In the early period (4th-3rd millennia), both in Egypt (sqr-nḫ, 'those tied up for killing' [3]) and in Mesopotamia, POW were often killed on the battlefield. Killing - as a ritualized act - or parading POW and plunder before the ruler was ideological in character and hence a theme of pictorial representation (southern Mesopotamia in 3100 BC: the killing of chained, naked POW in the presence of the ruler [5. 9]; 24th cent: na…
Cite this page
Renger, Johannes (Berlin),
Burckhardt, Leonhard (Basle) and
Le Bohec, Yann (Lyon),
“Prisoners of war”, in:
Brill’s New Pauly, Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and , Helmuth Schneider, English Edition by: Christine F. Salazar, Classical Tradition volumes edited by: Manfred Landfester, English Edition by: Francis G. Gentry.
Consulted online on 26 May 2022 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e623040>