Inanna

The Most Popular Goddess of Ancient Mesopotamia

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Definition

Inanna is the ancient Sumerian goddess of love, sensuality, fertility, procreation, and also of war. She later became identified by the Akkadians and Assyrians as the goddess Ishtar, and further with the Hittite Sauska, the Phoenician Astarte, and the Greek Aphrodite, among many others. She was also seen as the bright star of the morning and evening, Venus, and identified with the Roman goddess. Inanna is one of the candidates cited as the subject of the Burney Relief (better known as The Queen of the Night), a terracotta relief dating from the reign of Hammurabi of Babylon (1792-1750 BCE), although her sister Ereshkigal is the goddess most likely depicted.

More about: Inanna

Timeline

  • c. 2300 BCE
    Life of Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon of Akkad, and world's first author known by name.
  • c. 2100 BCE - c. 1400 BCE
    The tales of Gilgamesh written which inform the Epic of Gilgamesh.
  • c. 1900 BCE - c. 1600 BCE
    Composition of The Descent of Inanna.
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