In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is the sea monster defeated by Marduk before he creates the ordered cosmos.
Tiamat is central to the Babylonian creation epic Enūma Eliš. She represents the saltwater sea and is paired with Apsu, the freshwater principle. After conflict among the gods, Tiamat creates monstrous allies and appoints Kingu as their leader, while Marduk agrees to fight on behalf of the younger gods.
Marduk kills Tiamat with wind and weapons, then divides her body. The epic presents the separation of her body as the formation of cosmic regions, including the heavens and the earth. Marduk’s victory establishes him as chief among the gods of Babylon.
Tiamat is sometimes described simply as a “dragon,” but the ancient text gives her a broader monstrous form and associates her with the primordial sea. She should not be confused with Lotan, a related sea-serpent figure in Ugaritic tradition, or Apep, the Egyptian serpent of chaos.