.
He fell upon the first strong force of Babylonian allies at
Dur-papsukal in Akkad, and achieved a great victory, killing 13,000
and taking 3000 captives. Then the Babylonian king,
Marduk-balatsu-ikbi, advanced to meet him with his mixed force of
Babylonians, Chaldaeans, Elamites, and Aramaeans, but was defeated in
a fierce battle on the banks of the Daban canal. The Babylonian camp
was captured, and the prisoners taken by the Assyrians included 5000
footmen, 200 horsemen, and 100 chariots

Shamshi-Adad conducted in all five campaigns in Babylonia and
Chaldaea, which he completely subdued, penetrating as far as the
shores of the Persian Gulf. In the end he took prisoner the new king,
Bau-akh-iddina, the successor of Marduk-balatsu-ikbi, and transported
him to Assyria, and offered up sacrifices as the overlord of the
ancient land at Babylon, Borsippa, and Cuthah. For over half a century
after this disaster Babylonia was a province of Assyria. During that
period, however, the influence which it exercised over the Assyrian
Court was so great that it contributed to the downfall of the royal
line of the Second Empire.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE AGE OF SEMIRAMIS

Queen Sammu-rammat the original of Semiramis--"Mother-right" among
"Mother Worshippers"--Sammu-rammat compared to Queen Tiy--Popularity
of Goddess Cults--Temple Worship and Domestic Worship--Babylonian
Cultural Influence in Assyria--Ethical Tendency in Shamash
Worship--The Nebo Religious Revolt--Aton Revolt in Egypt--The Royal
Assyrian Library--Fish Goddess of Babylonia in Assyria--The
Semiramis and Shakuntala Stories--The Mock King and Queen--Dove
Goddesses of Assyria, Phoenicia, and Cyprus--Ishtar's Dove Form--St.
Valentine's Day beliefs--Sacred Doves of Cretans, Hittites, and
Egyptians--Pigeon Lore in Great Britain and Ireland--Deities
associated with various Animals--The Totemic Theory--Common Element
in Ancient Goddess Cults--Influence of Agricultural Beliefs--Nebo a
form of Ea--His Spouse Tashmit a Love Goddess and
Interceder--Traditions of Famous Mother Deities--Adad-nirari IV the
"Saviour" of Israel--Expansion of the Urartian Empire--Its Famous
Kings--Decline and Fall of Assyria's Middle Empire Dynasty.

One of the most interesting figures in Mesopotamian history came into
prominence during the Assyrian Middle Empire period. This was the
famous Sammu-rammat, the Babylonian wife of an Assyrian ruler. Like
Sargon of