She is addressed as the mother of gods, which signals her supreme position among the female deities.

'The mistress of countries' alternating with 'the mistress of mountains,'[68] is one of her common titles; and as the growing uniqueness of her position is one of the features of the Babylonian-Assyrian religion, it is natural that she should become simply _the_ goddess.

This was especially the case with the Assyrians, to whom Ishtar became a goddess of war and battle, the consort, at times, of the chief god of the Assyrian pantheon.

At the same time it is important to note that the warlike character of the goddess goes back to the time of Hammurabi (_Keils Bibl._ 3, 1, 113), and is dwelt upon by other Babylonian kings (_e.g._, Nebuchadnezzar I., c.

1130 B.C.) prior to the rise of the Assyrian power.