Behind | Cities and Their Gods

In World War II, the battle for Stalingrad in the Soviet Union had special significance because the city was named after Joseph Stalin, the leader of the USSR. For the Soviet people, fighting for that city became a symbolic landmark for defending the nation as a whole. In the same way, ancient cities were named after their gods. The rise and fall of a city would be a symbolic defeat or victory for its namesake.

No-amon was the ancient name of Thebes, but also the name of the Egyptian god who was said to protect it—Amon. The name No-amon was a way of saying “No, the city of the god Amon.” 

Likewise, the defeat of Nineveh—the largest city in the ancient world—symbolized the defeat of “Nin” (or “Ninus),” the deity it was named after. The fall of ancient cities like No-amon or Nineveh were symbolic events as much as they were military ones. What was at stake was not only victory and defeat, but also honor and shame for the people and their gods.