Ancient Mesopotamia: portrait of a dead civilization PDF
Preview Ancient Mesopotamia: portrait of a dead civilization
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA ANCIENT of Portrait a Dead Civilization MESOPOTAMIA by A. Leo Oppenheim Revised Edition Completed by Erica Reiner THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS Chicago & London THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS, CHICAGO 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 1964, 1977 by The University of Chicago All rights reserved. Published 1977 Printed in the United States of America 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 rz 13 14 15 ISBN-13: 978-0-226-63187-5 (paper) ISBN-I0: 0-226-63187-7 (paper) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Oppenheim, A. Leo, 1904-1974. Ancient Mesopotamia: portrait of a dead civilization. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Civilization, Assyro-Babylonian. 2. Iraq Civilization-To 634. I. Reiner, Erica, 1926- II. Title. DS69.5.06 1976 935 76-28340 I§ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Infonnation Sciences-Pennanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. To OTTO NEUGEBAUER IN ADMIRATION Contents List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Preface to the Revised Edition xiii Prefatory Note Introduction: Assyriology-Why and How? 7 I. The Making of Mesopotamia 31 THE BACKGROUND / 32 THE SETTING / 35 THE ACTORS / 48 THE WORLD AROUND / 63 II. Go to, let us build us a city and a tower! 74 THE SOCIAL TEXTURE / 75 ECONOMIC FACTS / 83 "THE GREAT ORGANIZATIONS" / 95 THE CITY / !09 URBANISM / 125 III. Regnum a gente in gentem transfertur 143 HISTORICAL SOURCES OR LITERATURE? / 144 AN ESSAY ON BABYLONIAN HISTORY / 153 AN ESSAY ON ASSYRIAN HISTORY / 163 IV. Nah ist-und schwer zu fassen der Gott 171 WHY A "MESOPOTAMIAN RELIGION" SHOULD NOT BE WRITTEN / 172 THE CARE AND FEEDING OF THE GODS / 183 MESOPOTAMIAN "PSYCHOLOGY" / 198 THE ARTS OF THE DIVINER /206 V. lAterculis coctilibus THB MEANING OF WRITING / 228 THB SCRIBES / 235 THE CREATIVE EFFORT / 250 PATTERNS IN NON-LITERARY TEXTS / 276 VI. There are many strange wonders, but nothing more wonderful than man 288 MEDICINE AND PHYSICIANS / 289 MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY / 305 CRAFTSMEN AND ARTISTS / 310 Epilogue 332 Appendix: Mesopotamian Chronology of the Historical Period by J. A. Brinkman 335 Notes 349 Bibliographical Notes 388 Glossary of Names and Terms 398 Index 419 IIIu stra tions PLATES (Following page 208) I King Assurbanipal of Assyria 2 Winged figure carrying sacrificial animal 3 Court musicians 4 Chariot in action 5 Conquered city 6 Prisoners of war 7 Defeat of the Elarnites 8 Assyrian general receiving heads 9 Royal chariot 10 Scribes II Workmen in a quarry 12 Lions emerging from cage 13 Flocks 14 Hunting wild asses IS The Ancient Near East MAPS Page Syria and the Upper Euphrates 39 The Upper Tigris and the Middle Euphrates 43 Babylonia and Elam 47
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