Stele of Naramsin
c. 2254-2218 BCE
Akkad
Duccio’s Maesta
Entry into Jerusalem
Art of the Ancient Near East
Votive Statue of Gudea
c. 2120 BCE
What does the word “votive” mean? Why do the
votive figures have proportionally enormous
eyes?
Votive Statues
c. 2900-2600
The Ziggurat of Ur
c. 2100-2050 BCE in Modern Iraq
What is a ziggurat?
What is the symbolic function of a ziggurat?
What is the political purpose of a ziggurat?
The Ziggurat of Ur c. 2100-2050 BCE in Modern Iraq
A ziggurat is meant to act as a bridge heaven and earth. A ziggurrat is also meant to
proclaim the wealth and prestige of a city as well as the strength and stability of a city’s
rules or laws (remember Antigone and what Creon claimed: the city is our safety).
Practically, a ziggurat is a stepped pyramid structure with a temple or shrine on top.
How is this Mayan Temple (5th7th century CE; Palenque,
Mexico) similar to a ziggurat?
Hint: Think about the symbolic
function of each.
Stele of Naramsin
c. 2254-2218 BCE Akkad
This stele is meant to commemorate an
important victory.
Things to think about:
Why is Naramsin so much bigger than the other
figures in the relief? Do you remember the term
“hieratic scale”?
Where do all the soldiers—both the vanquished
mountain people as well as Naramsin’s
soldiers—gaze?
What do the three suns at the top of the stele
symbolize?
What does Narasim’s horned helmet symbolize?
What is the wavy line meant to indicate?
Can you tell the difference between Naramsin’s
soldiers and the vanquished?
Can you find the vanquished soldier who is
fleeing? Can you find the vanquished soldier
that Narasim crushes with his foot?
Stele of
Naramsin
c. 2254-2218
BCE Akkad
Stele of
Naramsin
c. 2254-2218
BCE Akkad
Who are the two men at
the top of the stele?
What is the significance
of this stele?
What was the king’s
role?
What is the significance
of the lower two-thirds
of this stele?
Stele of Hammurabi
c. 1792-1750 Babylonia
Stele of Hammurabi
c. 1792-1750
The two men at the top of the stele are
Hammurabi and Shamash (the sun god and
god of justice).
Hammurabi created the most important set of
legal codes from the Ancient Near East.
These legal codes predate the biblical Ten
Commandments and may be the source of
these laws.
This image on the stele argues powerfully
that Hammurabi’s code was given directly to
him by god—by Shamash. Notice the rays of
light which emanate from Shamash’s
shoulders. He is seated on a throne which is
“seated” at the top of a mountain.
Notice too that Hammurabi is almost as large
as Shamash; Hammurabi addresses
Shamash directly. The idea represented here
is that the laws are somehow immutable and
divine--the laws are given to man by god.
Stele of Hammurabi
c. 1792-1750
This stele is intended to ensure the
uniform treatment of people
throughout the kingdom. Below the
image of Shamash and
Hammurabi there is a tremendous
amount of writing in cuneiform.
This text has three parts: the first
enacts the king’s investiture—his
right to rule; the second section of
the text is an ode to the king’s
glory (Hammurabi is the best and
most powerful of all kings); the
third part is the most significant to
us.
The third section records three hundred specific laws that govern Babylonia. These laws
were written in cuneiform in an accessible language and were meant to be easily
understood by the common man. The language is very direct; forbidden actions and the
requisite punishment are recorded. Significantly, the laws are uniform and apply to all
people regardless of wealth, class, or gender. The king’s role is to act as an intermediary
between his citizens and the gods.
Human-Headed Winged Lion
Lamassu (plural: lamassus)
883-859
Assyrian
This sculpture has the bearded
head of a man, the powerful body
of a lion or bull, the wings of an
eagle, and the horned headdress
of a god.
A pair of these sculptures would
flank the entry to the throne room.
What is a lamassu?
Why is a lamassu large—usually
twice a man’s height?
What is the purpose of the
lamassu?
Human-Headed Winged Lion
Lamassu (plural: lamassus)
883-859
Assyrian
The entire purpose of a
lamassu is to inspire civic
pride and to inspire fear.
A lamassu is a guardianprotector of an Assyrian
palace or throne room.
Usually a lamassu is twice a
man’s height to symbolize the
strength of the ruler the
lamassu defends.
Why does the lamassu have
five legs?
Hint: How is the viewer
meant to interact with this
sculpture?
Human-Headed Winged Lion
Lamassu
How have the sculptors deliberately indicated that the king,
which the viewer is about to see, is god-like?
Hint: Notice the “crown which the lamassu wears:
how many “horns” or folds does it have?
Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions
c. 850 BCE
Why would an image of the king killing lions help create power? Or rather the cult
of power?
Are there any other images of “power” that you can connect to this one?
This relief is at the British Museum in London; the Met in New York City has quite
a few as well.
Ishtar Gate and Throne Room Wall
Neo-Babylonia c. 575 BCE
There were eight double gates that surrounded the city of Babylon. N, ascended to the
throne and proceeded to rebuild the ancient city of Babylon. This gate and the wall are
the remnants of N. building program.
He fortified and strengthened eleven miles of wall around the city; he reconstructed the
Great Ziggurat of Babylon, he created palaces and hanging gardens.
The lions represent Ishtar.
The Flood Tablet, relating part of the Epic of Gilgamesh
Gold Coin of Croesus
Daric coin,
first minted under Darius I of Persia, 4th century BCE