§-Quick questions
NSWAncient HistorySection IV (Historical Periods): Persia - Cyrus II to the death of Darius III
Quick questions on Cyrus the Great and the foundation of the Achaemenid empire: HSC Ancient History
1short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is the conquest of Babylon, 539 BC?Show answer
Cyrus' greatest prize was Babylon, the ancient metropolis of Mesopotamia, in 539 BC. Its king, Nabonidus, had spent years at the oasis of Teima in Arabia and had promoted the moon-god Sin over Marduk, the city's chief god, alienating the powerful Marduk priesthood and dividing the elite. Cyrus exploited this. According to the Nabonidus Chronicle, the Persians defeated the Babylonians at Opis on the Tigris, then Sippar fell without a fight, and Babylon itself was taken by Cyrus' commander (named Ugbaru, often identified with the Gobryas of Greek tradition) in October 539 BC, again without a battle; Cyrus entered the city shortly afterwards to public acclaim.
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