As Ishtar

According to the Toreador, as told by Katherine of Montpelier, Arikel was known as Ishtar. She was a mortal who lived in the City of Ubar. Perhaps it was her beauty that led to her Embrace. Thus, she became Antediluvian of the Clan of the Blossom by the time Ubar was renamed the City of Enoch. After the Deluge destroyed Enoch, the Antediluvians rebelled against their Second Generation Sires. Supposedly, they killed Caine's Childer. Thus, Caine returned to the Antediluvians, where they resided in the Second City, to curse them. According to the Toreador, Caine cursed all the Antediluvians, except for Ishtar, whom he believed was innocent in the matter.^[7]

Fearing possible vengeance, Ishtar left the Second City to reside in Sumer. The people worshiped her beauty and made her their goddess. She also came to have a lover whom she Embraced, known as Tammuz. When Ishtar's Kindred siblings discovered that she was free from Caine's curse, they became outraged. It was Ennoia, "The Beast" Gangrel, who set out to kill the Toreador Antediluvian. As Ennoia tracked Ishtar to Sumer, she Embraced Ereshkigal to help her in the attack. When they came to confront Ishtar, Tammuz interceded. He gave his life, to Final Death so that Ishtar could flee. She then sought aid from the king of Sumeria, King Gilgamesh. However, he had already been turned by Ennoia. In Ishtar's despair, she called upon The Bull of Heaven who helped her by means of escaping to Crete.^[8]

In Crete, Ishtar resided with King Minos, who desired and demanded her gift. Initially, she refused, but then compromised to embrace his son. Unworthy of the embrace, the son fell into the clutches of the Beast. His erratic behavior had imprisoned by his father Minos, in what was an underground maze. There, he was fed "tribute", such as maidens, to squelch his hunger. Over time, the son became the fabled "Minotaur" who was killed by a mortal known as Theseus.^[9]

Ishtar probably didn't take on the name "Arikel" until she resided in Greece.