古巴比伦时期马瑞王室妇女地位研究

Study on Royal Women's Status at Mari in the Old Babylonian Period

《马瑞王室档案》中收录的经济管理文献和书信档案等史料表明,古巴比伦时期马瑞王室妇女拥有较高的社会地位,她们和男性贵族一样参与国家和社会财富的分配,拥有庄园、土地、椰枣园、奴隶等大量财富。而这些王室妇女的崇高地位是由她们积极参与国家各项事务取得的:马瑞公主们担任神明的女大祭司,为国家服务神明;从事政治联姻,为国王笼络重臣,巩固国家间的联盟;马瑞太后、王后和王妃等妇女负责马瑞宫廷的日常管理工作,在国王外出期间监管王城,主持对各神明的祭祀活动,直接和间接地参与国家的政治、军事和外交事务。

The economic texts and correspondences in Archives Royales de Mari show that the royal women at Mari had a relatively high social status.They had a lot of wealth such as manors,landed estates,date palm gardens,slaves,etc,and they participated in the distribution of national and social wealth like the male nobles.These royal women got their high social status because they took an active part in the national affairs.The princesses of Mari served the gods and goddesses for the state as female priests.They engaged in political marriages so as to win over important officials and consolidate alliances between countries.Royal women,such as the empress dowager,the queen and the princess,took charge of the administrative work of the palace,supervised the city of Mari when the king was away,held the sacrificial activities and took part in the political,military and diplomatic affairs of the state in the direct and indirect way.