Semiramis
a queen of Assyria, whose history is enveloped in fable. As the story goes, she was a daughter of the fish goddess Derceto of Ascalon, in Syria, by a Syrian youth. Being exposed by her mother, she was miraculously fed by doves till discovered by the chief of the royal shepherds, who adopted her. Attracted by by her beauty, Onnes, governor of Nineveh, married her. She accompanied him to the siege of Bactria, where, by her advice, she assisted the king's operations. She became endeared to Ninus, the founder of Nineveh (about 2182 в. c.), but Onnes refused to yield her, and being threatened by Ninus, hanged himself. Ninus resigned the crown of Semiramis, and had her proclaimed Queen of Assyria. She built Babylon, and rendered it the mightiest city in the world. She was distinguished as a warrior, and conquered many of the adjacent countries. Having been completely defeated on the Indus, she was either killed or compelled to abdicate by her son Ninyas, after reigning 42 years.
According to popular legend, she disappeared or was changed into a dove, and was worshiped as a divinity. Her whole history resembles an Oriental tale, and even her existence has been questioned.
She is probably a mythological being corresponding to Astarte, or the Greek Aphrodite.