Assyrian Art and the Royal Warrior

In the 9th century BC, Assyrians controlled a region that extended from the border of Egypt to the Persian Gulf. The Assyrians identified themselves through warfare and a divine belief in their duty to enforce their gods on the territories they had vanquished. The first people to use iron weapons, they were masterful strategists who mastered using horse drawn chariots in battle.

Their army was well-trained and relentless, so many foes simply surrendered to the Assyrians without a struggle. The opponents who resisted faced an advanced military force with battering rams, charioteers and rolling siege towers that were a huge tactical advantage.

Not surprisingly, the ancient art of Mesopotamia suggests that hunting had an important symbolic value for the culture. This was certainly true of Assyria where many of the works of Assyrian art depict the Royal Hunt. The Royal Hunt was an important ritual that established the Kings domain over brute nature, and demonstrated his courage. By participating in the Royal Hunt, the King added to his own prestige and a heroic reputation. There is certainly exaggeration in the depiction of these activities, but the reliefs suggest that the kings were generally worthy rulers.

Ancient Assyrian art also offered a glimpse into the ceremonial aspect of the Royal Hunt. In many of the reliefs discovered by archaeologists, the king is shown offering up animals as a sacrifice to the sun God Nergal. Known as the god of war, this Mesopotamian deity also ruled the underworld.

Of all the animals hunted by the king and his royal party, the lion presented the greatest challenge and prestige. From his chariot, the king would bring down the lion with either or bow or spear. When the lion was injured and down, the king would dismount the chariot and finish the lion off with his blade. It's unclear just how much assistance he might have had in dispatching his prey, given glorification of the king in this art.

In a relief currently on display in the British Museum, the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal is depicted riding on horseback, bow raised. He is hunting wild donkeys which at the time were considered a nuisance. It was thought to be a very noble and worthy activity for the king to hunt the herd of wild asses and thin the population. The last great king of Assyria was Ashurbanipal. He was king at the zenith of Assyrian dominance but the empire crumpled shortly after his death.

The Assyrian wall reliefs we see today in museums suggest that hunting lions was wildly popular and the lion population was severely impacted. Lions were imported in from other regions and release for the purpose of hunting. This conclusion can be drawn from some Assyrian wall reliefs that show a lion being released from the cage.

Rob Mabry is a former military journalist, screenwriter, father of five and ecommerce entrepreneur. He owns the Balance Bikes 4 Kids, a specialty store offering a large selection of balance bikes and wood bikes that help young children learn to ride a bike by focusing on mastering balance first.