Nergal is the (southern) Mesopotamian god of death, pestilence, plague and the netherworld...
Nergal represents a very particular aspect of death, one that is often and rightly interpreted as inflicted death, for Nergal is also the god of plague and pestilence as well as being closely associated with warfare. It is quite likely that as Nergal ascends to power in Babylon and Assyria in the pantheon because of his connection with war, he becomes the most suitable consort to Ereshkigal...
Nergal's warlike qualities identify him to a considerable extent with warrior gods such as Ninurta and Zababa.
His attributes are the club and the sickle...
This Sumero-Babylonian entity is sometimes regarded as representing the sinister aspect of the sun god Shamash...
In the late Babylonian astral-theological system Nergal is related to the planet Mars. As a fiery god of destruction and war, Nergal doubtless seemed an appropriate choice for the red planet, and he was equated by the Greeks either to the combative demigod Heracles (Latin Hercules) or to the war-god Ares (Latin Mars) -- hence the current name of the planet.
In Assyro-Babylonian ecclesiastical art the great lion-headed colossi serving as guardians to the temples and palaces seem to symbolise Nergal, just as the bull-headed colossi probably typify Ninurta...
More:
See Ninurta:
See Ereshkigal:
See Ares:
See Mars:
Post Image: http://bit.ly/17AR75H