which the Greek writers called that of the Medes, through a confusion of Madā or “Medes” with Manda. Three years later we find that Cyrus has become king of Persia and is engaged in a campaign in the north of Mesopotamia. Meanwhile Nabonidus has established a camp at Sippara, near the northern frontier Invasion
by Cyrus.of his kingdom, his son—probably the Belshazzar of other inscriptions—being in command of the army. In 538 B.C. Cyrus invaded Babylonia. A battle was fought at Opis in the month of June, in which the Babylonians were defeated, and immediately afterwards Sippara surrendered to the invader. Nabonidus fled to Babylon, whither he was pursued by Gobryas, the governor of Kurdistan, and on the 16th of Tammuz, two days after the capture of Sippara, “the soldiers of Cyrus entered Babylon without fighting.” Nabonidus was dragged out of his hiding-place, and Kurdish guards were placed at the gates of the great temple of Bel, where the services continued without intermission. Cyrus did not arrive till the 3rd of Marchesvan (October), Gobryas having acted for him in his absence. Gobryas was now made governor of the province of Babylon, and a few days afterwards the son of Nabonidus, according to the most probable reading, died. A public mourning followed, which lasted six days, and Cambyses accompanied the corpse to the tomb. Cyrus now claimed to be the legitimate successor of the ancient Babylonian kings and the avenger of Bel-Merodach, who was wrathful at the impiety of Nabonidus in removing the images of the local gods from their ancestral shrines to his capital Babylon. Nabonidus, in fact, had excited a strong feeling against himself by attempting to centralize the religion of Babylonia in the temple of Merodach (Marduk) at Babylon, and while he had thus alienated the local priesthoods the military party despised him on account of his antiquarian tastes. He seems to have left the defence of his kingdom to others, occupying himself with the more congenial work of excavating the foundation records of the temples and determining the dates of their builders. The invasion of Babylonia by Cyrus was doubtless facilitated by the existence of a disaffected party in the state, as well as by the presence of foreign exiles like the Jews, who had been planted in the midst of the country. One of the first acts of Cyrus accordingly was to allow these exiles to return to their own homes, carrying with them the images of their gods and their sacred vessels. The permission to do so was embodied in a proclamation, in which the conqueror endeavoured to justify his claim to the Babylonian throne. The feeling was still strong that none had a right to rule over western Asia until he had been consecrated to the office by Bel and his priests; and from henceforth, accordingly, Cyrus assumed the imperial title of “king of Babylon.” A year before his death, in 529 B.C., he associated his son Cambyses (q.v.) in the government, making him king of Babylon, while he reserved for himself the fuller title of “king of the (other) provinces” of the empire. It was only when Darius Hystaspis, the representative of the Aryan race and the Zoroastrian religion, had re-conquered the empire of Cyrus, that the old tradition was broken and the claim of Babylon to confer legitimacy on the rulers of western Asia ceased to be acknowledged (see Darius). Darius, in fact, entered Babylon as a conqueror; after the murder of the Magian it had recovered its independence under Nidinta-Bel, who took the name of Nebuchadrezzar III., and reigned from October 521 B.C. to August 520 B.C., when the Persians took it by storm. A few years later, probably 514 B.C., Babylon again revolted under the Armenian Arakha; on this occasion, after its capture by the Persians, the walls were partly destroyed. E-Saggila, the great temple of Bel, however, still continued to be kept in repair and to be a centre of Babylonian patriotism, until at last the foundation of Seleucia diverted the population to the new capital of Babylonia and the ruins of the old city became a quarry for the builders of the new seat of government.[1]
VI. Assyria and Babylonia contrasted.—The sister-states of Babylonia and Assyria differed essentially in character. Babylonia was a land of merchants and agriculturists; Assyria was an organized camp. The Assyrian dynasties were founded
- ↑ The following is a list of the later dynasties and kings of Babylonia and Assyria so far as they are known at present. For the views of other writers on the chronology, see § viii., Chronological Systems.
The Babylonian Dynasties from cir. 2500 B.C.
Dynasty of Ur.Gungunu, cir. 2500 B.C. Ur-Gur. Dungi, more than 51 years. Bur-Sin, more than 12 years. Gimil-Sin, more than 9 years. Ibi-Sin. Idin-Dagan. Sumu-ilu.
First Dynasty of Babylon. 2350 B.C.
Sumu-abi, 14 years. Sumu-la-ilu, 36 years. Zabium, 14 years. Abil-Sin, 18 years. Sin-muballidh, 20 years. Khammurabi, 43 years. Samsu-iluna, 38 years. Abesukh, 25 years. Ammi-ditana, 25 years. Ammi-zadoq, 21 years. Samsu-ditana, 31 years.
Dynasty of Sisku (?) for 368 years. 2160 B.C.
Anman, 60 years. Ki-Nigas, 56 years. Damki-ilisu, 26 years. Iskipal, 15 years. Sussi, 27 years. Gul-ki[sar], 55 years. Kirgal-daramas, 50 years. Ā-dara-kalama, 28 years. Akur-duana, 26 years. Melamma-kurkura, 8 years. Ea-ga(mil), 9 years.
Kassite Dynasty of 36 kings for 576 years 9 months. 1780 B.C.
Gandis, 16 years. Agum-sipak, 22 years. Bitilyasu I., 22 years. Ussi (?), 9 years. Adu-metas. Tazzi-gurumas. Agum-kakrime. . . . . Kara-indas. Kadasman-Bel, his son, corresponded with Amon-hotep (Amenophis) III. of Egypt, 1400 B.C. Kuri-galzu II. Burna-buryas, his son, 22 years. Kuri-galzu III., his son, 26 years. Nazi-Maruttas, his son, 17 years. Kadasman-Turgu, his son, 13 years. Kudur-bel, 6 years. Sagarakti-suryas, his son, 13 years. Bitilyasu II., 8 years. Tukulti-In-aristi of Assyria (1272 B.C.) for 7 years, native vassal kings being— Bel-sum-iddin, 112 years. Kadasman-Bel II., 112 years. Hadad-sum-iddin, 6 years. Hadad-sum-uzur, 30 years. Meli-sipak, 15 years. Merodach-baladan I., his son, 13 years. Zamama-sum-iddin, 1 year. Bel-sum-iddin, 3 years.
Dynasty of Isin of 11 kings for 13212 years. 1203 B.C.
Merodach-... 18 years. . . . . Nebuchadrezzar I. Bel-nadin-pal. Merodach-nadin-akhi, 22 years. Merodach-... 112 years. Hadad-baladan, an usurper. Merodach-sapik-zer-mati, 12 years. Nabu-nadin, 8 years.
Dynasty of the Sea-coast. 1070 B.C.
Simbar-sipak, 18 years. Ea-mukin-zeri, 5 months. Kassu-nadin-akhi, 3 years.
Dynasty of Bit-Bazi. 1050 B.C.
Ē-Ulmas-sakin-sumi, 17 years. Ninip-kudur-uzur I., 3 years. Silanim-Suqamuna, 3 months.
Dynasty of Elam. 1030 B.C.
An Elamite, 6 years.
Second Dynasty of Babylon. 1025 B.C.
Nebo-kin-abli, 36 years. Ninip-kudur-uzur II. (?) 8 months 12 days. Probably 5 names missing. B.C. Samas-mudammiq cir. 920 Nebo-sum-iskun cir. 900 Nebo-baladan cir. 880 Merodach-nadin-sumi cir. 860 Merodach-baladhsu-iqbi cir. 830 Bau-akhi-iddin cir. 810 Probably 2 names missing. Nebo-sum-iskun, son of Dakuri cir. 760 Nabonassar, 14 years 747 Nebo-nadin-suma, his son, 2 years 733 Nebo-sum-yukin, his son, 1 month 12 days 731 End of "the 22nd dynasty."
Dynasty of Sape.
B.C. Yukin-zera or Chinziros, 3 years. 730 Pulu (Pul or Poros), called Tiglath-pileser III. in Assyria, 2 years 727 Ululā, called Shalmaneser IV. in Assyria 725 Merodach-baladan II. the Chaldaean 721 Sargon of Assyria 709 Sennacherib, his son 705 Merodach-zakir-sumi, 1 month 702 Merodach-baladan III., 6 months 702 Bel-ebus of Babylon 702 Assur-nadin-sumi, son of Sennacherib 700 Nergal-yusezib 694 Musezib-Merodach 693 Sennacherib destroys Babylon 689 Esar-haddon, his son 681 Samas-sum-yukin, his son 668 Kandalanu (Kineladanos) 648 Nabopolassar 626 Nabu-kudur-uzur (Nebuchadrezzar II.) 605 Amil-Marduk (Evil-Merodach), his son 562 Nergal-sarra-uzur (Nergal-sharezer) 560 Labasi-Marduk, his son, 3 months 556 Nabu-nahid (Nabonidus) 556 Cyrus conquers Babylon 538 Cambyses, his son 529 Gomates, the Magian, 7 months 521 Nebuchadrezzar III., native king 521 Darius, son of Hystaspes 520 Nebuchadrezzar IV., rebel king 514 Darius restored 513
Kings of Assyria. Zulilu "founder of the monarchy." B.C. . . . . . . Tiglath-pileser I., his son 1120 Assur-rabi. Assur-bil-kala, his son 1090 Assur-nirari, his son. Samsi-Hadad I., his brother 1070 Assur-rim-nisesu, his son. Assur-nazir-pal II., his son 1060 . . . . . . Assur-irbi — Erba-Hadad, Hadad-nirari II. cir. 960 Assur-nadin-akhi I., his son. Tiglath-pileser II., his son 950 Assur-yuballidh I., his son. Assur-dan II., his son 930 B.C. Hadad-nirari III., his son 911 Assur-bil-nisi-su cir. 1450 Tukulti-In-aristi, his son 889 Buzur-Assur 1440 Assur-nazir-pal III., his son 883 Assur-nadin-akhi II. 1410 Shalmaneser II., his son 858 Assur-yuballidh, his son 1390 Assur-danin-pal (Sardanapallos), rebel king 825 Bel-nirari, his son 1370 Samsi-Hadad II., his brother 823 Arik-den-ilu, his son 1350 Hadad-nirari IV., his son 810 Hadad-nirari I., his son 1330 Shalmaneser III. 781 Shalmaneser I., his son (built Calah) 1310 Assur-dan III. 771 Tiglath-In-aristi I., his son, 1280 Assur-nirari 753 conquers Babylon cir. 1270 Pulu, usurper, takes the name of Tiglath-pileser III. 745 Assur-nazir-pal I., his son 1260 Ululā, usurper, takes the name of Shalmaneser IV. 727 Assur-narara and his son Nebo-dan 1250 Sargon, usurper 722 Assur-sum-lisir 1235 Sennacherib, his son 705 In-aristi-tukulti-Assur 1225 Esar-haddon, his son 681 Bel-kudur-uzur 1215 Assur-bani-pal, his son 668 In-aristi-pileser, descendant of Erba-Hadad 1200 Assur-etil-ilani-yukin, his son ? Assur-dan I., his son 1185 Assur-sum-lisir ? Mutaggil-Nebo, his son 1160 Sin-sarra-uzur (Sarakos) ? Assur-ris-isi, his son 1140 Destruction of Nineveh 606
