Shammuramat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shammuramat |
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| Woman of the Palace | |
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| Born | c. 850 BC |
| Died | c. 798 BC (aged c. 52) |
| Spouse | Shamshi-Adad V |
| Issue | Adad-nirari III |
| Akkadian | Sammu-rāmat or Sammu-ramāt |
Shammuramat (also known as Sammuramat or Shamiram) was a very powerful queen of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. She started as the main wife of King Shamshi-Adad V (who ruled from 824–811 BC). After her husband died, Shammuramat became very important during the rule of her son, Adad-nirari III (who ruled from 811–783 BC).
Historians still discuss her exact role. However, it's clear she was one of the most influential women in the ancient Near East. She is the only known Assyrian queen who kept her queen title after her husband died. She is also the only ancient Assyrian or Mesopotamian woman known to have joined, and perhaps even led, a military campaign.
We don't know much about where Shammuramat came from. Her name could be from a West Semitic language or the Akkadian language. She might have been from Assyria, Babylonia, the Levant, or Phoenicia. If she was a foreigner, people usually think she was a princess. We don't know much about her power when her husband was alive. But under her son, Adad-nirari, she had a very special role for a woman of that time.
The Pazarcık Stele shows she went with her son on a military trip. They went to fight against the Kummuh people in Syria. Both Shammuramat and Adad-nirari are given credit for making the empire bigger. They expanded it into the Levant, Anatolia, and ancient Iran. Some old writings show that local governors honored both the king and Shammuramat. This was unusual, as they usually only honored the king. All signs point to Shammuramat being a very famous person in her time.
Later stories in Persian, Levantine, and Greek traditions remembered Shammuramat. They called her the legendary warrior-queen Semiramis. Semiramis was said to be a half-divine daughter of the goddess Atargatis. She was also the wife of a fictional king named Ninus. Ninus was the mythical founder of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire. Many amazing things were said about Semiramis. These included winning a battle at the city of Bactra and founding Babylon. She was also said to have invented a type of pants. These pants later became popular with the Medes, Persians, and Parthians. There are many similarities between the real Shammuramat and the legendary Semiramis. Semiramis's achievements are mostly myths, not historical facts. Both Shammuramat and Semiramis are still popular names for girls among the Assyrian people today.
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Understanding Shammuramat's Name
What Her Name Means
Shammuramat's name was written as mí.sa-am-mu–ra-mat in old Assyrian writings. It can be spelled as Sammu-rāmat, Sammu-ramāt, or Šammu-ramat. Her name might come from either West Semitic or Akkadian languages.
The most likely meaning of her name is "God is exalted" or "God is beloved." This is because her name likely includes a part that refers to a god. Sammu was the name of a lesser-known god in the Neo-Assyrian period.
Other Ideas About Her Name
In old Greek writings, Shammuramat's name appears as Semiramis. A Greek historian named Diodorus Siculus (from the 1st century BC) thought the name came from an Assyrian word for "dove." This idea might have come from linking "Semi-" to the Akkadian word for "dove."
Some other ideas about her name have been suggested. One idea is that it means "thunder of heaven." Another idea is that it means "high heavens."
Where Did Shammuramat Come From?
Shammuramat was born around 850 BC. We don't know much about her early life from old records. Later Greek and Roman stories said she was from the Levant or was a native Assyrian.
Modern historians have also guessed about her origin. Some thought she was a Babylonian princess. Others suggested she might have been a princess from Urartu or Ashkelon. Ashkelon seems unlikely because it was a small city far from Assyrian interests at that time. Another idea is that she was a princess from Syria. However, all these ideas are just guesses.
Shammuramat's Important Role
During Her Husband's Rule
Shammuramat was the wife and queen of the Neo-Assyrian king Shamshi-Adad V. There are not many records about her from her husband's time. She is only mentioned on one small bead with her name on it. So, we don't know much about her power or influence during his rule.
Her Power During Her Son's Rule
Shammuramat is mentioned more often during the rule of her son, Adad-nirari III. She became very important at this time. Adad-nirari was probably young when he became king. This might be why Shammuramat was able to have such a big role. Because there are limited records, her exact position is still debated. But it's clear she was a very famous person.
Some historians think Shammuramat might have been a "queen regnant" for a while. This means she might have ruled the empire herself. Other historians disagree, but they all agree she was a powerful woman. She played a big part in running the empire, especially when her son was young. She might have acted like the head of the family after her husband died. Shammuramat does not appear in later Assyrian stories. This might be because Assyrian beliefs made it hard to show a powerful woman ruler.
The strongest sign of Shammuramat's great power is a stone marker called a boundary stele. Adad-nirari set it up near modern-day Pazarcık in Turkey. This stele shows that Shammuramat went with her son on a military trip. They went to fight against the Kingdom of Kummuh in Syria. She is the only known ancient Assyrian woman to take part in a military campaign.
Some historians think that because she was mentioned so much, she might have even led the campaign. The stele says that Adad-nirari did the fighting. This was important for Assyrian beliefs. But the important job of expanding Assyrian land and setting up the stele is given to both Adad-nirari and Shammuramat. This is shown by using the word "they." Also, the stele mentions Adad-nirari's descent from both his father and his mother, Shammuramat. Kings usually only mentioned their father's side.
Shammuramat was famous even when she was alive. In Assur, the religious center of the Assyrian Empire, many stone markers (stelae) were set up. Most were for kings and male officials. But only three were for women. Shammuramat's was one of them. This shows that only very special women could have their own stelae. Shammuramat's stele in Assur gives her the same important titles as the Pazarcık stele.
Shammuramat is also mentioned on two statues from Kalhu, the Assyrian capital. These statues were given to the god Nabu by a governor named Bel-tarṣi-ilumma. The inscriptions say the statues were made "for the life of" King Adad-nirari and Queen Shammuramat. Usually, only the king was mentioned.
It's possible that Shammuramat later left her political role. She might have become a temple woman at a major temple, perhaps the Nabu temple in Kalhu. Shammuramat likely died around 798 BC.
The Legend of Semiramis
Shammuramat is widely believed to be the main inspiration for the legendary Assyrian warrior-queen Semiramis. However, the Semiramis legend also includes ideas from other real and mythical figures. These include later Assyrian queens like Atalia and Naqi'a.
No ancient writings about the Semiramis legend have been found yet. But it is thought to have started as an Assyrian story. Later, it spread to Persian, Greek, and Roman literature. We mainly know the legend today from the writings of Diodorus Siculus and Ctesias.
Semiramis's Birth and Early Life
According to Ctesias, Semiramis was born in Ashkelon. Her mother was the Greek goddess Derceto, and her father was a human. Derceto was said to have fallen in love with the human after angering the goddess Aphrodite. Derceto gave birth to Semiramis but then abandoned her. She threw herself into a lake and turned into a mermaid-like creature. The baby Semiramis was kept alive by doves, who kept her warm and fed her. Later, a shepherd named Simmas found and adopted her.
There's a puzzling link between Semiramis and fish. In ancient Mesopotamia, the god Nabu was sometimes linked to fish. Mermaid-like statues were often found in his temples. Since Shammuramat was mentioned in a dedication to Nabu, there might be a small connection.
Semiramis as a Warrior and Queen
In most legends, Semiramis marries Ninus. Ninus is a legendary founder of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire. In these stories, Semiramis often outshines her husband. Ctesias said Semiramis and Ninus lived around 2166 BC.
In Ctesias's story, young Semiramis first married an Assyrian general named Onnes. They had two children. Onnes was fighting with Ninus to capture the city of Bactra. When the battle took a long time, Onnes sent for his wife. Semiramis thought he needed military help. So, she dressed for war, hiding that she was a woman. She even invented long-sleeved pants to hide her gender. These pants were said to be the first version of pants later popular among the Medes and Persians.
When Semiramis arrived in Bactra, she proved to be a skilled warrior. She helped capture the city. This made Ninus admire her and want to marry her. After this, Semiramis became Ninus's wife.
In the stories by Ctesias and Diodorus Siculus, Ninus was old when he married Semiramis. He died soon after their son, Ninyas, was born. With Ninus gone, Semiramis ruled the empire. She built a huge mound over Ninus's grave. She used his bones to decorate Nineveh, making his grave a symbol of her own power.
Semiramis is also credited with founding Babylon to rival Nineveh. Ctesias said she built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. However, another historian, Diodorus Siculus, said a later king built them. There is no historical proof that Shammuramat had any connection to Babylon or built anything there.
The legendary Semiramis also led military campaigns. She fought against Armenia and India. The story of her fight with Armenia might come from Adad-nirari's campaigns against Urartu (an early form of Armenia). One of Adad-nirari's enemies was King Argishti I. Argishti's father, Menua, built a large canal. This canal was later named the Shamiram Canal after Shammuramat.
Ctesias describes Semiramis's campaign in India as her only failure. She had to turn back after being injured by the Indian king. In some legends, Semiramis's life ends when her son Ninyas kills her. Ninyas is often described as a weak man who avoided fighting. These negative portrayals are different from older versions of the legend. In Ctesias's story, Semiramis kills her lovers and never remarries because she fears losing her throne.
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See also
In Spanish: Sammuramat para niños
