Loading AI tools
The Cyrus Cylinder, also known as the ‘Cyrus the Great Cylinder’, is an artifact of the Persian Empire, consisting of a declaration issued by the emperor Cyrus the Great inscribed in Babylonian (Akkadian) cuneiform on a clay cylinder. It was discovered in 1878 in the excavation of a Babylonian site by Assyro-British archaeologist Hormuz Rassam [citation needed].
 | This article possibly contains original research. (October 2007) |
On October 12 (Julian calendar; October 7 by the Gregorian calendar), 539BC , Persian troops entered the city of Babylon without resistance. On October 29, Cyrus himself entered the city, assuming the titles of "king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four sides of the world." The declaration contains an account of his victories and merciful acts in the conquest of Babylonia, as well as a documentation of his royal lineage. It was discovered in 1879 by the Assyrian scholar Hormuzd Rassam in the Marduk temple of Babylon, and today is kept in the British Museum [1].
The text consists of two fragments, known as "A" and "B". "A" has always been in the British Museum; "B" has been kept at Yale University, but has been transferred to the British Museum [2].
The Cyrus Cylinder has been claimed as the world’s first charter of human rights [3]. It was reportedly translated into all official U.N. languages in 1971 [4]. A replica of the cylinder is kept at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City in the second floor hallway, between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council chambers.[5].
The claim that the Cylinder amounted to such a charter was apparently first made explicitly by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ruler of Iran, at a speech celebrating 2,500 years of monarchy in Iran/Persia; he announced that “We promise to preserve forever the traditions of humanism and goodwill, with which you [Cyrus] founded the Persian Empire: Traditions which made our people be the carrier of the a message transmitted everywhere, professing fraternity and truth.”[citation needed].
These claims were repeated in the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech of Shirin Ebadi: “I am an Iranian. A descendant of Cyrus the Great. The very emperor who proclaimed at the pinnacle of power 2500 years ago that “he would not reign over the people if they did not wish it.” And [he] promised not to force any person to change his religion and faith and guaranteed freedom for all. The Charter of Cyrus the great is one of the most important documents that should be studied in the history of human rights.” The quotation Ebadi gave does not appear to be authentic.
Passages in the text have been interpreted as expressing Cyrus’ respect for humanity; certainly it promotes a form of religious tolerance and freedom[6]. He allowed his subjects to continue worshipping their gods, despite his own monotheist beliefs.[7] The historian Professor R. N. Frye wrote:
“In the victories of the Persians… what was different was the new policy of reconciliation and together with this was the prime aim of Cyrus to establish a pax Achaemenica… If one were to assess the achievements of the Achaemenid Persians, surely the concept of One World,… the fusion of peoples and cultures in one ‘Oecumen’ was one of their important legacies.”[8]
Cyrus' generous policies, support for local religions and stated opposition to repression and tyranny did win him support from his subjects[9]. Newly conquered territories in Cyrus' empire has a measure of political independance, being ruled by vassal kings called satraps; from many regions of his empire Cyrus demanded only tribute and conscripts. Due in part to this political infrastructure, the Achaemenid empire endured long after his demise: Cyrus' 'superstate', comprising many dozens of countries, races, religions, and languages, lasted for centuries, and was retained both by the invading Seleucid dynasty during their control of Persia, and later Iranian dynasties including the Persian Parthians and [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanids][10].
However, it can also be argued that similar gestures were more or less usual for a conquering monarch in contemporary Babylon and the surrounding area[11].
At least one translation of the Cylinder’s text found online has been ‘elaborated’ with promises founding Cyrus’ right to reign on the acceptance of the people[12]. This is in contradiction with the early part of the text, which recounts the god Marduk’s offer of a tyrannical monarch’s kingdom to Cyrus, founding his conquest on divine right[13].
The Bible records that a remnant of the Jewish population returned to the Promised Land from Babylon, following an edict from Cyrus to rebuild the temple. This edict is fully reproduced in the Book of Ezra. As a result of Cyrus' policies, the Jews honored him as a dignified and righteous king, and he is the only Gentile to be designated as a messiah, a divinely-appointed king, in the Tanakh.
Whether or not the Cylinder amounts to a ‘charter’, it remarkably appears to confirm many of these Biblical statements concerning Cyrus’ tolerance and magnanimity. It shows that King Cyrus did indeed allow the Mesopotamian nations he had conquered not only to practice their various religions, but also supported the return of these peoples to their various homelands, (in accordance to what is said in Isaiah 45:13).[citation needed] Moreover, he returned their articles of worship, and allowed ethnic groups from the country east of the Tigris who were captive in Babylon to return to their homeland. That he also allowed the return of the Jews is not mentioned in the Cylinder, but is certainly likely.[14]
Before the discovery of this artefact, many sceptic Western historians believed that the Biblical stories were entirely fictional. However, due to the discovery of the Cyrus Cylinder and similar texts (the Code of Hammurabi, the Epic of the Deluge, the Lakhish relief from Nineveh, etc.), this has come to be considered an extreme point of view; the outline of Jewish history presented in these Biblical texts may be more or less reliable.
The latest edition of the Akkadian text is:
- Hanspeter Schaudig, Die Inschriften Nabonids von Babylon und Kyros' des Großen, samt den in ihrem Umfeld entstandenen Tendenzschriften. Textausgabe und Grammatik. (2001 Münster, Ugarit-Verlag) (online)
Translations:
- Rogers, Robert William: Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament (1912), New York, Eaton & Mains. Fragment A only).
- Pritchard, James B. (ed.): Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (ANET) (1950, 1955, 1969). Translation by A. L. Oppenheim. (fragment A and B).
- Brosius, Maria (ed.): The Persian Empire from Cyrus II to Artaxerxes I (2000, London Association of Classical Teachers (LACT) 16, London.
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
