Assyria: The Hunting and Killing of Lions

Sabah Moghul
HIST 134
10/8/16

Assyria: The Hunting and Killing of Lions

The lion is the king of the animal kingdom. To prove that the king of the people
was the ruler of not only the people but also the animal kingdom, he would hunt and kill
lions as a sport to prove himself worthy. From what we know about Ancient Assyrian lion
hunts comes form the walls of the Assyrian kings palace. The walls are carved
limestone and served as decoration to achievements of what the king has done. These
walls are now in museums all over the world, some in London and Berlin.
In ancient Assyrian times, the King was the ruler and the protector of the Assyrian
people. As a symbol to show that he could protect his people, he would go out and kill
lions, the kings of the animal kingdom. It is believed that the objective was not to
generate pity for the dying creatures but rather to highlight their raw, dangerous
presence and to show how they collapse in agony at the hands of the Assyrian king
who, through the support of the gods and his skill with weapons, brings civilization to the
chaotic and disordered world that the animal represent (Ancient History ET Cetera).

The king wanted it to be known that he could rule over both the human kingdom and the
animal kingdom, this made him the king of the universe.

Another reason that the kings hunted the lions was because they believed that if they
were good at hunting the gods would see it and choose to help them out. It was always
a good thing when the gods were on the side of the king so that the people could see
that he was the right ruler. The gods would help them out in need, give them what they
needed, make things easier on them, and help them win wars. The lion hunts were so
significant in the Neo-Assyrian Monarch that a lion is shown on the royal seal from the
time of Shalmaneser III to Assuretel-ilani.ii
Ashurbanipal II was the first documented king to start the killing of the lions. The king
did not go out and hunt lions himself, he had people to hunt the lions for him and bring
them back to an arena where the king could kill them. The arena was lined with two
rows of soldiers around it, with each soldier holding a shield and a bow and arrow. At
some points in the arenas there were soldiers with dogs, to make sure that no lions
could escape the arena. The public was allowed to watch from the top of the hill, staying
far away enough to not be scared but close enough to also have a good view. The lions
were brought to the arena in cages, and released through a trapdoor into the actual
arena. Once the lion is released, horsemen lead the lion towards the king, where the
king and his men stand their ground, ready to attack.

iii

On all of the artwork found on the killing of lions, the lions are shown getting killed but
arrows, spears, or swords. The faces of the lions on these slabs of slate have defeat
and agony in their eyes. The reason that the faces of the lions had so much detail was
to show that the king had defeated them so badly that they were just helpless. It was a
sign to show how strong and worthy of a king he was, showing that nothing could beat
him. After the lion was killed, the king would give a speech to the city, his people, and
the gods, thanking them to make sure that the spirit of the lion didn't come back for him.
iv

Of all the readings and artwork, many scholars have stated that the kings killed the lions
to prove their worth to the gods and show their strength to the people. Although the king
is never shown actually going out and hunting the lions, he is shown killing these lions in
arenas for the whole city to be able to see. The walls of the palace show the lions defeat
in their eyes killed by a heartless king, but it was necessary at the time to prove
themselves worthy to the people and gods.

Bibliography

Alden, Maureen. "Lions in paradise." The Classical Quarterly (New Series) 55.02
(2005): 335-342.
-This source discussed how lions in Assyrian times were treated and what their
life was like.

Dick, Michael B. "The Neo-Assyrian Royal Lion Hunt and Yahweh's Answer to
Job." Journal of Biblical Literature 125.2 (2006): 243-70. Web.
-This source was about the Neo-Assyrian lion hunts, why they would happen,
and their significance to the kingdom.
Gterbock, Hans G. "Narration in Anatolian, Syrian, and Assyrian Art." American
Journal of Archaeology 61.1 (1957): 62-71.
-This source discussed the pictures of the lions depicted on the walls of the
castles in ancient Assyria.
Reade, Julian. "Ideology and propaganda in Assyrian art." Power and
propaganda: A symposium on ancient empires. Copenhagen, 1979.
-This source discussed ancient Assyrian artwork and the detail of the lions faces
as they were being killed by the king and his men.

i Alden. The information from this paragraph was gathered from this source.

ii Dick. The information from this paragraph was gathered from this source.

iii Reade. The information from this paragraph was gathered from this source.

iv Gterbock. The information from this paragraph was gathered from this source.