Title: 1. Achaemenid History
11. Achaemenid History
- BOT535 Postexilic History Literature
2Cyrus the Great Genealogy
- Achaemenes (700-675?)
- Teispes (675-640?)
- Cyrus I (640-600?) Ariaramnes (640-615?)
- Cambyses I (600-559?) Arsames (590-550?)
- Cyrus II (559-530)
- Yamauchi, Edwin M. Persia and the Bible, 70
3Cyrus II
- Biblical References Dan 1.21 6.28 10.1 2 Chr
36.22-23 Ezra 1.1-4 6.3-5 Isa 44.28 45.1 (Isa
41.2-3, 25-26 45.13 46.11). - Parents and Birth
- Father Cambyses I, a Persian
- Mother Mandane, the daughter of the Median king
Astyages. - 590 BCE
4Cyrus II (559-530 BCE)
- At the beginning of my lasting kingship they
(the great gods) showed me a vision in a dream .
. . . Marduk said to me, The Umman-manda of whom
thou speakest, he, his land, and the kings who go
at his side, will not exist for much longer. At
the beginning of the third year, Cyrus, kind of
Anshan, his youthful servant, will come forth.
With his few forces he will rout the numerous
forces of the Umman-manda. He will capture
Astyages, the king of the Umman-manda, and will
take him prisoner to his country. - DOTT, pp. 89-90 in Yamauchi, 80-81
5Cyrus II (559-530)
- Defeats Astyage and the Medes in 550 BCE
- Capital was Ecbatana (Ezra 6.2)
- Received the allegiance from the Hyrcanians,
Parthians, Sakai and Bactrians - Treasure of Astyage
- Conquest of Croesus of Lydia
- Sardis conquered
- Period of consolation of power (546-540 BCE)
6Cyrus II (559-530)
- Conquest of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
- Babylonian citizen assisted
- Cyrus general Gobryas enters Babylon in 539 BCE
- Cyrus uses propaganda
- Cyrus seizes the territory of the Outer Euphrates
- Dies in 530 BCE (Massagetai)
7Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Outline
- 1-3 . . . a reference to Cyrus predecessor
(Nabonidus) as a person unfit to rule Bablonia. - 4-8 A narrative of the wicked deeds of Nabonidus
particularly in relation to Esagila, his
blasphemous offerings, his interruption of
regular offerings, his lack of awe for Marduk. In
addition he caused the people to perish by
imposing heavy labour-duties.
8Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Outline
- 9-10 Marduk raged as he heard the laments of his
people (cult centres were abandoned?), their
shape (was forgotten?) and the gods who dwelt
therein abandoned them. He (Nebonidus) brought
the gods into Babylon. - 19-14 Marduks anger turns to mercy in the face
of his peoples suffering he examines all the
countries to find a just and suitable ruler. He
takes Cyrus, king of Anshan, calls
9Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Outline
- him to his position and appoints him
- 15-19 Marduk now orders Cyrus to go to Babylon
and accompanies him and his troops like a friend
he causes him to enter Babylon without a battle
and hands Nabonidus over to him. All the
inhabitants of Babylon are delighted, welcome
Cyrus as king and praise Marduk for their
deliverance.
10Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Outline
- 20-22 I, Cyrus followed by royal titles and
genealogy back to great-grandfather - eternal
seed of royalty, whose kingship is loved by
Marduk and Nabu, who desired his kingship in
order to please their hearts. - 22-24 Cyrus peaceful and joyful arrival in
Babylon and his daily honouring of Marduk.
11Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Outline
- 24-26 Cyrus guarantees the peace of the country
and protects the welfare of Babylon and its cult
centres he releases them from their burden
(which was not in accordance with the will of the
gods). - 26-30 Marduk is pleased and blesses Cyrus, his
son, Cambyses, and all his troops. At Marduks
command all enthroned kings of all regions bring
tribute and kiss Cyrus feet
12Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Outline
- in Babylon.
- 30-34 All the gods whose dwelling-places have
been abandoned long ago are returned to their
places and allowed to settle in an eternal
dwelling (the cult-centres listed in this section
are (Nineveh?), Assur, Susa, Akkad, Esnunna,
Zamban, Me4turnu, De4r as far as Gutium,
cult-centres on the other side (i.e. east) of the
Tigris). All the
13Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Outline
- people associated with these returned deities
are gathered together and brought back to their
(i.e. the restored gods) dwelling-places. All
the gods of Babylonia that had been gathered by
Nabonidus together in Babylon were also joyfully
returned to their homes at the command of Marduk. - 34-36 A prayer asking that all the restored
14Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Outline
- gods may daily speak to Marduk and Nabu on
behalf of Cyrus and Cambyses, his son. - 36 All lands are at peace.
- 37-38 (Probably) a reference to increased
cult-offerings. - 33-43 Improvements and completion of building in
Babylon (walls, quay-wall, elaborate doors).
15Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Outline
- 43-45 Cyrus finds an inscription of
Assurbanipal, a king who preceded me the last
line has only the final word preserved but it is
probable that it would have referred to the
reverent replacing of the text and perhaps a
mention of the fact that Cyrus placed his own
inscription next to it.
16Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Literary Pattern
- A. (1-19) Historical preamble and Marduks role
in it (in the third person) - B. (20-22) Royal protocol and genealogy (in the
first person) - C. (22-34) Cyrus correct behaviour in returning
everything to normal - D. (34-35) Prayer by Cyrus for himself and his son
17Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Literary Pattern
- E. (36-37) Statement that everything in the
empire is in order - F. (38-45) Cyrus building works in Babylon.
18Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Analysis
- 1. The Cyrus Cylinder is a document composed in
accordance with traditional Mesopotamian royal
building texts and apart from the
incontrovertible fact that the main protagonist
is a Persian no foreign and /or new literary
elements appear in it. - 2. It is thus unsuprising that the text relates
itself exclusively to the fortunes of the city
19Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Analysis
- of Babylon and its god Marduk and only by
extension to other deities of the Babylonian
pantheon and the country of which Babylon was the
capital. - 3. The fact that the text has a limited local
application is confirmed by the geographical
horizon outlined above and the possibility that
similar (albeit perhaps not
20Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Analysis
- such elaborate) compositions were produced in
relation to the restoration of other sanctuaries. - 4. The main significance of the text lies in the
insight it provides into the mechanism used by
Cyrus to legitimise his conquest of Babylonia by
manipulating local traditions - an exercise in
which he probably received
21Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Analysis
- the support of a fairly powerful segment of the
urban population in Babylonia, whose traditional
privileges were perhaps being threatened by
Nabonidus policy. - 5. Whether Cyrus ever actually restored any
cults is quite unclear and to some extent the
answer to this question depends on an evaluation
of the effect of Nabonidus
22Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Analysis
- religious reforms on the Babylonian cities it
is possible that some kind of restoration of
normal cult-practice, disrupted by the fall of
the Assyrian empire, was also envisaged . . . .
But such a restoration does not appear to have
been carried out. . . .
23Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Summary
- 1. He and his successors were doing no more than
following Assyrian policy in relation to the
Babylonian cities - a policy which could be
reversed when necessary not the destruction of
Babylon and possible removal / destruction of the
Marduk statue by Xerxes after the revolts in
Babylonia in the early part of his reign.
24Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Summary
- 2. Cambyses the tyrant also restored cultic
order in the temple of Neith and Sais and yet
certainly withdrew incomes and privileges from
other temples in Egypt in order to break the
power of the priesthoods. - 3. While Achaemenid rulers appear to have been
anxious to maintain the privileges of cultic
communities as evidenced, for
25Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Summary
- example, by the letter from Darius to Gadates
concerning the workers in the sacred of Apollo,
yet the temple at Didyma in Asia Minor was
destroyed on the others of the same king probably
because of the role it had played in the Ionian
revolt (Hdt. 6.20). - 4. While Achaemenids certainly practised the
26Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Summary
- deportation of populations as part of their
policy just as Assyrians and Babylonians had
done thus, the inhabitants of Barca in Libya
were moved to Bactria by Darius I (Hdt. 4.204),
the Paeonians were moved from Thrace to Phrygia
(Hdt. 5.13-16), and the inhabitants of Miletus
were settled on the Persian Gulf (Hdt. 6.20). A
much later
27Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Summary
- reference in a Babylonian text dating to
Artaxerxes III lists deportees, including women,
arriving in Babylon after the revolt of Sidon.
28Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Conclusion
- The assumption that Persian imperial control was
somehow more tolerable than the Assyrian yoke is
based, on the one hand, on the limited experience
of one influential group of a very small
community which happened to benefit by Persian
policy and, on the other, on a piece of blatant
propaganda successfully modelled on
29Cyrus Cylinder Amelie Kuhrts Conclusion
- similar texts derised to extol a representative
and practitioner of the earlier and much
condemned Assyrian imperialism. - Kuhrt, Amelie, The Cyrus Cylinder and
Achaemenid Imperial Policy, JSOT 25 (1983),
83-97
30Cambyses (530-522 BCE)
- Conquest of Egypt
- 525 Cambyses enters Sais
- Failure in the Ethiopian Campaign
- Cambyses Policies
- Local sacral traditions followed as politically
expedient the sacred Apis Bull and the testimony
of Udjahorresnet, etc. - Dies attempting to return to Persia (522BCE)
31Egypt 26th Dynasty
- Psammetichus I 664-610 BCE
- Necho II 610-595 BCE
- Psammetichus II 595-589 BCE
- Apries 589-570 BCE
- Amasis 570-526 BCE
- Psammetichus III 526-525 BCE
32Darius I (522-486 BCE)
- Biblical References
- Ezra 4-6
- Haggai 1.1, 15 2.10
- Zechariah 1.1, 7 7.1
33Darius I (522-486 BCE)
- Problem of Succession
- Was Bardya, Smerdis (Hdt.), Guamata Cambyses
brother? - Or was Darius the usurper?
- Rebellions Crushed
- in Egypt, Persia, Elam, Babylonia, Media and East
on the Iranian Plateau. - In Egypt in 518 Did he stop by Judah during the
ministries of Haggai and Zechariah?
34Darius I (522-486 BCE)
- Building Programs
- Canal from Nile to Red Sea (512 BCE)
- I am Persian from Persia I seized Egypt, I gave
order to dig this canal from a river by name Nile
which flows in Egypt, to the sea which goes from
Persia. After this canal was dug thus as I had
ordered and ships went from Egypt through this
canal to Persia thus as was my desire. - Behistun Monument
35Darius I (522-486 BCE)
- Persepolis
- Royal road system from Sadis to Susa
- Governance
- 20 Satrapies
- He established in the Persian Empire twenty
governments (archai) called satrapies the
variousgovernors were appointed, and each nation
assessed for tributes (phoroi) that should revert
to him (Hdt. 3.89)
36Darius I (522-486 BCE)
- Coinage, the daric in about 515 BCE
- Military Problems
- Aristagoras of Miletus (499-494 BCE)
- First Persian War (490 BCE) and the defeat at
Marathon - Darius dies 486 BCE)
37The Behistun Relief
- Date 521 or 520 BCE to 519 BCE (addition).
- Description The relief represents Darius
triumphant over his enemies he holds a bow in
this left hand and stands with one foot on the
fallen figure of Gaumata, the first rebel, who
raises his arms in a pleading gesture toward
Darius. Behind the king are two Persian
attendants, and the nine
38The Behistun Relief
- remaining rebel leaders stand in front of
Darius their hands are tied behind their backs,
and their necks are bound by a rope which runs
from figure to figure. Above the rebels floats
the truncated figure of Ahura Mazda in a winged
disc the god holds a ring in his left hand and
raises his right hand toward Darius. The Persian
monarch raises
39The Behistun Relief
- his right hand in a similar gesture to the god,
so that the two seem to be in communion, the god
bestowing, the king worshipping. The king and his
two officers wear Persian dress each rebel
leader is shown in his appropriate native costume
and hairdress. - Farkas, Ann, The Behistun Relief, The
Cambridge History of Iran, Vol 2., 828
40The Behistun Relief Inscription
- Afterwards, there was one man, a Magian, Gaumata
by name he rose up from Paishiyauvada. A
mountain by name Arakadri - from there 14 days of
the month Viyakhna March 11, 522 were past when
he rose up. He lied to the people thus I am
Smerdis OP Bardiya, the son of Cyrus, brother
of Cambyses. After that all the
41The Behistun Relief Inscription
- people became rebellious from Cambyses, (and)
went over to him, both Persia and Media and the
provinces. - Quoted from Yamauchi, p. 138
42Xerxes I (486-465 BCE)
- Biblical References
- Ezra 4.6
- Daniel 11.2 (?)
- Esther
- Birth and Parentage
- Not the eldest son of Darius, but first born
after Darius came to power (_at_518) - Mother Atossa, daughter of Cyrus
43Xerxes I (486-465 BCE)
- Revolts
- Egypt suppressed by 484 BCE
- Babylonian revolts of 484 and 482 BCE
- Defeated in the immense land and sea battle with
Greece in 480 BCE - Death
- Assassinated in 465 BCE
44Arataxerxes I (465-424 BCE)
- Biblical References
- Nehemiah 1.1 2.1 (Nehemiah was cupbearer)
- Supposed dates of the so-called Trito-Isaiah,
Jonah, many Psalms, Proverbs and Qoheleth - Revolts
- The third son of Xerxes who was satrap of Bactria
45Arataxerxes I (465-424 BCE)
- Egypt (460 BCE) rebelled under Inarus with the
aid of Athens - suppressed by Megabyzus by 454
BCE - Struggle with Athens continues . . . 449 the
peace of Callias - Death
- Natural causes in 425/424 BCE
46The Last Rulers
- Xerxes II (45 days, i.e., 424-425 BCE)
- Darius II Ochus (423-404 BCE)
- Artaxerxes II Memnon (404-359 BCE)
- Artaxerxes III Ochus (359-338 BCE)
- Arses (338-336 BCE)
- Darius III Codommanus (336-331 BCE)