 |
SemiramidaAssyrian queen |
Biography of Semiramis
Semiramis, also known as Shammuramat, was the Assyrian queen who betrayed her husband to ascend the throne of ancient Assyria, only to be overthrown by her own son. Despite not having any connection to the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, she was the founder of the legendary city of Babylon. Interestingly, the Greeks were the only ones who knew the story of Semiramis' birth.
According to Greek myths, the goddess Aphrodite was enraged with a certain goddess named Derketo, who had a fish tail. As punishment, she made Derketo fall in love with a mortal man. Once Derketo gave birth to a daughter from this union, the spell was broken, and the goddess, full of snobbery, was deeply offended by her unworthy relationship with a human. She killed her lover and left her daughter to die in the harsh sands of Syria. However, the newborn baby was saved by doves who brought her cheese and milk in their beaks. She was found by shepherds who lived nearby, and they took her in and raised her. The shepherd who cared for the child was named Simassu, and he gave her the name Semiramis, which meant "dove" in Syrian.
Semiramis grew up among the shepherds and blossomed into a beautiful young woman, surpassing all other girls in the area. It is no wonder that a passing advisor to the Assyrian king, named Onnes, was immediately captivated by her beauty. He wasted no time and proposed to her, taking the lovely bride to Nineveh, the capital of his country.
The kingdom was restless, with King Nin constantly at war, causing Onnes to be away on business and yearning for Semiramis. Then, Nin decided to wage war against the neighboring kingdom of Bactria. However, the Bactrians showed heroic resistance, and the Assyrians grew tired of storming their impenetrable walls. Onnes, desperate without his wife, invited Semiramis to the military camp. To conceal her presence in the midst of battle, Semiramis was instructed to wear a fashionable "unisex" outfit, so that no one could tell whether she was a woman or a man.
Semiramis visited her husband and, not being knowledgeable about military tactics and strategies, suddenly came up with a brilliant idea. She suggested to Onnes, "Since armies usually attack the weakest part of fortifications, that's where the most defensive forces gather. Strike at the strongest barriers – there are likely no defenders behind them!" Onnes conveyed the plan to Nin, who listened and... won the war! Impressed, he wished to see the person who had come up with such an idea. It was a grave mistake for Onnes to comply!
Upon seeing Onnes' wife, Nin instantly fell passionately in love with her. In a friendly manner, he asked Onnes to give her to him. When Onnes showed resistance, the king threatened to gouge out his eyes, as he had no need for them since he didn't want to notice the whims of his subject! Desperate, Onnes found no way out but to kill himself with a sword. However, Nin had another plan for him. The important thing was that he obtained Semiramis. However, Semiramis did not want to be a mere concubine. Even if she was adored, praised, and had given birth to a son for the king, she did not want to be just that. One day, she proposed a fun game to Nin – he, as the king, should become her, the queen, for one day. That was all she needed to taste the alluring flavor of limitless power. Nin laughed and granted her request: for one day, he relinquished all his powers and bestowed them upon Semiramis. The young woman wasted no time and ordered the execution of the king, who was idle at the time. She then seated herself on the throne.
With Semiramis' reign, a century of splendor and prosperity began. However, her methods of achieving prosperity were not known for their humanity. For instance, in order to improve the country's gene pool, Semiramis castrated all weak and unattractive men. It was no wonder that behind her back, this "dove" was called the "Dark Queen."
On the banks of the mighty Euphrates River, Semiramis founded the legendary city of Babylon. She fortified it with powerful walls, drained the surrounding marshes, built a wide trade road to the kingdom of Lydia, and constructed a magnificent bridge across the Euphrates, along with an astonishingly beautiful tower – the temple of the god Bel. The tower was so tall that the inhabitants could observe the sunrise and sunset from it.
Driven by her bloodthirsty spirit as a conqueror, Semiramis waged wars against Media, Libya, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Her innate cunning and resourcefulness helped her secure victories over them. The reasons for going to war were not only for the appetizing lands and resources; sometimes, it was enough for the queen to be provoked. For example, when an Indian ruler made jokes about her insatiable appetite for romantic affairs, Semiramis considered it an insult and marched with her armies towards India. It was only a prophetic sign that visited her in a dream, just in time, that dissuaded the furious queen from her impulsive action. Semiramis turned her army around and returned to Babylon to live a comfortable life.
However, she soon felt deeply offended once again. This time, the reason was significant – she was rejected as a lover. Ara the Beautiful, the king of Urartu (the then name for Armenia), conquered the infatuated Semiramis with his dazzling beauty and bravery. The Assyrian queen decided to unite the two kingdoms and sent Ara a bold proposal: come and be my spouse, ruling together with me! However, she added, if he did not wish to become her husband, he should hurry and fulfill her "passionate desire" to return with great honors.
Ara did not rush to her side. He adamantly refused her offer. This infuriated the queen.
Once again, an army gathered, once again, it mercilessly attacked foreign borders. Urartu held its ground, but in one of the battles, Ara the Beautiful was mortally wounded.
Both warring sides froze in terror. Semiramis sent soldiers to bring the dying king to her – Ara died in her tent. Overwhelmed by grief, the queen summoned the high priest of her kingdom and ordered him to place Ara's body on top of Mount Ara-ler, at the foot of which he had been wounded, and to call upon the Assyrian spirits, called arolesam, to descend from the heavens and lick the wounds of the fallen warriors, thereby reviving them.
For ten days, the priest diligently recited prayers. Only when signs of decomposition became evident did Semiramis come to her senses. She ordered Ara's body to be cremated and his royal garments to be worn by a warrior, who would be shown from a distance to the waiting Urartian troops. Let them believe that their king, alive and well, was leaving with Semiramis for Babylon. The warriors indeed believed it. The battle with Urartu could be considered over. Upon returning home, Semiramis refrained from engaging in dizzying love affairs and focused on her reign. However, it did not last long. Her son, Ninus, decided that his mother had overstayed her welcome on the throne and desired her death. According to mythological legends, Semiramis willingly relinquished the throne to her son, transforming herself into a dove and flying away in that form to the immortal gods. However, according to dry historical chronicles, Ninus ultimately succeeded in his plan.
Two hundred years after the queen's death, King Nebuchadnezzar, who captured Babylon, created a lush oasis in its dry and inhospitable climate – the second wonder of the world, known as the "Hanging Gardens of Semiramis." It is interesting to note that the garden was built for Nebuchadnezzar's beloved wife, who had nothing to do with the legendary Assyrian queen. The wonder of the world, long erased from the face of the earth, became a legend, just like the name that was immortalized.
