Latest / The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History / Cyrus the Great's Babylon: A New Kind of Conquest
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we've talked a lot about Cyrus the Great in earlier episodes — his rise, his death, his siege of Babylon. But today I want to focus on something we only touched on: the propaganda war he waged before he even marched on the city. Luna: Propaganda? In the 6th century BCE? Lucas: Absolutely. And it was masterful. You see, Babylon in 539 BCE was ruled by Nabonidus, a king who'd managed to alienate just about everyone. He'd neglected the major festival of Marduk for years, moved the capital to the Arabian oasis of Tayma, and promoted the moon god Sin over Babylon's chief deity, Marduk. The priests and the populace were deeply unhappy. Lucas: Now Cyrus, who was already the king of Anshan in Persia and had conquered Media, Lydia, and much of the Near East, saw an opening. He didn't just rely on his army. He actively cultivated a narrative that he was chosen by Marduk himself to rescue Babylon from Nabonidus’s impiety. Luna: So he used religion as a weapon. Lucas: Exactly. The main source for this is the Cyrus Cylinder, a clay barrel inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform, discovered in the ruins of Babylon in 1879. It's often called the first declaration of human rights, but that's a modern interpretation. What it really is is a victory propaganda piece. It describes Nabonidus as a tyrant who imposed forced labor and suppressed the worship of Marduk. Lucas: Then it says that Marduk looked at all the kings of the world, chose Cyrus, and commanded him to march against Babylon. The cylinder even claims Cyrus entered Babylon without a battle — which we know from the Nabonidus Chronicle is not entirely true, but it's the official story. Luna: Wait, the Nabonidus Chronicle — that's the Babylonian source, right? What does it say actually happened? Lucas: Right. The Nabonidus Chronicle is a cuneiform tablet that records the events of Nabonidus's reign year by year. According to it, Cyrus's general Gobryas — his name is Ugbaru in the Chronicle — attacked and captured the city of Opis on the Tigris, then Sippar, and then entered Babylon without a major battle. Nabonidus was captured. So there was fighting, but the city itself didn't put up a prolonged resistance. Luna: And the Babylonians welcomed Cyrus? Lucas: According to the cylinder and the Chronicle, yes. The Chronicle notes that the 'weapons of Babylonia' and the shields of the soldiers were not damaged — it was a relatively peaceful takeover. And Cyrus himself was welcomed into the city. He then appointed local governors, and famously, he took the hands of Marduk — a ritual that symbolised the king's legitimacy as the god's chosen ruler. Lucas: Now, this is where it gets really interesting. The Cyrus Cylinder goes on to say that Cyrus returned the statues of gods that Nabonidus had brought to Babylon, and that he allowed deported peoples to return to their homelands. This includes the famous claim that he allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. Luna: That's a huge claim — and controversial, isn't it? Lucas: Very. The cylinder doesn't mention the Jews specifically. It's a general statement about returning gods and peoples. But the biblical book of Ezra quotes a decree from Cyrus that does specifically name the Jews and the Temple in Jerusalem. Some scholars think that decree is authentic, others see it as a later composition based on the general imperial policy. Luna: So either way, Cyrus's reputation as a liberator was carefully crafted. Lucas: Absolutely. And it worked. The cylinder was buried in the foundations of the Esagila, the great temple of Marduk, as a foundation deposit — a kind of time capsule. It was meant to be read by the gods and by future generations. Cyrus was presenting himself not as a foreign conqueror, but as a legitimate Babylonian king, restoring the old ways. Luna: It's almost like modern political messaging — framing yourself as the one who will fix everything. Lucas: Exactly. And it's worth noting that Cyrus wasn't just copying Babylonian propaganda. He used similar tactics elsewhere. In his own heartland, he presented himself as an Achaemenid king under Ahura Mazda. But when he conquered Lydia, he adopted Lydian symbols. He was incredibly adaptable. Luna: Speaking of adaptation — you mentioned earlier that the siege was relatively quick. How important was that propaganda in preventing a longer resistance? Lucas: It's hard to quantify, but it surely helped. The Chronicle says that when Gobryas entered Babylon, the 'peace of the city' was established. The fact that Nabonidus was so unpopular meant that many Babylonians saw Cyrus as a preferable alternative. And Cyrus actively courted the local elites, restoring temples and privileges. Luna: You know, Lucas, this is exactly the kind of episode where I feel like what we're doing is worth supporting. If today's conversation has been worth even a coffee to you, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a tiny gesture that lets us keep making these ad-free, deep-dive episodes. Luna: And we do it because we love digging into these stories with you, one episode at a time. Lucas: Absolutely. Alright, back to Babylon. One of the most striking things about Cyrus's takeover was how he handled the religious institutions. He not only restored Marduk's worship, he also made offerings to the god and ordered his officials to participate in the Akitu festival, which Nabonidus had neglected. This was a huge symbolic gesture. Luna: So he was essentially out-Nabonidusing Nabonidus. Lucas: Exactly. And it paid off. The Babylonian priesthood became loyal supporters of Persian rule. We see that in later rebellions — when Xerxes faced a revolt in Babylon in 482 BCE, he punished the city severely, but Cyrus's policy had bought over a century of relative peace. Lucas: There's another layer here. The Cyrus Cylinder, along with other inscriptions, shows that Cyrus explicitly linked his victory to Marduk's will. This wasn't just a political statement — it was theological. He claimed that Marduk had 'pronounced his good name' and declared him king of the world. That's a powerful claim of divine mandate. Luna: It's almost like he was saying 'I'm not just conquering you, your god chose me.' Lucas: Precisely. And that's what makes this so sophisticated. Cyrus understood that winning hearts and minds was as important as winning battles. His propaganda campaign in Babylon set the template for how the Achaemenid Empire would rule for the next two centuries — a combination of military might, cultural adaptability, and religious tolerance, all wrapped in a narrative of legitimate rule. Luna: It's amazing that a clay cylinder from 539 BCE still shapes how we think about Cyrus today. Lucas: It really is. And it's a reminder that history isn't just about what happened — it's about how it was remembered. Cyrus made sure his version of events was the one that survived. And for the most part, it has. Luna: So next time someone mentions the first human rights declaration, you can say... well, it's complicated. Lucas: Exactly. It's great propaganda, but propaganda nonetheless. That doesn't mean Cyrus wasn't a remarkable ruler — he was. But we need to read the sources critically. And that's what we love doing here.