Babylon or Nineveh? That is the Question.

           Legend has it that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a gift of love from King Nebuchadnezzar to his homesick wife, Amyitis (Krystek).  Nebuchadnezzar and Amyitis were married to create an alliance between Babylon and Medes (Krystek).  Unlike the green, mountainous terrain of Medes, Mesopotamian terrain was flat and dull, severely depressing the beautiful queen (Krystek).  Stricken by his wife’s despair, Nebuchadnezzar spared no expense, ordering the construction of a grand, luxurious mountain of gardens to satisfy his queen (Krystek).  Originally, the gardens served as a VIP lounge for the elite and members of the royal household (Stevenson 42).  It is not known if the king and queen hosted galas or parties in the garden, but it is probable considering the gardens were reserved for those in the royal household.   After Babylon fell to the Persians, however, the gardens were opened to the public as a sort of peace-offering, preventing a revolution as a result of the power-shift (Stevenson 42).

Considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were designed to mimic a natural landscape with trees and running water (The Hanging Gardens of Babylon).  The artificial hill resembled the shape and dimensions of a Greek theatre (The Hanging Gardens of Babylon).  The lower level most-likely featured a recreational lake, and pavilions stood erect in the gardens (The Hanging Gardens of Babylon).  Through the years, there has been some confusion to the true lay-out and design of the gardens.  Largely, this is due to the use of the English word “hanging” when describing the wonders of the gardens as they did not truly hang (Dalley 7).

Three ancient authors—Strabo, Diodorus, and Berossus— described the structure of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon as terraced or stepped in the form of a ziggurat (Stevenson 40).  The gardens set on the east of bank of the River Euphrates, directly next to the palace (Stevenson 42).  Given the sheer size and shape of the mountain, irrigation of the gardens was problematic.  It was thought that an Archimedean screw pump was used to irrigate the plants, drawing water from the nearby river (The Hanging Gardens of Babylon). 

Archimedes Screw

 

Much debate occurred as to the exact location of the gardens within the palace complex.  If the gardens were to have been located on the northern end, they would have been far from the royal apartments (Stevenson 42). Also, the gardens would have been exposed to the harsh north-westerly winds, leading to a rapid-rate of evaporation and ultimately the dehydration of the plants.  Furthermore, the winds blew strongest during the summer, a time when many in the household would flock to the gardens to escape the heat (Stevenson 42).  If indeed the gardens were on the northern side, the people would have sought refuge somewhere less impacted by the ferocious winds. (Stevenson 42).  Locating the gardens on the southern-end of the complex, therefore, seems to be most ideal (Stevenson 42).   Not only would they be better sheltered from the wind, but they would also be easily accessed from the royal apartments (Stevenson 42).

            Scholars also debate on the true location of the gardens.  One assyriologist, Stephanie Dalley, proposed the Hanging Gardens were actually located in Nineveh (Reade 97).  Dalley based her claim in the noted absence of references to gardens in various royal inscriptions from Neo-Babylonian times (Reade 97).  The Assyrian kings, in contrast, described their gardens in Nineveh in meticulous detail (Reade 97).  Furthermore, it was common for Greco-Roman writers to confuse Mesopotamian personal and geographical names, as some of Babylon’s monuments have been credited to “Assyrian” rulers (Reade 97).  In addition, the Archimedean screw was commonly described in the details of the Nineveh gardens (Reade 97).  Likewise, Nineveh and Babylon, according to The Oxford Companion to the Garden, were often confused by biblical and classical writers (2006).  It was not uncommon for writers to confuse Sennacherib (the Assyrian king) and Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian king) (The Hanging Gardens of Babylon).  In fact, recent evidence shows the Nineveh could have come to be known as Babylon (Dalley 9).

            Regardless of the true location of the Hanging Gardens, they would have been an extraordinary sight to see.  Their sheer beauty and promised luxuries were unlike anything seen today.   Furthermore, the story behind their construction is heartwarming and romantic, reflecting true love.   And who doesn’t love a good love story?

Works Cited

Babylon: The Hanging Gardens of Semiramis. 04 June 2009. Image. 18 January 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLlroENeNHk>.

Dalley, Stephanie. "Ancient Mesopotamian Gardens and the Identification of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon Resolved." Garden History 21.1 (1993): 1-13. Web. 18 January 2014.

EpicPhysics.com. "Archimedes Screw 5." 2011. Video. 18 January 2014. <http://www.epicphysics.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Archimedes-Screw-5.jpg>.

"Hanging Gardens of Babylon." May 06 2013. Image. 20 January 2014. <http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/1770/20130506/nebuchadnezzars-hanging-garden-babylon-actually-rival-kings-land-300-miles.htm>.

"The Hanging Gardens of Babylon."  The Oxford Companion to the Garden. Ed. Patrick Taylor. 

            Oxford University Press, 2006. Web. 19 January 2014.

Krystek, Lee. Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. 1999. Web. 19 January 2014. <http://www.unmuseum.org/hangg.htm>.

Reade, Julian. "Alexander the Great and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon." Iraq. Vol. 62. British Insititute for the Study of Iraq, 2000. 195-217. Web. 18 January 2014.

Stevenson, D. W. W. "A Proposal for the Irrigation of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon." Iraq. Vol. 54. British Institute for the Study of Iraq, 1992. 35-55. Web. 18 January 2014.