The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and (14781663081)

Identifier: worldsinhabitant00bett (find matches)
Title: The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands
Year: 1888 (1880s)
Authors: Bettany, G. T. (George Thomas), 1850-1891
Subjects: Civilization Culture
Publisher: London Ward, Lock
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto



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on they contain „ , . has yet been recovered. The Babylonians were perhaps theVast rums. i-ii-i- ^ ^ greatest builders m brick the world has ever seen. Vast and lofty temples of brick, stage upon stage, surmounted by a shrine and observatory, attest the religious zeal of Babjdon; while in less religious Assyria the wide courts of less lofty palaces of stone rise not more than two stories high. The clay coffins of Babylon astonish its by their number, while Assyria has left us no tombs. The ancient Assyrians, as depfcted in their sculptures, are purely Semitic, having straight full foreheads, large almond-shaped eyes, aquiUne THE ASSYRIANS. noses, rather tliick lips, strong cliins, and abundant curly black hair andbeard. They were at the same time very muscular and large pnyg^caihmbed. Their cruelty, treachery, and arrogance, as well as ^^^^J^^^^J^^theii- corn-age, are evident from the scenes depicted by them.They wore plain short-sleeved tunics, reaching to the knees, and girdled at
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ASSUK-NASIR-rAL, KING OF ASSYF.IA, ON HIS THRONE, 885-8(J0, B.C.(f roi/i a Bn:<-reJicJ in the British Museum.) the waist; and it does not appear that they covered their abundant hair.Tunics and cloaks of ornamental character were worn by the powerful andon special occasions. Simple wheaten or barley cakes, with fruit, Food andformed the staple diet of the poor ; but the soldiery fed on meat. ^ ^™^-Wine was drunk abundantly at feasts, and music was a favourite accom- I 490 THE INHABITANTS OF ASIA. \ paniment—wind, string, and percussion instruments being varied andnumerous. The cliief monuments of art left by the Assyrians are bas-reliefs, ofwhich many are now at the British Museum. They are singularly heavy Assyrian ii^ *^tyle, and for the most part represent everything in profile;bas-reliefs, their value is extreme in conveying to us ideas of the men andanimals of nearly three thousand years ago. Animals, especially lionsand horses, are very well delineated. Their religion was