The Queens of the Neo-Assyrian Empire

Abstract

This article discusses the queens (mí.é.gal) of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from the ninth to the seventh century BC, focusing on their number and sequence, with the intent to clarify the vexed question whether there could be more than one queen simultaneously. There is no conclusive proof for such a practice. It is argued that the title of “queen” was connected to that of the king and that, when a new king ascended to the throne, his wife replaced the former holder of the title as queen. Moreover, the analysis of textual sources and archaeological data establishes that in at least three cases, there is no discernable correlation between the queen and the mother of the crown prince.

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