piter, and Mars;* and this identification was
all the more easy in the case of Saturn, as he had been considered from
the beginning as a bull belonging to Shamash. Henceforward, therefore,
there was a group of five powerful gods--distributed among the stars
of heaven, and having abodes also in the cities of the earth--whose
function it was to announce the destinies of the universe. Some,
deceived by the size and brilliancy of Jupiter, gave the chief command
to Merodach, and this opinion naturally found a welcome reception at
Babylon, of which he was the feudal deity. Others, taking into account
only the preponderating influence exercised by the planets over the
fortunes of men, accorded the primacy to Ninib, placing Merodach next,
followed respectively by Ishtar, Nergal, and Nebo. The five planets,
like the six triads, were not long before they took to themselves
consorts, if indeed they had not already been married before they were
brought together in a collective whole. Ninib chose for wife, in the
first place, Bau, the daughter of Anu, the mistress of Uru, highly
venerated from the most remote times; afterwards Gula, the queen of
physicians, whose wisdom alleviated the ills of humanity, and who was
one of the goddesses sometimes placed in the harem of Shamash himself.
Merodach associated with him Zirbanit, the fruitful, who secures from
generation to generation the permanence and increase of living beings.
Nergal distributed his favours sometimes to Laz, and sometimes to
Esharra, who was, like himself, warlike and always victorious in battle.
Nebo provided himself with a mate in Tashmit, the great bride, or
even in Ishtar herself. But Ishtar could not be content with a single
husband: after she had lost Dumuzi-Tammuz, the spouse of her youth, she
gave herself freely to the impulses of her passions, distributing her
favours to men as well as gods, and was sometimes subject to be repelled
with contempt by the heroes upon whom she was inclined to bestow her
love. The five planets came thus to be actually ten, and advantage was
taken of these alliances to weave fresh schemes of affiliation: Nebo was
proclaimed to be the son of Merodach and Zirbanit, Merodach the son of
Ba, and Ninib the offspring of Bel and Esharra.

* Ishtar, Nebo, Sin, and Shamash being heavenly bodies, to
begin with, and the other great gods, Anu, Bel, Ea, and
Ramman having their stars in the heavens, the Chaldaeans
were led by ana