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A royal inscription of “Semiramis” reflects the Assyrian royal ideology.
Polyaenus, Stratagemata 8.26:
While taking a bath, Semiramis heard of the Siracians’ revolt and immediately, barefoot and without even braiding her hair, went out for war. The following is inscribed on her stele: “Nature made me a woman, but by my deeds I became not at all inferior to the brave men. As the queen of Ninus, I set my border to the east at the Hinamanes River, to the south at the land bearing francincense and myrrh, to the north at the Sacae and Sogdi. Hitherto no Assyrian saw the sea, but I saw four seas. It is not too far for me to reach them. What desire then is there to set borders on seas? I compelled rivers to run where I wanted, and I wanted them to run where it was advantageous. I taught how to sow unfruitful land, for I kneaded it with my rivers. I provided invincible walls; I chained unclimbable rocks with iron; for my wagons I built roads, where not even wild animals passed through before. I had a long, extraordinary time of activities, during which I indulged myself and my friends.”
Valerius Maximus 9.3.ext.4:
Semiramis, queen of Assyria, was busy doing her hair when news came that Babylon had revolted. Leaving one half of it loose, she immediately ran to storm the city and did not restore her coiffure to a seemly order before she brought it back into her power. For that reason her statue was set up in Babylon showing her as she moved in precipitate haste to take her vengeance.
Sources (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Polyaenus, Stratagemata 8.26
Valerius Maximus 9.3.ext.4
Bibliography
| Krentz and Wheeler 1994, 782-785 | Krentz P. and E. L. Wheeler. Polyaenus, Stratagems of War. Chicago: Ares Publishers 1994. |
Amar Annus
URL for this entry: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/database/gen_html/a0000075.php
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