Babylonian and Assyrian Literature
SPECIAL INTRODUCTION The great nation which dwelt in the seventh century before our era on the banks of Tigris and Euphrates flourished in literature as well as in the plastic arts, and had an alphabet of its own. The Assyrians sometimes wrote with a sharp reed, for a pen, upon skins, wooden tablets, or papyrus brought from Egypt. In this case they used cursive letters of a Phoenician character. But when they wished to preserve their written documents, they employed clay tablets, and a stylus whose bevelled point made an impression like a narrow elongated wedge, or arrow-head. By a combination of these wedges, letters and words were formed by the skilled and practised scribe, who would thus rapidly turn off a vast amount of "copy." All works of history, poetry, and law were thus written in the cuneiform or old Chaldean characters, and on a substance which could withstand the ravages of time, fire, or water. Hence we have authentic monuments of Assyrian literature in their original form, unglossed, unaltered, and ungarbled, and in this respect Chaldean records are actually superior to those of the Greeks, the Hebrews, or the Romans. The literature of the Chaldeans is very varied in its forms. The hymns to
still he sat on his horse and struck valiantly about him with his good
Haultclear. His eyes lost their strength: he could not see. He met
Roland, and struck him a blow which split his helmet down to the
nose-piece, but luckily wounded him not.
"Brother," said Roland softly and gently, "thou hast not done this
willingly. I am Roland, he who has loved thee so long and so well."
"Ah, comrade!" said Oliver, "I hear thee; but I cannot see thee. Pray
forgive me if I have harmed thee."
"I am none the worse," answered Roland; "and there is naught to
forgive."
Then the two brothers bent over from their steeds, and embraced each
other; and amid much love and many hasty words of farewell, they parted.
And now all the French were slain, save only Roland and the archbishop.
The hero was wounded in a dozen places: he felt his life-blood oozing
away. Again he drew his ivory horn, and feebly sounded it. He would
fain know whether Charlemagne were coming. The king was in the pass,
not far away, and he heard the failing blast.
"Ah, Roland!" said he, "the battle goes ill with thee." Then he turned
to his host, and said, "Blow loud your trumpets, that the hero may know
that succor comes."
SPECIAL INTRODUCTION The great nation which dwelt in the seventh century before our era on the banks of Tigris and Euphrates flourished in literature as well as in the plastic arts, and had an alphabet of its own. The Assyrians sometimes wrote with a sharp reed, for a pen, upon skins, wooden tablets, or papyrus brought from Egypt. In this case they used cursive letters of a Phoenician character. But when they wished to preserve their written documents, they employed clay tablets, and a stylus whose bevelled point made an impression like a narrow elongated wedge, or arrow-head. By a combination of these wedges, letters and words were formed by the skilled and practised scribe, who would thus rapidly turn off a vast amount of "copy." All works of history, poetry, and law were thus written in the cuneiform or old Chaldean characters, and on a substance which could withstand the ravages of time, fire, or water. Hence we have authentic monuments of Assyrian literature in their original form, unglossed, unaltered, and ungarbled, and in this respect Chaldean records are actually superior to those of the Greeks, the Hebrews, or the Romans. The literature of the Chaldeans is very varied in its forms. The hymns to