Cyrus the Great Takes Babylon
Babylon, near Hillah, Iraq (site of the ancient city)
What happened
In 539 BCE the Persian king Cyrus took the great city of Babylon and added it to his empire. Afterward, a message in Babylonian writing was pressed into a clay cylinder and placed in the city's foundations. According to the cylinder, Cyrus brought peace to Babylon, repaired temples and sent home people who had been taken from their homes.
Why it matters
Babylon became part of the Persian Empire. The cylinder shows how Cyrus presented himself as a king who cared for the cities he ruled and for their gods and temples.
What came next
The Cyrus Cylinder was found by the archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam in March 1879 during digs at Babylon for the British Museum. Today it is in the British Museum in London.
Did you know?
A broken piece of the cylinder was kept at Yale University for years before a scholar matched it to the cylinder in 1970.
Timeline
- 539 BCECyrus takes Babylon.
- After 539 BCEThe cylinder is written and placed in the city's foundations.
- March 1879Hormuzd Rassam finds it at Babylon.
- 1970The Yale piece is matched to the cylinder.