of the Assyrian Monarchy. 321 
That she should at the same time have intro- 
duced the custom of making eunuchs, and 
being attended by them, (*°) is quite incon- 
sistent if told of any historical personage, 
but is easily explained from her being, as we 
have often observed, the goddess Rhea or 
Cybele, in whose honour her priests castrated 
themselves. Her incest with her son Ninyas, 
is another fact of which we must seek the ori- 
ginin mythology, where such unions among 
deities are not uncommon. (?°) Her ascen- 
dency over Ninus is, historically considered, 
meonsistent with the character of that con- 
queror ; but the same mixture of sexes which 
made Semiramis a warrior, makes Ninus effe- 
minate ; he is a Hercules with Omphale, and 
is described ina manner which identifies him 
with Sardanapallus. (?') This mixture of 
sexes, and consequent inconsistency of the 
actions with historical truth, is no where 
more striking in this narrative than in what 
regards Ninyas, who is said to have been the 
feeble prince, who set the example of that 
effeminate Juxury which his successors indul- 
ged, and at the same time was deified as the 
god Mars (see note 8.) But we have already 
seen that Belus (his grandfather according to 
history,) was the god Mars; consequently 
VOL. II. Ss 
