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Post by Admin on Sept 5, 2016 19:17:01 GMT
Babylonia (Babalonia) (Sumeria)Government: Sultanate (Kingdom) <Theocracy> Mythos: Babylonian < Mesopotamian, Chaldean> Leader: Sultan Tamadad XVI <Gilgamesh> CAPITAL: Babylon (Pop.: 2,000,000) Other Cities (and pop.): Baghdad: 135k Basra: 80k Isfan: 35k Shiraz: 60k <Sumer> Coinage: Babylonian Standard. Important Persons: High Priest ov Palu-Ea, Grand Vizier, various nobs, officials, emirs, etc. Alliances: Palu-Ea. Hostilities: Farz, Hasur. Open Warfare/Skirmishing: War looming with Farz. Skirmishing with Bactrokushite tribes who harass && raid Babylonian marches. Intrigues: The court is filled with machinations && rife with personal intrigues, but the exact nature ov any plot is unknown at this time. Magickal Devices: Undoubtedly the Babylonians possess some ov the most potent items ov this sort in their imperial arsenal. Major magickal devices incl. the Flaming Ox Chariot, the Permutable Zodiac, the Skybow Defiant, the Six Eldritch Tablets, and the Golden Steps ov Rolgamush. Alignment: Lawful Good Thumbnail Sketches: The great city ov Babylon, seat ov the Sumerian Pantheon, is famed for its Hanging Gardens && its ziggurat temples. The teeming metropolis is also infamous for its slums && thieves' quarter. The land is large, && in the north and east, Babylonia has many wild places in which all sorts ov game abounds. In truth, it is a land ov many--often sharp--with forest rainforests && deserts, colleges, && nomadic encampments amongst its aspects. Once a center ov arts && learning, the empire has marched into a dark period, led by fanatical proponents ov a narrow dogma. Babylonians remain basically as they were thousands ov years ago && typify the Western branch ov the Yellow race, having only slight admixture ov blood from White, Brown, || Red races from nearby. As is common in Oriental lands, slavery is rife, && the cities && noble estates are filled with such folk. Elsewhere, though, the people are generally free, peasant || tribesmen, but the former are peaceful && the latter fierce, so a sharp division exists. This keeps the agricultural mass in check && obedient to the aristocratic class out ov fear rather than deep-seated loyalty. In TURN, the warlike populace is conscripted || hired to perform military service, thus making a separate class which tyrannizes the common volk and at the same time keeps the nomads && bandits in check. Atop all sit the nobs, officials, && clerics, with private && personal forces, plus the imperial companies, to rule the ordinary soldiery. Babylonia is famed for its fruits (peaches, dates, figs, melons, etc.), and they, along with all manner ov grains && veggies, are grown and sold for low cost in the state. Cotton, tobacco, hemp && poppies are cultivated. Livestock incl. the Bactro-Dromedary camel (a cross between the 2 species ov camel which is able to carry loads ov 600-700#), camel, horse, mule, ass, cattle, sheep, && g.o.a.t.s. Fisheries are abundant along the coast, and fleets gather large catches in the gulf. Silk is cultivated && spun in the country, and that industry, along with the making ov rugs && carpets, is among the larger enterprises ov Babylonia. Mines produce nickle, lead, copper, iron, zinc, manganese, && a small amount ov silver. Some naptha<> is also produced. Pearls are gathered off the coast ov Babylonia, && many find their way to export market.
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Post by Admin on Sept 16, 2016 21:01:06 GMT
Creepy... Quote:World's biggest cemetery (Wadi Al-Salam - Iraq) . Daily burials have been on going for over 1,400 years. Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish]
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Post by Admin on Sept 22, 2016 6:22:44 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 22, 2016 7:30:24 GMT
Quote:The Tower of Babel - Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563 Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish] Ps. The Tower is dedicated to Marduk.
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Post by Admin on Sept 23, 2016 23:02:43 GMT
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Post by kjatoragfoot on Sept 24, 2016 8:53:02 GMT
Sumerian likes to sing. In Sumerian, of course.
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Post by Admin on Sept 24, 2016 12:30:19 GMT
That was pure awesome! Thanks for the reminder about Gilgamesh. Epic of Aerth lists Sultan Tamadad XVI as the ruler of Babylonia. Of course, let's ignore this bit, and say that Gilgamesh is the leader of Babylonia.
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Post by Admin on Sept 25, 2016 0:30:40 GMT
Wizard ranking: #7 Priest ranking: #8 Overall Magickal Ranking: #8
Apotropaism, Exorcism, Mediumship, && Occultism: #1 on Aerth.
Black Magick: #1 out of 5. Use the Black Magician (Wizard of the Black Robes) class from Dragonlance Adventures. Sorcery: #1 out of 5. This is the summoning of fiends, such as demons && devils. Several of the spells in Unearthed Arcana are used by sorcerers. Priestcraeft-Religion: #1 out of 5. This represents the Priest classes and the Religion skill. Divination: #1 out of 5. Use the Diviner class from 2e. Astrology: #1 out of 5. Fortune Telling: #1 out of 5. Occultism: #1 out of 5.
Babylonia is a high-magic setting.
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Post by Admin on Sept 25, 2016 4:38:05 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 25, 2016 5:25:23 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 27, 2016 15:40:16 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 30, 2016 16:35:34 GMT
Quote:The Construction of the Tower of Babel - Hendrick van Cleve, 1570 Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish] The Tower of Babel has been associated with known structures according to some modern scholars, notably the Etemenanki, a ziggurat dedicated to the Mesopotamian god Marduk by Nabopolassar, king of Babylonia (c. 610 BCE).[5][6]
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Post by Admin on Oct 3, 2016 9:16:39 GMT
Quote:Mesopotamian plaque 'The Queen of The Night' also known as the Burney Relief. 18th-1750 BC. British Museum. Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish]
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Post by Admin on Oct 5, 2016 14:28:26 GMT
Quote:The Entry of Alexander the Great into Babylon - Charles le Brun, 1664 Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish]
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Post by Admin on Oct 7, 2016 3:14:09 GMT
Shem Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and Arabia. In the Bible, Shem is Noah's eldest son, the ancestor of the Hebrews, Arabs and Assyrians; hence, the modern "Semite" and Semitic languages (via Greek Sem), used properly to designate the family of languages spoken by these peoples. - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyborian_Age#Etymology
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Post by Admin on Oct 11, 2016 8:26:43 GMT
Quote:Gilgamesh, King of Uruk Mesopotamia with two lions. Relief found at Mohenjo Daro, Pakistan. 2600-1900 BC. Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish]
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Post by Admin on Oct 11, 2016 8:28:18 GMT
A great read of a little talked about famous invasion. Quote:1258 – Siege of Baghdad: Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Quote: The Mongol Invasion and the Destruction of BaghdadThe 1200s started out looking good for the Islamic world. The Crusaders had been defeated and Jerusalem liberated in 1187, the Ismaili Fatimids had finally been removed from harassing the Muslim world in the mid-1100s, and a powerful Khwarazmian Empire had emerged in Persia. However, all that would soon turn around when the ruthless Mongols would make their way into Southwest Asia. The destruction and devastation they left in their path has scarcely been seen anywhere else in history. Who Are The Mongols?The Mongols were a tribe of nomads from Central/North Asia. They lived on the steppe of that region, relying on a nomadic lifestyle of constant movement as a way of life. They were forever dependent on and attached to their horses, which was their main mode of transportation. Religiously, they were polytheistic animists. They never established a large, organized empire, and instead stayed as a loose coalition of tribes north of China. Throughout history, they were usually at war with their neighbors. China to the south in fact built the Great Wall of China during the reign of Emperor Shi Huang (247-221 BC) as a means to keep the Mongols and others away from their villages. The Mongols also feuded with other tribal groups in Central Asia such as Turkic tribes and the Tatars. Genghis KhanMongolian (and world) history changed forever during the rule of Genghis Khan. He was a tribal chief for the Mongols from 1206-1227. During his reign, he managed to unite the many Mongol tribes along with numerous Turkic tribes as well. With a large, unified group, he set about conquering any and all land the Mongol horsemen could reach. He conquered most of Northern China in the 1210s. In doing so, he destroyed the Xia and Jin dynasties, as well as conquered Beijing. He also managed to conquer most of the Turkic tribes of Central Asia, leading all the way into Persia. This led him to send armies into Eastern Europe as well, attacking Russian lands and even the borders of Central Europe’s German states. By the 1220s, Genghis Khan’s armies had ravaged much of Asia and even Europe More important than what Genghis Khan conquered was how he conquered. He deliberately used terror as a weapon of war. If a city he was besieging gave up without a fight, its people would usually be spared but would have to go under Mongol control. If the city fought against the Mongols, everyone, including civilians, would be massacred. This reign of terror is a large part of why he was such a successful conqueror. People were more willing to give up than to suffer massacres at his hand. For example, when he besieged the city of Herat, in present-day Afghanistan, he killed over 1,600,000 people. The Invasion of the Muslim WorldBesides some raids and massacres on the borderlands of Islam, Genghis Khan did not invade far into the Muslim world. Under his successor, Ogedei, the Muslim world continued to be spared Mongol wrath. However, in 1255 that peace would end. The Great Khan, Mongke, put his brother Hulagu Khan in charge of an army whose goals were to conquer Persia, Syria, and Egypt, as well as to destroy the Abbasid Caliphate. The campaign’s goal appears to be a complete destruction of Islam. Hulagu himself even had a very deep hatred for everything attached to Islam. Much of this came from his Buddhist and Christian advisors who influenced his policies. The Muslim world at this time was in no position to resist the Mongol attacks. The Abbasid Caliphate was nothing but a shell of its former self, having no power outside of Baghdad. Most of Persia was disunited as the Khwarazmian Empire had mostly deteriorated by then. The Ayyubid state established by Salah al-Din was only in control of small parts of Iraq and Syria. In Egypt, a recent revolution had overthrown Salah al-Din’s descendants and brought to power the new Mamluk Sultanate. With his giant army of hundreds of thousands, Hulagu did not encounter much resistance. The Destruction of BaghdadBaghdad had been established in 762 by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur. Throughout its history, it had been the capital of the Muslims, as well as the world in general. The libraries of Baghdad were unrivaled. The House of Wisdom, established soon after the city was built, was a magnet for the most intelligent scientists, thinkers, mathematicians, and linguists of the world. The caliphs were patrons of literature, science, and the arts. Although by the mid-1200s much of the glamour and importance of Baghdad was gone. The caliphs were figureheads more interested in worldly pleasures than serving God through serving the people. The Abbasid army was effectively non-existent, and only served as bodyguards of the caliph. And the scientific achievements of the Muslim world were now centered in places such as Cairo, Muslim Spain, and India. It was at this historic and landmark city that the Mongols arrived in 1258. Their army, estimated at over 150,000 soldiers, stood before the city that was just a shadow of the great capital of the Muslim world of the 800s. The siege began in mid-January and only lasted two weeks. On February 10th, 1258, the Mongols entered the city of the caliphs. A full week of pillage and destruction commenced. The Mongols showed no discretion, destroying mosques, hospitals, libraries, and palaces. The books from Baghdad’s libraries were thrown into the Tigris River in such quantities that the river ran black with the ink from the books. The world will never truly know the extent of what knowledge was lost forever when those books were thrown into the river or burned.More important than the books, however, was the loss of life. It is estimated that between 200,000 and 1,000,000 people were butchered in that one week of destruction. Baghdad was left completely depopulated and uninhabitable. It would take centuries for Baghdad to regain any sort of prominence as an important city. Defeat and AftermathAfter Baghdad, the Mongols continued on westward. They conquered Syria from the Ayyubids, with help from the Armenians and neutrality from the Crusaders. In Palestine they reached the extent of their conquests. The new Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, under the leadership of Baibars defeated the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260. This prevented a Mongol invasion of the Holy Lands of Makkah, Madinah, and Jerusalem. This also ensured the safety of the only remaining powerful Muslim empire of the time, the Mamluks. Despite ultimately being unsuccessful in their attempt to destroy Islam, the Mongols left a deep political, economic, and military scar in the heart of the Muslim world. Entire regions were depopulated. Irrigation canals, fields of crops, and economic infrastructure were destroyed beyond repair. The political institutions, such as the caliphate, that held the Muslim world together for centuries were simply abolished. The Mongol Il-Khanate established by Hulagu’s descendants would rule over Persia, Iraq, and Anatolia for over 100 years. Over decades and centuries, the Mongols in Southwest Asia slowly converted to Islam and became absorbed in a Persian/Turkish culture. But there is no denying the immense negative effect the Mongols had on the Muslim world in the 1200s. The Mongol invasion is one of the most demoralizing times of Islamic history. The death and destruction of the 1200s has not yet been seen again in the Muslim world. While most articles on this website illustrate the great achievements of Islamic history, it is similarly important to be aware of the negatives, particularly what causes them to occur. The Muslim world was largely unable to repel the Mongol invasion due to disunity and weak political and military institutions. Throughout Islamic history, disunity has always led to invasion and defeat, while unity has led to great Islamic empires that benefited the entire world. Bibliography: Frazier, Ian. “Invaders: Destroying Baghdad.” New Yorker. 25 2005: n. page. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/04/25/050425fa_fact4>. Ochsenwald, William, and Sydney Fisher. The Middle East: A History. 6th. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Print. Saunders, JJ. A History of Medieval Islam. London: Routledge, 1965. Print. Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish] > genghisdon
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Post by Admin on Oct 12, 2016 6:51:11 GMT
Quote:Among the artifacts at the British Museum in London is this ancient Babylonian customer service complaint that was inscribed on a clay tablet sometime around 1750 B.C. The complaint is regarding problems with two shipments of copper ore, as the museum notes in their description: Clay tablet; letter from Nanni to Ea-nasir complaining that the wrong grade of copper ore has been delivered after a gulf voyage and about misdirection and delay of a further delivery; slightly damaged. The artifact was brought to light earlier today by redditor tbc34. Commenter labarna has helpfully provided a full translation reportedly from the book Letters from Mesopotamia by Assyriologist A. Leo Oppenheim. Turns out Nanni was pretty angry: Tell Ea-nasir: Nanni sends the following message:
When you came, you said to me as follows : “I will give Gimil-Sin (when he comes) fine quality copper ingots.” You left then but you did not do what you promised me. You put ingots which were not good before my messenger (Sit-Sin) and said: “If you want to take them, take them; if you do not want to take them, go away!”
What do you take me for, that you treat somebody like me with such contempt? I have sent as messengers gentlemen like ourselves to collect the bag with my money (deposited with you) but you have treated me with contempt by sending them back to me empty-handed several times, and that through enemy territory. Is there anyone among the merchants who trade with Telmun who has treated me in this way? You alone treat my messenger with contempt! On account of that one (trifling) mina of silver which I owe(?) you, you feel free to speak in such a way, while I have given to the palace on your behalf 1,080 pounds of copper, and umi-abum has likewise given 1,080 pounds of copper, apart from what we both have had written on a sealed tablet to be kept in the temple of Samas.
How have you treated me for that copper? You have withheld my money bag from me in enemy territory; it is now up to you to restore (my money) to me in full.
Take cognizance that (from now on) I will not accept here any copper from you that is not of fine quality. I shall (from now on) select and take the ingots individually in my own yard, and I shall exercise against you my right of rejection because you have treated me with contempt.Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish]
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Post by Admin on Oct 12, 2016 21:47:54 GMT
Quote:Sumerian copper bull man, with Lapis Lazuli pupils. 2550-2250 BC. Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish]
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Post by Admin on Oct 13, 2016 4:50:02 GMT
My anger over the <expletive deleted> ISIS is doing to ancient history bubbles in my stomach; on top of all the other atrocities they are committing, that is super egocentric. Quote:Please visit @britishmuseum to see the archaeology saved from Nimrud, Iraq Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish] theslo: remember, ISIS is also the Goddess of 10,000 names. Anyway, like you, i am sickened to see this attempt to destroy history. Does it go back to the 7th c. AD, when Islam attempted to destroy the 360 gods of Arabia? Perfect Circle, Prespos
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Post by Admin on Oct 13, 2016 7:37:44 GMT
Quote:The oldest known dictionaries are cuneiform tablets from the Akkadian empire, 2nd millennium BC. Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish]
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Post by Admin on Oct 23, 2016 22:08:58 GMT
Baghdad: 800 AD "Cities of the Ages: Baghdad" Kenneth Hite 288(67) D&D3 Thanks to: Dragondex.
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Post by Admin on Oct 29, 2016 5:24:08 GMT
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Post by Admin on Oct 29, 2016 9:37:32 GMT
Quote:Gold helmet made for king Meskalamdug of Ur c2600BC & found in his tomb #amazingsurvival (http://t.co/pEeOfpBZJM) Thanks to: Theslo of Qualon cf. Neat Pictures: added more! [adultish]
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Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2016 17:37:58 GMT
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