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Cyrus Cylinder
The Cyrus Cylinder is a clay cylinder inscription commissioned by Cyrus the Great after his conquest of Babylon in 539 BCE, written in Akkadian, proc…
Timeline
- -539Esagila temple, Babylon · BabylonAfter conquering Babylon, Cyrus the Great ordered the cylinder inscription carved in Akkadian, proclaiming that the god Marduk chose him to liberate the deported peoples, reduce taxes and corvée, and restore destroyed temples, thereby declaring the legitimacy of the new rule.
- 1879Ruins of Babylon · BabylonBritish archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam excavated the Cyrus Cylinder from the ruins of Babylon; the inscription was brought to light again and became an important document of modern Assyriology and Persian studies.
- c. 1900British Museum · LondonSince modern times the Cyrus Cylinder has been interpreted as an early precursor of religious tolerance and a declaration of rights, becoming a core artifact symbol of the discourse on the legitimacy of Persian imperial rule, with far-reaching influence.
Sources
- The Cyrus Cylinder: The King of Persia's Proclamation from Babylon — Irving Finkel (2013)
- Cyrus the Great: An Ancient Iranian King — Pierre Briant (2002)