Assyrian archer with suit of mail and bow and arrow.

Assyrian archer

Assyrian archer with suit of mail and bow and arrow.

An ancient caricature of dragons fighting.

Assyrian Caricature.

An ancient caricature of dragons fighting.

An ancient Assyrian wall relief, depicting two hunters on a chariot.

Assyrian Chariot Wall Relief

An ancient Assyrian wall relief, depicting two hunters on a chariot.

An ancient Assyrian divider with an ornamental horse design.

Assyrian Divider 1

An ancient Assyrian divider with an ornamental horse design.

A decorative divider dating back from ancient Assyria.

Assyrian Divider 2

A decorative divider dating back from ancient Assyria.

An example of figures outside of a palace in ancient Assyria.

Assyrian Figures

An example of figures outside of a palace in ancient Assyria.

God of Assyria, an ancient country of Asia.

Assyrian God Ninip

God of Assyria, an ancient country of Asia.

The costume of an Assyrian King.

Assyrian King

The costume of an Assyrian King.

Lotus motive.

Assyrian Ornament

Lotus motive.

Lotus-palamette motive.

Assyrian Ornament

Lotus-palamette motive.

Rosette motive.

Assyrian Ornament

Rosette motive.

Scale motive.

Assyrian Ornament

Scale motive.

Winged disk motive.

Assyrian Ornament

Winged disk motive.

Guilloche motive.

Assyrian Ornament

Guilloche motive.

Chevron motive.

Assyrian Ornament

Chevron motive.

Pomegranate motive.

Assyrian Ornament

Pomegranate motive.

Pomegranate motive.

Assyrian Ornament

Pomegranate motive.

Repeating band motive with pine cones (a) and lotus flowers (b).

Assyrian Ornament

Repeating band motive with pine cones (a) and lotus flowers (b).

Sacred tree design.

Assyrian Ornament

Sacred tree design.

Assyrian volutes.

Assyrian Ornament

Assyrian volutes.

Palm tree from a relief.

Assyrian Ornament

Palm tree from a relief.

An ancient palace located in Assyria.

Assyrian Palace

An ancient palace located in Assyria.

In ancient Assyria, princes, princesses, and priests vied with each other in luxury.

Assyrian Princess in Full Dress

In ancient Assyria, princes, princesses, and priests vied with each other in luxury.

The griffin, a monster with a lion's or panther's body and the head and wings of an eagle, played an important part in the Assyrian system of religious symbolism.

Assyrian Relief Sculpture

The griffin, a monster with a lion's or panther's body and the head and wings of an eagle, played an…

Portal guardian, an Assyrian winged bull from Khorsabad.

Assyrian Sculpture

Portal guardian, an Assyrian winged bull from Khorsabad.

A depiction of two soldiers fighting for Assyria, using bow and arrows against their enemies.

Assyrian Soldiers Fighting

A depiction of two soldiers fighting for Assyria, using bow and arrows against their enemies.

"The king, a rude heroic figure, stands upright before the god. He holds a club in the left hand, in the right a sickle or crook, emblematic of the shepherd of his people. The right arm is bare; the left is covered by a richly fringed mantle, thrown twice round the body."—Webster, 1913

An Assyrian Statue

"The king, a rude heroic figure, stands upright before the god. He holds a club in the left hand, in…

An ancient Assyrian wall relief, showing four hunters.

Assyrian Wall Relief

An ancient Assyrian wall relief, showing four hunters.

A native to the ancient kingdom of Assyria.

An Assyrian

A native to the ancient kingdom of Assyria.

Assyrians flaying prisoners alive.

Assyrians Flaying Prisoners Alive

Assyrians flaying prisoners alive.

"Babylon is said, by some writers, to have owed its foundation to Queen Semiramis, a person whose history, as it is handed down by tradition, seems to consist rather of entertaining fictions than substantial realities. By other authors, the foundation of the city is ascribed to Belus, and Nebuchadnezzar is allowed to have completed the labor. It stood on the Euphrates, in the middle of a wide plain, and was built in the form of an exact square, each side being fifteen miles in extent." — Goodrich, 1844

Babylon

"Babylon is said, by some writers, to have owed its foundation to Queen Semiramis, a person whose history,…

A poster of ancient Babylonia: Chaldea, Assyria, Persia, soldiers, religion, writing, and structures.

Babylonia Poster

A poster of ancient Babylonia: Chaldea, Assyria, Persia, soldiers, religion, writing, and structures.

Also known as a Lamassu. An ancient tutelary deity, often considered to be female.

An Assyrian Winged Bull

Also known as a Lamassu. An ancient tutelary deity, often considered to be female.

An ancient Assyrian wall relief, depicting the symbol of a winged bull with the head of a human male.

Winged Bull

An ancient Assyrian wall relief, depicting the symbol of a winged bull with the head of a human male.

"Winged bulls of the gateway at Khorsabad."—D'Anvers, 1895

Winged bulls

"Winged bulls of the gateway at Khorsabad."—D'Anvers, 1895

An illustration of a Chaldaean Temple.

Chaldaean Temple

An illustration of a Chaldaean Temple.

Assyrian war-chariot.

Chariot

Assyrian war-chariot.

"The stalwart character and aggressive bearing of the Assyrians were particularly shown in war. The same ferocity which they manifested in the pursuit and destruction of beasts they also exhibited in hunting men. The sculptures show that the feeling of the Assyrians towards the foe was one, not of hostility only, but of hatred and contempt."—Ridpath, 1885

Assyrian War Chariot

"The stalwart character and aggressive bearing of the Assyrians were particularly shown in war. The…

Clay coffin from Assyria.

Coffin

Clay coffin from Assyria.

An example of cuneform writing.

Cuneform Writing

An example of cuneform writing.

"Part of the Rock-cut facade of the Tomb of Darius." —D'Anvers, 1895

Rock-cut facade

"Part of the Rock-cut facade of the Tomb of Darius." —D'Anvers, 1895

"Assyrian Fringes, from ancient bas-reliefs. Fringe: an ornamental bordering formed of short lengths of thread." -Whitney, 1911

Assyrian Fringe

"Assyrian Fringes, from ancient bas-reliefs. Fringe: an ornamental bordering formed of short lengths…

"Assyrian Fringes, from ancient bas-reliefs. Fringe: an ornamental bordering formed of short lengths of thread." -Whitney, 1911

Assyrian Fringe

"Assyrian Fringes, from ancient bas-reliefs. Fringe: an ornamental bordering formed of short lengths…

Relief sculpture of a Genius from Assyria.

Genius

Relief sculpture of a Genius from Assyria.

Relief sculpture of a Genius from Assyria (detail).

Genius

Relief sculpture of a Genius from Assyria (detail).

An Assyrian Harp.

Harp, Assyrian

An Assyrian Harp.

Cuneiform writing from Assyria.

Inscription

Cuneiform writing from Assyria.

Ishtar, from an Assyrian cylinder.

Ishtar

Ishtar, from an Assyrian cylinder.

An Assyrian King and his chief Minister.

Assyrian King and his Chief Minster

An Assyrian King and his chief Minister.

"The Assyrian physiognomy, as determined by the sculptures exhumed from the ruins of Nimrud and Khorsabad, is identical with that which the Israelite has made familiar to all the world. The forehead is low and straight; the brow prominent; the eyes large and oriental; the nose aquiline and sometimes coarse; the mouth firm-set; the lips rather thick; the chin strong and symmetrical."—Ridpath, 1885

Assyrian King

"The Assyrian physiognomy, as determined by the sculptures exhumed from the ruins of Nimrud and Khorsabad,…

The Assyrian Lion is on a glazed clay slab at a royal palace in Khorsabad, Assyria during the 6th century B.C.

Assyrian Lion

The Assyrian Lion is on a glazed clay slab at a royal palace in Khorsabad, Assyria during the 6th century…

A wall relief of the ancient Assyrian lion. These sculptures were placed in doorways as protective entities.

Assyrian Lion

A wall relief of the ancient Assyrian lion. These sculptures were placed in doorways as protective entities.

Image of men bowing outside the palace of Sennacherib, located in ancient Assyria.

Men Bowing

Image of men bowing outside the palace of Sennacherib, located in ancient Assyria.

"A representation of a very early double stater of Miletus, in Ionia, of which the type is the lion's head, derived from Persia and Assyria, and associated with the worship of Cybele, a symbol which is continued in the later coinage of Miletus." — Chambers, 1881

Miletus Coin

"A representation of a very early double stater of Miletus, in Ionia, of which the type is the lion's…

The animal life of Assyria was extremely varied. This image depicts a mule from this area.

Assyrian Mule

The animal life of Assyria was extremely varied. This image depicts a mule from this area.

"The most illustrious of Babylonian kings, was the son of Nabopolassar, the general of the Babylonian garrison at the time the Assyrian empire fell to pieces after the death of Assur-bani-pal. The Babylonians then thre off the hated yoke of Assyria, and Nebopolassar was proclaimed king of Babylonia, in 625 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar succeeded him in 604, reigning 43 years, and was one of the greatest sovereigns who ever rules the ancient empire." — Beach, 1900

Nebuchadnezzar

"The most illustrious of Babylonian kings, was the son of Nabopolassar, the general of the Babylonian…

The name Nebuchadnezzar in cuneiform.

Nebuchadnezzar

The name Nebuchadnezzar in cuneiform.

"Winged Eagle-headed figure from Nimrud." —D'Anvers, 1895

Figure from Nimrud

"Winged Eagle-headed figure from Nimrud." —D'Anvers, 1895

Assyrian Palace at Nineveh

nineveh

Assyrian Palace at Nineveh

Nisroch, the Assyrian god of agriculture.

Nisroch

Nisroch, the Assyrian god of agriculture.