The Pastoral Tribal Invasions and the Partial De-Legitimation of The Kings

Abstract

As we have already described, the pastoral-barbarian invasions constantly interrupted the centralizing process of the kings of Mesopotamia. The “divinity” of the kings was also tarnished by this process. But the positive effect of the reduction of the kings’ godly aura was that, where such “irrational legitimation” ¹ was reduced, independent rational political and economic action became more possible. And later, during the Persian era, a more philosophical and humanistic conception of the gods and men also emerged.