When Cyrus the Great conquered the Neo-Babylonian Empire and took it from the rule of the last king of the empire, Nabonidus, that day Cyrus the Great issued a declaration, which became to be known as the Cyrus Cylinder, to let the people of the conquered empires know, who their new ruler and king was. The Cyrus Cylinder is also considered as the first charter of human rights and religious tolerance by many historians. The clay cylinder is engulfed in Akkadian cuneiform script, describing how Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon, his orders of restoring temples and statues that were discarded and removed by Nabonidus. The inscriptions also talk about Cyrus the Great being chosen by the Babylonian chief god Marduk, to restore order and peace in their unstable empire. The inscription is not complete, but has been translated by many historians, archeologist’s ad curators. The Cyrus Cylinder is currently displayed at the British Museum in London, England. It was discovered in 1879 by HormuzdRassam, in the ruins of Babylon in Mesopotamia.
The following is an excerpt from the translations of the inscriptions on the Cyrus Cylinder, translated by Irving Finkel, Curator of Cuneiform Collections at the British Museum:
When I went as harbinger of peace i[nt]o Babylon I founded my sovereign residence within the palace amid celebration and rejoicing. Marduk, the great lord, bestowed on me as my destiny the great magnanimity of one who loves Babylon, and I every day sought him out in awe. My vast troops marched peaceably in Babylon, and the whole of [Sumer] and Akkad had nothing to fear. I sought the welfare of the city of Babylon and all its sanctuaries. As for the population of Babylon […, w]ho as if without div[ine intention] had endured a yoke not decreed for them, I soothed their weariness, I freed them from their bonds(?). Marduk, the great lord, rejoiced at [my good] deeds, and he pronounced a sweet blessing over me, Cyrus, the king who fears him, and over Cambyses, the son [my] issue, [and over] my all my troops, that we might proceed further at his exalted command. All kings who sit on thrones, from every quarter, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, those who inhabit [remote distric]ts (and) the kings of the land of Amurru who live in tents, all of them, brought their weighty tribute into Shuanna, and kissed my feet. From [Shuanna] I sent back to their places to the city of Ashur and Susa, Akkad, the land of Eshnunna, the city of Zamban, the city of Meturnu, Der, as far as the border of the land of Qutu - the sanctuaries across the river Tigris - whose shrines had earlier become dilapidated, the gods who lived therein, and made permanent sanctuaries for them. I collected together all of their people and returned them to their settlements, and the gods of the land of Sumer and Akkad which Nabonidus – to the fury of the lord of the gods – had brought into Shuanna, at the command of Marduk, the great lord, I returned them unharmed to their cells, in the sanctuaries that make them happy. May all the gods that I returned to their sanctuaries, every day before Marduk and Nabu, ask for a long life for me, and mention my good deeds, and say to Marduk, my lord, this: “Cyrus, the king who fears you, and Cambyses his son, may their … […] […….].” The population of Babylon call blessings on my kingship, and I have enabled all the lands to live in peace.
Dr. Alex Parsinia has taken great interest in the tale of Cyrus the Great and has authored the book, Cyrus: The Rise of Empire (ISBN 978-1734741407). Parsinia’s semi fiction writing of the life, triumphs, and death of Cyrus is set to capture your interest. The book mentions the Cyrus Cylinder, how the writings on the ancient artifact have heavily influenced the governing style of the West.
About the Author
Dr. Alex Parsinia is a man of many talents. His writings and researches have been published all around the world, in international and national journals. Parsinia had earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering, a Master of Business Administration, and a Ph.D. in International Business.Parsinia is currently teaching Strategy and International Business at Pepperdine University in Malibu and California State University in Los Ange
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