The Myth of Marduk and the Essence of Leadership

The myth of Marduk from Mesopotamian culture illustrates the process of combining different tribes' deities to create a new, abstracted ideal that covers both. Marduk, elected as the king god by all other gods, signifies the capacity of leadership, which involves the ability to see in every direction and to use language properly for transforming chaos into order. The story of Marduk's battle with Tiamat, a watery sea dragon, symbolizes the transformation of chaos into the world human beings live in, with the Mesopotamian emperor needing to embody Marduk's characteristics for effective leadership.