Ana is the head of the first Triad, which follows immediately after the
obscure god Ra. His position is well marked by Damascius, who gives the
three gods, Anus, Illinus, and Aus, as next in succession to the primeval
pair, Assorus and Missara. He corresponds in many respects to the
classical Hades or Pluto, who, like him, heads the triad to which he
belongs. His epithets are chiefly such as mark priority and antiquity.
He is called "the old Ana," "the original chief," perhaps in one place
"the father of the gods," and also "the Lord of spirits and demons."
Again, he bears a number of titles which serve to connect him with the
infernal regions. He is "the king of the lower world," the "Lord of
darkness" or "death," "the ruler of the far-off city," and the like. The
chief seat of his worship is Huruk or Erech--the modern Warka--which
becomes the favorite Chaldaean burying city, as being under his
protection. There are some grounds for thinking that one of his names
was _Dis._ If this was indeed so, it would seem to follow, almost beyond
a doubt, that _Dis,_ the lord of Orcus in Roman mythology, must have been
a reminiscence brought from the East--a lingering recollection of _Dis_
or Ana, patron god of Erech (_Opex_ of the LXX), the great city of the
dead, the necropolis of Lower Babylonia. Further, curiously enough, we
have, in connection with this god, an illustration of the classical
confusion between Pluto and Plutus; for Ana is "the layer-up of
treasures"--the "lord of the earth" and of the "mountains," whence the
precious metals are derived.

The worship of Ana by the kings of the Chaldaean series is certain. Not
only did Shanias-vul, the son of Ismi-dagon, raise a temple to the honor
of Ana and his son Vul at Kileh-Shergat (or Asshur) about B.C. 1830--
whence that city appears in later times to have borne the name of Telane,
or "the mound of Ana"--but Urukh himself mentions him as a god in an
inscription quoted above; and there is reason to believe that from at
least as early a date he was recognized as the presiding deity at Erech
or Warka. This is evident from the fact, that though the worship of
Beltis superseded that of Ana in the great temple at that place from a
very remote epoch, yet the temple itself always retained the title of
Bit-Ana (or Beth-Ana), "the house of Ana;" and Beltis herself was known
commonly as "the lady of Bit-Ana," from the previous dedication to this
god of the shrine in questi