Greece and Babylon

Chapter VI · The Deities as Nature-Powers.

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So far as we have gone our main question must be still regarded as an open one. We may now compare the particular conceptions concerning divinity that prevailed at the period to which our search is limited, in the valley of the Euphrates, and in the other communities that are in our route of comparison. Many striking points of general similarity will present themselves, upon which we must not lay too much weight for our argument, since all polytheisms possess a certain family likeness: of more importance will be certain strikingly dissimilar features, if we find any.

Lastly, the nature-worship of the Hellenes was pre-eminently concerned with Mother-earth—with Ge-meter, and this divine power in its varied personal forms was perhaps of all others the nearest and dearest to the popular heart: so much of their ritual was concerned directly with her. And some scholars have supposed, erroneously, I think, but not unnaturally, that all the leading Hellenic goddesses arose from this aboriginal animistic idea. We may at least believe this of Demeter and Kore, the most winning personalities of the higher Hellenic religion. And even Athena and Artemis, whatever, if any, was their original nature-significance, show in many of their aspects and much of their ritual a close affinity to the earth-goddess. But, as I have indicated above, it is impossible to find in the early Mesopotamian religion a parallel figure to Ge: though Ishtar was naturally possessed of vegetative functions—so that, when she disappears below the world, all vegetation languishes—yet it would be hazardous to say that she was a personal form of earth: we may rather suspect that by the time the Semites brought her to Mesopotamia from the West, she had lost all direct nature-significance, and was wholly a personal individual.

Finally, the cleavage between the two groups of peoples in their attitude towards the powers of nature is still further marked in the evolution of certain moral and eschatologic ideas. The concept of a Ge-Themis, of Earth as the source of righteousness, and of Mother-earth as the kindly welcomer of the souls of the dead, appears to have been alien to Mesopotamian imagination, for which, Allatu, the Queen of the lower world, is a figure wholly terrible.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · First, in regard to the general concepts or characters of the divinities, the same formula seems mainly applicable to the Mesopotamian as to Note 2 · The question we have just been considering, the physical character of the Babylonian deities in relation to their whole personality, suggest Note 3 · Lastly, we fail to observe in that domain of the old Babylonian religion which may be called nature-worship, any clear worship of the earth Note 4 · This strange religious poetry which had been fermenting for thousands of years, was likely enough to transform past recognition the simple a Note 5 · We have now to consider the other Anatolian cults from the point of view of nature-worship. The survey need not detain us long as our eviden Note 6 · Of the Hittite gods we may say this much at least, that the monuments enable us to recognise the thunder-god with the hammer or axe, and in Note 7 · As regards the original ideas underlying the cults of those other Anatolian peoples who were nearer in geographical position and perhaps in Note 8 · In all her aspect and functions she is the double of the great Minoan mother-goddess described already, whose familiar animals are the lion Note 9 · Turning our attention now to the early Hellenic world, and to that part of its religion which we may call Nature-worship, we discern certain Note 10 · But such general traits of resemblance in two developed polytheisms deceive no trained inquirer; and it would be childish to base a theory o Note 11 · Even more significant for our purpose is the comparison of the two regions from the point of view of lunar-cult. We have sufficiently noted Note 12 · Here, then, is another point at which the theory of early Babylonian influence in nascent Hellenic religion seriously breaks down. And in th