom of selective judgment, the earliest historians whose records are known to us exercised practically none at all. Their task was to glorify the particular monarch who commanded them to write. The records of a Ramses, a Sennacherib, or a Darius tell only of the successful campaigns, in which the opponent is so much as mentioned only in contrast with the prowess of the victor.
With these earliest historians, therefore, the ends of historical composition were met in the simplest way, by reciting the deeds, real or alleged, of a king, as Ramses, Sennacherib, or David; or of the gods, as Osiris, or Ishtar, or Yahveh. As to entertainment and instruction, the reader was expected to be overawed by the recital of mighty deeds, and to draw the conclusion that it would be well for him to do homage to the glorified monarch, human or divine.
A little later, in what may be termed the classical period, the historians had attained to a somewhat freer position and wider vision, and they sought to glorify heroes who were neither gods nor kings, but the representatives of the people in a more popular sense. Thus the Iliad dwells upon the achievements of Achilles and Ajax and Hector rather than upon the deeds of Menelaus and Priam, the opposing kings. Hitherto the deeds of all these heroes would simply have been transferred to the credit of the king. Now the individual of lesser rank is to have a hearing. Moreover, the state itself is now considered apart from its particular ruler. The histories of Herodotus, of Xenophon, of Thucydides, of Polybius, in effect make for the glorification, not of individuals, but of peoples.