Babylonian Revolt under Xerxes

Timeline

1. -484City of Babylon · BabylonEarly in Xerxes' reign, Babylonian priests and the citizenry, dissatisfied with Persian centralization, heavier taxation, and changes in religious policy, launched a revolt; they at one point controlled the city and installed a local ruler.
2. -483–-482Babylon · BabylonXerxes dispatched Persian forces to besiege and retake Babylon; the revolt's leaders were executed, the city was harshly punished, the statue of Marduk was removed or destroyed, and temple wealth was confiscated into the Persian treasury.
3. -482Babylon · BabylonAfter the revolt was suppressed, Babylon lost its former autonomous privileges and status as a religious center, and the empire's administrative focus shifted further toward the Persian homeland; some years later Babylon revolted again and was suppressed even more harshly.