HER MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, ARTS AND ARMS: RESTORED FROM HER MONUMENTS. BY PHILIP HENRY GOSSE. PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND EDUCATION LONDON: Printed for the SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE; SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY, GREAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIES; 4, ROYAL EXCHANGE; AND BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. 1852. PREFACE. THE opening of the grave of buried Nineveh by M. Botta and Mr. Layard, is an event of which we cannot yet measure the importance. The mighty empire of Assyria had been hitherto known to us scarcely more than by name: dim traditions of her grandeur had indeed loomed through the haze of a far distant antiquity, and Sacred History had introduced her as an irresistible crusher of the nations, only the instant before she herself was crushed signally and irretrievably; like a torch, which, suddenly brought out of the concealment in which it had long been burning, casts a broad fiery glare upon the night for a moment, and is quenched for ever. But, by the wondrous providence of God directing the expectations and energies of European archæologists to the spot, remains of that great empire, possessed of the highest interest, have been discovered; elaborate sculptures, in many cases as fresh in their sharp and delicate lines as if newly from the chisel of the artist, detailing with beautiful clearness and precision the manners and customs, occupations and amusements, arts and arms, of a nation that was in its grave before recognised profane history began her task. These, with many other relics found in the rubbish of the buried palaces, have been carefully copied in the magnificent volumes of the discoverers; and the specimens themselves, or at least a great number of them, are now patent to the world in the Museums of Paris and London. But even these pictures of Assyrian manners, sketched by Assyrian artists, are not the most valuable remains that have been brought to light. A multitude of inscriptions also have been recovered, the annals of the empire, engraved in alabaster and marble; and, by a singular and admirable coincidence, recovered at the very moment when the character and language in which they are written, were at length decyphered, after having baffled the ingenuity and learning of ages. These are now in process of being read, and though the arduous task has been only just commenced, the results that have been achieved are of the most valuable and gratifying character, as will be seen in the following pages; and stimulate the highest expectation from what remains to be translated. To collect from the recovered monuments the thousand traits of Assyrian life that they present; to deduce from what is expressed much that is only implied, the unseen from the seen; to digest the information thus acquired, and to arrange it methodically, so as to form an intelligible portraiture of the manners of the age and nation; have been the objects of the present work. In order to accomplish these, it was found necessary to form a minute and complete analysis of the monuments; noting down in its proper place, under the various heads and subdivisions in which the subject was arranged, every occurrence of an occupation, costume, weapon, animal, &c., in such a manner that all the representations of any particular object or incident could be seen at a glance, and referred to in order.* The acquaintance with Assyrian manners thus obtained from sources of unquestionable authority, constitutes the groundwork of the present volume; but with this has been conjoined a careful examination of collateral fountains of information respecting ancient usages, for illustrations alternately afforded and received. The sculptures and paintings of ancient Egypt, the remains of Sanscrit literature that have been translated and edited in Europe, the early poets and historians of Greece, especially Homer (a contemporary of the Assyrian age, the subject of whose principal poem was a vassal of the Ninevite court), and Herodotus (who was familiar with Oriental Of this analysis, which was a work of no small labour, the following specimen will convey an idea to the reader; the letters referring to Mr. Layard's "Monuments of Nineveh," folio, Lond. 1849, (L); and to M. Botta's "Monument de Ninive," folio, Par. 1850, (B); and the numbers to the plates of those superb works. WAR. ARMS (defensive). Shield.-L. 8, 10, 11, 13, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 27, 31, 62, 63, 66, 69, 72, 75, 78, 80. B. 49, 55, 59 (bis), 60, 61, 62, 65, 67, 68, 69, 77, 86, 89, 111, 140? 141, 145, 160. Armour (body).-L. 18, 19, 28, 64, 73, 78. B. 49, 55, 60, 62, 77, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91, 95, 99, 145. Helmet.-L. 10, 11, 13, 14, &c. |