 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | H. W. F. Saggs |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subjects | Babylonia |
| Publisher | Sidgwick & Jackson |
Publication date | 1962 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover andPaperback) |
| Pages | 562 (first edition) |
The Greatness That Was Babylon (1962; second edition 1988) is a book aboutBabylonia by the AssyriologistH. W. F. Saggs.
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Saggs, writing for the "general reader", describes the ancientBabylonians before and during the ancientAssyrian Empire. Topics discussed includecuneiform writing.[1]
The Greatness That Was Babylon was first published in 1962 bySidgwick & Jackson.[2] In 1988, the book was reissued in a revised and updated edition.[3] Excavations in Mesopotamia have revealed a large amount of new information relevant to the study of Babylonian civilization, presented here as a revised and rewritten account of the book first published in 1962. The roots of much of western civilization lie in Babylonia the ancient civilization of south Iraq. Alexander the Great recognized the importance of its heritage and planned to make Babylon his world capital. The splendors and supposed wickedness of Babylon lived on in a tradition transmitted through the Bible and classical writers. The author aims here to reconstruct all aspects of this lost culture, presenting the Babylonians as living people - showing their eating and drinking habits, their worship, their relationships and lifestyle and so present an integrated picture.
The Greatness That Was Babylon received a positive review from the archaeologistRichard David Barnett inThe Times Literary Supplement. Barnett commended the book for its "breadth and detail". However, he criticised Saggs's comparisons of the behaviour of the Babylonians with that of the Hebrews as described in theOld Testament. He also believed that Saggs had less mastery of archaeological material than of cuneiform studies.[4]
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