the religion of babylonia and assyria-第13部分

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　her　for　this　crime；　she　prayed　to　the　gods；　and　was　turned　into　a　tree；　from　whose　trunk　Adonis　was　afterwards　born。　Aphrodite　was　so　charmed　with　the　infant　that；　placing　him　in　a　chest；　she　gave　him　into　the　care　of　Persephone；　who；　however；　when　she　discovered　what　a　treasure　she　had　in　her　keeping；　refused　to　part　with　him　again。　Zeus　was　appealed　to；　and　decided　that　for　four　months　in　the　year　Adonis　should　be　left　to　himself；　four　should　be　spent　with　Aphrodite；　and　four　with　Persephone；　and　six　with　Aphrodite　on　earth。　He　was　afterwards　slain；　whilst　hunting；　by　a　wild　boar。

Nothing　has　come　down　to　us　as　yet　concerning　this　legend　except　the　incident　of　his　dwelling　in　Hades；　whither　I？tar；　the　Babylonian　Venus；　went　in　search　of　him。　It　is　not　by　any　means　unlikely；　however；　that　the　whole　story　existed　in　Babylonia；　and　thence　spread　to　Ph？nicia；　and　afterwards　to　Greece。　In　Ph？nicia　it　was　adapted　to　the　physical　conditions　of　the　country；　and　the　place　of　Tammuz's　encounter　with　the　boar　was　said　to　be　the　mountains　of　Lebanon；　whilst　the　river　named　after　him；　Adonis　（now　the　Nahr　Ibrahim）；　which　ran　red　with　the　earth　washed　down　by　the　autumn　rains；　was　said　to　be　so　coloured　in　consequence　of　being　mingled　with　his　blood。　The　descent　of　Tammuz　to　the　underworld；　typified　by　the　flowing　down　of　the　earth…laden　waters　of　the　rivers　to　the　sea；　was　not　only　celebrated　by　the　Ph？nicians；　but　also　by　the　Babylonians；　who　had　at　least　two　series　of　lamentations　which　were　used　on　this　occasion；　and　were　probably　the　originals　of　those　chanted　by　the　Hebrew　women　in　the　time　of　Ezekiel　（about　597　B。C。）。　Whilst　on　earth；　he　was　the　one　who　nourished　the　ewe　and　her　lamb；　the　goat　and　her　kid；　and　also　caused　them　to　be　slainprobably　in　sacrifice。　〃He　has　gone；　he　has　gone　to　the　bosom　of　the　earth；〃　the　mourners　cried；　〃he　will　make　plenty　to　overflow　for　the　land　of　the　dead；　for　its　lamentations　for　the　day　of　his　fall；　in　the　unpropitious　month　of　his　year。〃　There　was　also　lamentation　for　the　cessation　of　the　growth　of　vegetation；　and　one　of　these　hymns；　after　addressing　him　as　the　shepherd　and　husband　of　I？tar；　〃lord　of　the　underworld；〃　and　〃lord　of　the　shepherd's　seat；〃　goes　on　to　liken　him　to　a　germ　which　has　not　absorbed　water　in　the　furrow；　whose　bud　has　not　blossomed　in　the　meadow；　to　the　sapling　which　has　not　been　planted　by　the　watercourse；　and　to　the　sapling　whose　root　has　been　removed。　In　the　〃Lamentations〃　in　the　Manchester　Museum；　I？tar；　or　one　of　her　devotees；　seems　to　call　for　Tammuz；　saying；　〃Return；　my　husband；〃　as　she　makes　her　way　to　the　region　of　gloom　in　quest　of　him。　Ere？…ê…gala；　〃the　lady　of　the　great　house〃　（Persephone）；　is　also　referred　to；　and　the　text　seems　to　imply　that　I？tar　entered　her　domain　in　spite　of　her。　In　this　text　other　names　are　given　to　him；　namely；　/Tumu…giba/；　〃son　of　the　flute；〃　/Ama…elaggi/；　and　/？i…umunnagi/；　〃life　of　the　people。〃

The　reference　to　sheep　and　goats　in　the　British　Museum　fragment　recalls　the　fact　that　in　an　incantation　for　purification　the　person　using　it　is　told　to　get　the　milk　of　a　yellow　goat　which　has　been　brought　forth　in　the　sheep…fold　of　Tammuz；　recalling　the　flocks　of　the　Greek　sun…god　Helios。　These　were　the　clouds　illuminated　by　the　sun；　which　were　likened　to　sheepindeed；　one　of　the　early　Sumerian　expressions　for　〃fleece〃　was　〃sheep　of　the　sky。〃　The　name　of　Tammuz　in　Sumerian　is　Dumu…zi；　or　in　its　rare　fullest　form；　Dumu…zida；　meaning　〃true〃　or　〃faithful　son。〃　There　is　probably　some　legend　attached　to　this　which　is　at　present　unknown。

In　all　probability　I？tar；　the　spouse　of　Tammuz；　is　best　known　from　her　descent　into　Hades　in　quest　of　him　when　with　Persephone　（Ere？…ki…gal）　in　the　underworld。　In　this　she　had　to　pass　through　seven　gates；　and　an　article　of　clothing　was　taken　from　her　at　each；　until　she　arrived　in　the　underworld　quite　naked；　typifying　the　teaching；　that　man　can　take　nothing　away　with　him　when　he　departs　this　life。　During　her　absence；　things　naturally　began　to　go　wrong　upon　the　earth；　and　the　gods　were　obliged　to　intervene；　and　demand　her　release；　which　was　ultimately　granted；　and　at　each　gate；　as　she　returned；　the　adornments　which　she　had　left　were　given　back　to　her。　It　is　uncertain　whether　the　husband　whom　she　sought　to　release　was　set　free；　but　the　end　of　the　inscription　seems　to　imply　that　I？tar　was　successful　in　her　mission。

In　this　story　she　typifies　the　faithful　wife；　but　other　legends　show　another　side　of　her　character；　as　in　that　of　Gilgame？；　ruler　of　her　city　Erech；　to　whom　she　makes　love。　Gilgame？；　however；　knowing　the　character　of　the　divine　queen　of　his　city　too　well；　reproaches　her　with　her　treatment　of　her　husband　and　her　other　loversTammuz；　to　whom；　from　year　to　year；　she　caused　bitter　weeping；　the　bright　coloured　Allala　bird；　whom　she　smote　and　broke　his　wings；　the　lion　perfect　in　strength；　in　whom　she　cut　wounds　〃by　sevens〃；　the　horse　glorious　in　war；　to　whom　she　caused　hardship　and　distress；　and　to　his　mother　Silili　bitter　weeping；　the　shepherd　who　provided　for　her　things　which　she　liked；　whom　she　smote　and　changed　to　a　jackal；　I？ullanu；　her　father's　gardener；　whom　she　tried；　apparently；　to　poison；　but　failing；　she　smote　him；　and　changed　him　to　a　statue（？）。　On　being　thus　reminded　of　her　misdeeds；　I？tar　was　naturally　angry；　and；　ascending　to　heaven；　complained　to　her　father　Anu　and　her　mother　Anatu；　the　result　being；　that　a　divine　bull　was　sent　against　Gilgame？　and　Enki…du；　his　friend　and　helper。　The　bull；　however；　was　killed；　and　a　portion　of　the　animal　having　been　cut　off；　Enki…du　threw　it　at　the　goddess；　saying　at　the　same　time　that；　if　he　could　only　get　hold　of　her；　he　would　treat　her　similarly。　Apparently　I？tar　recognised　that　there　was　nothing　further　to　be　done　in　the　matter；　so；　gathering　the　hand…maidens；　pleasure…　women　and　whores；　in　their　presence　she　wept　over　the　portion　of　the　divine　bull　which　had　been　thrown　at　her。

The　worship　of　I？tar；　she　being　the　goddess　of　love　and　war；　was　considerably　more　popular　than　that　of　her　spouse；　Tammuz；　who；　as　among　the　western　Semitic　nations；　was　adored　rather　by　the　women　than　the　men。　Her　worship　was　in　all　probability　of　equal　antiquity；　and　branched　out；　so　to　say；　in　several　directions；　as　may　be　judged　by　her　many　names；　each　of　which　had　a　tendency　to　become　a　distinct　personality。　Thus　the　syllabaries　give　the　character　which　represents　her　name　as　having　also　been　pronounced　/Innanna/；　/Ennen/；　and　/Nin/；　whilst　a　not　uncommon　name　in　other　inscriptions　is　/Ama…Innanna/；　〃mother　I？tar。〃　The　principal　seat　of　her　worship　in　Babylonia　was　at　Erech；　and　in　Assyria　at　Ninevehalso　at　Arbela；　and　many　other　places。　She　was　also　honoured　（at　Erech　and　elsewhere）　under　the　Elamite　names　of　Ti？pak　and　？u？inak；　〃the　Susian　goddess。〃　


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nina。

From　the　name　/Nin/；　which　I？tar　bore；　there　is　hardly　any　doubt　that　she　acquired　the　identification　with　Nina；　which　is　provable　as　early　as　the　time　of　the　Laga？ite　kings；　Lugal…anda　and　Uru…ka…gina。　As　identified　with　Aruru；　the　goddess　who　helped　Merodach　to　create　mankind；　I？tar　was　also　regarded　as　the　mother　of　all；　and　in　the　Babylonian　story　of　the　Flood；　she　is　made　to