The Changes of Women’s Social Status Through Mesopotamia Myth

Abstract

Ishtar is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of fertility, war, and sex. As a female deity, she is neither an obedient wife nor a devoted mother, but an aggressive dominator and controller. Her persona, functions, and traits suggest that she would not be well-suited to affection or the stable bonds of marriage. She always destroys her lovers, which also brings difficulties to her own life. In mythology, Ishtar arbitrarily put her husband Dumuzi into hell and finally failed to revenge against Gilgamesh. The weakening of Ishtar’s power reflects the decline of women’s social status at that time.