Daughters and Sisters of Neo-Hittite and Aramaean Rulers in the Assyrian Harem. In: Fortin, Michel (ed.) : Recherches canadiennes sur la Syrie antique / Canadian Research on Ancient Syria. Bulletin of the Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies, Vol. 36. Québec: pp. 175-184 (original) (raw)

2001, Daughters and Sisters of Neo-Hittite and Aramaean Rulers in the Assyrian Harem

-La présente étude s'intéresse à la composition ethnique du harem assyrien entre 934 et 745 ay. J.-C.; l'auteur en profite pour s'interroger à nouveau sur les origines de la fameuse reine assyrienne Sammuramat (Sémiramis). De nombreuses références relatives à l'appropriation de filles, de soeurs et de femmes de rois hittites et araméens se trouvent dans le corpus des inscriptions royales assyriennes. Un examen de ces inscriptions révèle que durant les règnes des deux plus puissants rois assyriens, Assurnasirpal II et Shalmanasar III, 96 à 100% des femmes nobles reçues comme tribut ou prises de force vinrent des territoires situés à l'ouest de l'empire (comprenant la Syrie). Alors que ce pourcentage est beaucoup plus bas durant les périodes qui précèdent et qui suivent. La reine Sémiramis serait peut-être venue de ces régions à l'ouest de l'empire, notamment de Syrie? ABSTRACT-This brief study investigates the ethnographic composition of the Assyrian harem in the early first millennium BC (934-745 BC) as well as reassesses the origin of the famous Assyrian queen Sammuramat (Semiramis). Numerous references to the approp riation of daughters, sisters, and «women of the palace» of Neo-Hititte (Luwian) and Aramaean ruters are found in the extensive corpus of Assyrian royal insc riptions. An examination of these insc riptions reveats that during the reigns of the two most powerful Assyrian monarchs of the Earty Neo-Assyrian Period, Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC) and Shalmaneser III (858-824 BC), 96 to 100% of the «royal» and/or «noble» women received as tribute or taken by force came from territories west of Assyria proper. However, in the periods immediately preceding (934-884 BC) and following (823-747 BC) these two kings, the percentage is much lower, ranging between 6 to 67%. In addition, the origin of sammuramat (Semiramis) is reassessed in light of the approp ri ation of «royal» and «noble» women during the reign of Shalmaneser III (858-824 BC). This statement could also apply to the Early Neo-Assyrian Period (934-745 BC), the period being considered in this manuscript. 1 A.K. Grayson, G. Frame and P.E. Dion kindly served as readers for this manuscript and made numerous valuable comments. In addition, J. Jones, serving as a non-specialist reader, proofed the final edition of this paper and offered helpfut suggestions. Their time and care is greatly appreciated. Moreover, I woutd also like to thank Dr. L. Shiff, as well as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada who suppo rt the Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia Project, whose archives were an invaluable resource in the preparation of this article. Harem, derived from Arabic harem, meaning "unlawful," "protected," or "forbidden," is taken in its secular meaning, referring to a separate, protected pa rt of a household where women, children, and se rvants reside in maximum seclusion and protection, and to the women themselves. In India it is referred to as purdah, as it 'ing in Chinese, and as enderun or zenane in Persian.