Identifier: fivegreatmonarch011862rawl (find matches)
Title: The five great monarchies of the ancient eastern world; or, The history, geography, and antiquites of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, and Persia
Year: 1862 (1860s)
Authors: Rawlinson, George, 1812-1902
Subjects: Mauritius Export Development and Investment Authority History, Ancient
Publisher: London, J. Murray
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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ay Ta))lets. with writing ; while sometimes they exhibit on aportion of their surface the impressions of seals,mythological emblems, and the like. Some thou-sands of them have been recovered; and they arefound to be of the most varied character. Many arehistorical, still more mythological; some are lin-guistic, some geographic, some again astronomical.It is anticipated that, if they can be deciphered, weshall obtain a complete encyclopaedia of Assyrianscience, and shall be able by this means to trace a Layard, Nineveh and Bahylun, p. 004, note. Ibid. p. 345. Chap. V. THE NIMRUD OBELISK. 33.^ large portion of the knowledge of the Greeks to anOriental source. Here is a mine almost unworked,from which patient and cautious investigators mayone day extract the most valuable literary treasures.The stone obelisks are but few, and are mostly in afragmentary condition. One alone is perfect—theobelisk in black basalt, discovered by Mr. Layard atNimrud, which has now for many years been in the
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Black Obelisk, fiom Nimrud. British Museum. This monument is sculptured oneach of its four sides, in part with writing and inpart with bas-reliefs. It is about seven feet high, 334 THE SECOND MONAECHY. Chap. V. and two feet broad at the base, tapering gentlytowards the summit, which is crowned with threelow steps, or gradines. The inscription, which occu-pies the upper and lower portion of each side, and isalso carried along the spaces between the bas-reliefs,consists of 210 clearly cut lines, and is one of themost important documents that has come down to us.It gives an account of various victories gained bythe monarch who set it up, and of the tributebrought him by several princes.^ The inscribed lionsand bulls are numerous. They commonly guard theportals of palaces, and are raised in a bold relief onalabaster slabs. The writing does not trench uponthe sculpture, but covers all those portions of theslabs which are not occupied by the animal. It isusually a full account of some parti

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