asphalt layer of waterproofing. Although Koldewey believed these rooms served as
the foundations of the Hanging Gardens, the evidence is sketchy. More certain is the
site of the Temple of Marduk, about 1 km south, along the processional avenue.
According to Greek historians, who were occasionally known to exaggerate, the
god’s statue and associated cult equipment involved the melting of 20 tonnes of gold.
They claimed that two tonnes of frankincense were used every year.
The glories of Babylon did not last. Within 23 years of Nebuchadnezzar’s son,
Amel-Marduk, succeeding to the throne, Cyrus the Great’s Persian army had
captured the city. Later still, in 330 BC, it fell to Alexander the Great, who dreamed
of making it the central capital of his empire. But Alexander died before his plan
could be realised, and for the next thousand years Babylon’s importance steadily
declined until, by the rise of Islam in the seventh century AD, it was almost an
afterthought on ancient maps.
Reconstruction of the Precinct of
Esagila, enclosing the great ziggurat
of E-temen-anki on the left and the Persepolis Persia’s story set in stone
temple of Marduk on the right, with
priestly accommodation beyond. The The triple wall merged in the northeast with the palace of Tell Babil, while to the AT NAQSH-E-RUSTAM, near the city of Persepolis in southwest Iran, a cliff face is
ziggurat is associated with the Tower of west it connected to the inner sector housing the core of Nebuchadnezzar’s adorned with a series of spectacular royal tombs carved from the rock. This is the
Babel. According to the Old Testament, powerbase. Here lay the sacred and royal chambers, protected by their own defences burial ground of the Persian (Achaemenid) kings, a royal dynasty that rose during
the tower was built by the descendants and set at the head of a processional route leading to the Ishtar Gate.The gate, named the sixth century BC to create an immense empire stretching from Egypt and western
of Noah on Babylonia’s Plain of Shinar. after the goddess of love and war, was decorated with moulded and glazed coloured Turkey to central Asia. Although they made Babylon their capital, they never
The aim was to make it reach Heaven, bricks. These provided a bright background for the dragon and bull shapes that shunned their roots, and both Persepolis and its older neighbour, Pasargadae, were Darius the Great’s attendants shade the
but such arrogance infuriated Jehovah, adorned the sides of a high arch. designed to accommodate ceremonial needs, such as coronations and state funerals. king from the sun and, below, his tomb
who caused the builders to speak in Robert Koldewey also found the museum where Nebuchadnezzar kept his much- The founder of the empire, Cyrus the Great, built a palace retreat at Pasargadae (right) and that of Artaxerxes I at
hitherto-unknown tongues. He then prized Mesopotamian antiques, and a in a period when his forces had underlined their superiority with victories over the Naqsh-e-Rustam. Between them is the
scattered them across the face of the complex of underground rooms with Medes, Lydians and Babylonians. Cyrus was succeeded by Cambyses, who added carving of the first Sassanid king
earth – a neat explanation for the vaulted ceilings, wells and an Egypt to this clutch of dominions, and then Darius, who took the crown under Shapur I’s ‘victory’ over Roman
spread of languages. Some scholars obscure and slightly suspicious circumstances. It was Darius who crushed civil emperors Philip and Valerian.
believe the story was inspired by the unrest and established a more organised administrative regime in which Persia was
collapse of the ziggurat in Babylon, divided into satrapies, or provinces. He also
later restored by Nabopolassar and commissioned the construction of Persepolis.
Nebuchadnezzar II. The new city was built on a series of platforms
and sweeping staircases centred on a huge terrace
measuring 435 by 310m. On this were set the main
royal and government buildings, such as the
Treasury and Apadana (meeting hall). These were
impressive, pillared structures decorated with the
statues of winged bulls around doorways, an idea
borrowed from the earlier Assyrians. Elsewhere,
intricate stone reliefs paid tribute to the king with
illustrations of his court, senior officials, armies and
Coloured a submissive troop of ambassadors of vassal regions
brick wall from bearing tributes. This use of monumental masonry
Babylon’s processional way, rebuilt in to bolster royal pride was a feature of the regime.
the Pergamon Museum, Berlin. Darius even used a cliff at Behistun in western Iran
609 BC 525–404 BC 480 BC 413 BC 343–332 BC c.330 BC c.330 BC 323 BC 290 BC 247 BC 224 BC c.200 BC 165 BC c.138 BC 36–30 BC 4 BC
Egypt allies with First period of Xerxes defeats a Persians under Second period of Babylon falls under End of Persian Death of Roman conquest of Arsaces I founds Colossus of Possible origin date Jerusalem Central Asia King Herod’s Death of King
Assyria against Persian occupation Spartan army at Darius II ally with Persian occupation Alexander the nation state. Alexander the central Italy. the kingdom of Rhodes, one of the of oldest Dead Sea recaptured from explored by Chang summer palace Herod.
Babylonia and of Egypt, from King Thermopylae and Sparta against of Egypt, from King Great’s control. Alexander the Great Great in Babylon. Parthia in Persia. Seven Wonders of Scrolls. Greeks by Judas Chien. constructed at Rock
Judah at the battle Cambyses to sacks Athens. Athens. Artaxerxes III to occupies and the Ancient World, Maccabaeus. of Masada, on west
of Megiddo. Darius II. Darius III. torches Persepolis. destroyed in coast of Dead Sea.
earthquake.
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