Babylonia country. Countries of the Ancient East. Babylon

There are many semi-legendary periods in human history. The cities and kingdoms that existed then are sometimes shrouded in a whole host of myths and legends. Even professional archaeologists and historians have very little data relating to those times, let alone ordinary people. Do you know when it was formed Babylonian kingdom?

Babylon is a city of biblical proportions; it is constantly mentioned by almost all outstanding thinkers, scientists and military leaders of those years, but the history of this amazing monument of ancient civilizations is told much less often. In order to dispel the veil of secrecy over this story, we have prepared this article. Read and find out!

Prerequisites for the occurrence

IN XIX-XX centuries Before the birth of Christ, the Sumerian-Akkadian kingdom, which was located on the territory of Mesopotamia, collapsed. As a result of its collapse, many other smaller states were formed.

The city of Lars in the north immediately declared itself independent. The kingdom of Mari was formed on the Euphrates River, Ashur arose on the Tigris, and the state of Eshnunna appeared in the Diyala valley. It was then that the rise of the city of Babylon began, the name of which can be translated as the Gate of God. The Amorite (first Babylonian) dynasty then ascended the throne. Historians believe that its representatives ruled from 1894 to 1595 BC. There is no absolutely accurate data, but its founder is considered to be King Sumuabum. That's when the Babylonian kingdom was formed. Of course, in those years he was still far from reaching full bloom and power.

Advantages

Babylon differed favorably from many of its neighbors in its position: it was equally well suited for both defense and expansion into the territories of opposing kingdoms. It was located in the place where the majestic Tigris merged with the Euphrates. There was plenty of water here, which was used in irrigation systems, and the most important trade arteries of that time converged here.

The heyday of the city is associated with the name of the famous Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC), who was not only a talented manager, but also a scientist, astronomer, commander and sophist. First, he enters into a military alliance with Larsa in order to free his hands to attack southern cities. Soon Hammurabi concluded an alliance with Mari, where at that time the friendly king Zimrilim ruled. With his help, the ruler of Babylon completely defeated and subjugated Eshnunna. Simply put, the Babylonian kingdom was formed in the period from the 20th to the 19th centuries BC, after which it quickly began to gain weight in the political niche of that time.

After this, Hammurabi no longer needed Marie: he broke the treaty of alliance and attacked the possessions of yesterday’s partner. At first he managed to quickly subjugate the city, and even Zimlirim remained on his throne. But later he did not like being a pawn, and therefore he rebelled. In response, Babylon not only reconquered the city, but also razed its walls and the ruler's palace to the ground. By that time, the once mighty Assyria remained in the North, but its rulers immediately recognized themselves as governors of Babylon.

That's when it was formed in the modern sense of the word. It was large and powerful, its rulers welcomed scientists, engineers and architects, philosophers and doctors.

Laws of Hammurabi

But the king of the Babylonian kingdom, Hammurabi, is largely famous not for his conquests, but for the set of laws that he personally issued:

In a case where the builder who built the house did it poorly and the building collapsed, killing its owner, the builder should be executed.
The doctor who made unsuccessful operation, lost his right hand.
A free man who harbored a slave in his home would be executed.

These laws of the Babylonian kingdom were carved on huge basalt pillars that stood at all ends of the Babylonian kingdom.

What was the rise of Babylon?

During the time of this ruler, agriculture began to develop rapidly in those parts. Babylonian scientists made great strides in the field of irrigation of desert lands: one of the canals was so large that it was respectfully nicknamed the “River of Hammurabi.”

The development of cattle breeding was no less active. More and more artisans are appearing in the state. The internal and international trade. In particular, at that time it was this country that became the main center for the export of expensive leather, oil and dates. Metals, ceramics and slaves flowed like a river into the domestic market. In a word, the Babylonian kingdom flourished under Hammurabi.

Social Features

It is believed that there were three in the country. Firstly, free people. This layer was called "avelum", which meant "man". Children of free people until adulthood were called “mar avelim” - “child of man.” An artisan and a warrior, a merchant and a government clerk could belong to this social stratum. In a word, there were no caste prejudices; the laws of the Babylonian kingdom stated that anyone could be free.

There was another class dependent people(not slaves!), who were called "mushkenum" - "bending" employees. Simply put, dependents were people who worked on the royal land. They should not be confused with slaves: the "bending" had property, their rights were defended in court , they had their own slaves.

Finally, the lowest layer of society, without which the Babylonian kingdom could not do - slaves, vardum. You could get into their number in the following ways:

If the person was a prisoner of war.
Debtors who were unable to pay their debts.
Those who became slaves by court verdict (for some serious offenses).

The peculiarity of Babylonian slaves was that they could have some kind of property. If a slave owner had children from his slave, then they (with the consent of the father) could well become his official heirs with the status of a free person. Simply put, unlike the same Ancient India, in Babylon, slaves could hope for a serious improvement in their debt. The debtor, who had worked off his debt, became free again. A valuable prisoner of war could buy his freedom. It was worse for criminals who, with rare exceptions, became slaves for life.

Government structure

The king, who stood at the head of the state, had “divine”, unlimited power. He personally owned about 30-50% of all land in the country. The king could take care of their use himself, or he could rent them out. The execution of the royal commands and laws was monitored by the royal court.

The tax department was responsible for collecting taxes. They were collected in silver, and also in the form natural products- for example, grains. They took taxes on livestock and handicraft products. To ensure unquestioning obedience to the royal authority, the state used detachments of heavy and light warriors, redum and bairum. Ever since the formation of the Babylonian kingdom, the city of Babylon has always attracted professional warriors: they were favored here, they received honor and respect. It is not surprising that even during the period of decline, the state army was able to delay the fall of the country for a long time.

For service, a good soldier could easily receive a house with a garden, a considerable plot of land and livestock. He paid for this only with good service. The trouble with Babylon from the very beginning was the gigantic bureaucratic apparatus, whose representatives monitored the execution of the royal orders locally. The sovereign's officials, shakkanakku, had to organize effective interaction between the royal administration and local governments. The latter included community councils and councils of elders, rabianums.

The religion leaned towards monotheism: despite the existence of various deities, there was one main god - Marduk, who was considered the creator of all that exists, was responsible for the fate of people, animals and plants, for the entire Babylonian kingdom.

First fall

During the reign of Hammurabi's son, Samsu-iluna (1749-1712 BC), internal contradictions had already begun to sharply worsen. From the south, the state began to be pressed by the Elamites, who captured the cities of the Sumerians one after another. The city of Isin declared independence, and King Ilumailu became the founder of a new dynasty. A new state also emerges in the North-West - Mitanni.

This was a heavy blow, since Babylon was cut off from the most important trade routes that led to Asia Minor and the Mediterranean coast. Finally, the warlike Kassite tribes began to carry out raids regularly. In general, the entire history of the Babylonian kingdom clearly shows that a weakened state instantly becomes the prey of stronger and more successful neighbors.

Point in 1595 BC. e. set up by the Hittites, who defeated the army and captured Babylon. Thus ended the Old Babylonian period, which lasted only three hundred years. The first dynasty ceased to exist. The formation of the Babylonian kingdom of the “Kassite model” began.

Kassite dynasty

The Kassites themselves came from many mountain tribes that became active immediately after the death of Hammurabi. Around 1742 BC e. their leader Gandash invaded the territory of the kingdom and immediately declared himself “King of the Four Directions of the World.” But in reality, the Kassites managed to subjugate the entire kingdom only after the successful campaign of the Hittites. They immediately introduced a lot of new things into the military doctrine of Babylon, starting to actively use cavalry. But some stagnation began in agriculture. The conquerors favorably accepted the rich and ancient Babylonian culture.

Moreover, King Agum II was able to return the statues of the god Marduk and the goddess Tsarpanit, which were captured by the Hittites. The Kassites showed themselves to be excellent rulers, under whom temples were actively built and restored, and culture and science rapidly developed. Quite quickly they were completely assimilated by the Babylonians.

However, they were not very good politicians and warriors. The ancient Babylonian kingdom quickly became dependent on Egypt, and soon on the state of Mitanni and the Hittite kingdom. Assyria is developing rapidly, whose troops already in the 13th century BC inflicted a number of attacks on Kassite Babylon painful lesions. In 1155, the conquering dynasty also ceased to exist, losing to the Assyrians.

Intermediate period, reign of Nebuchadnezzar I

The Assyrians, who closely watched their decrepit neighbor, did not fail to take advantage of his ever-increasing weakness. They were also helped by the aspirations of the Elamites, who regularly began to invade the territory of Babylon. Already in the middle of the 12th century BC they were able to completely break his resistance, and the last king The Kassites, Ellil-nadin-ahhe, were captured. At this time, the Elamites continued to make military campaigns in other regions of the country.

The city of Isin, which had been independent for some time, managed to accumulate strength at this time, and therefore took up the baton in the fight against the enemy invasion. The pinnacle of his power was the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar I (1126-1105 BC), who in once again led the power to prosperity (short-term). Near the Der fortress, his troops inflicted a severe defeat on the Elamites, and then, invading Elam, enslaved it.

Fight against the Arameans

Around the middle of the 11th century BC, the nomadic Aramaic tribes became a real curse for the Babylonians and Assyrians. In the face of this danger, bitter rivals united several times, forming strong military alliances. Despite this, within three centuries the enterprising Arameans managed to firmly settle on the northwestern borders of the Babylonian kingdom.

However, not all tribes caused so many problems. Around the same time, the Chaldean people began to play a significant role in the life of the state. In those centuries they lived along the shores of the Persian Gulf, in the lower reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris. Already in the ninth century, they firmly occupied the southern part of the Babylonian kingdom and began to move south, gradually assimilating with the Babylonians. Like the Kassites in the recent past, they preferred to engage in cattle breeding and hunting. Agriculture played a much smaller role in their lives.

In those years, the country was divided into 14 districts. Starting from the 12th century BC, Babylon again became the capital. As before, the king had vast plots of land in his hands, which he presented to soldiers for their service. In the army, in addition to the traditional infantry, cavalry and war chariot squads began to play a huge role, which at that time were extremely effective on the battlefield. But the borders of the Babylonian kingdom were already beginning to be attacked by old enemies...

Assyrian invasion

From the end of the 9th century, the Assyrians again took up their cause, increasingly invading the country. Assyria itself gradually acquired the features of a powerful and strong state. In the middle of the 7th century BC, their king Tiglath-pileser the Third invades the northern borders of Babylon, inflicting severe defeats on the Chaldeans. In 729, the kingdom was once again completely captured.

However, the Assyrians (contrary to their custom) retained the separate status of Babylon. But during the time of Sargon the Second, they lost control over the newly conquered lands for some time. This is due to the fact that the Chaldean sovereign Marduk-apla-iddin declared himself the sole king of the country, capturing its capital. He entered into an alliance with the Elamites, his recent enemies. At first, the allies were successful, but soon Sargon, greatly wounded and annoyed by what had happened, sent his best troops to suppress the uprising, and then he himself was crowned in Babylon, finally strengthening his royal status.

At the beginning of 700-703, the restless Marduk-apla-iddin again tried to go against Assyria, but this time his idea did not end well for the country. In 692 BC. e kingdom enters into a military alliance with the Arameans and Elamites. At the Battle of Halul, the Assyrians and Babylonians suffered equally heavy losses, and there was no clear success for either side.

But two years later, the king of Assyria, Sinankherib, organized a siege of Babylon. A year later the city fell and a terrible massacre began. Most of the inhabitants were killed, the rest became slaves. The once majestic capital was completely destroyed and flooded. At that time, the map of the Babylonian kingdom was broken, the state ceased to exist. However, not for long.

Restoration of Babylon

Soon, Sinankherib’s successor, Esarhaddon, ascended the throne, who did not particularly welcome the “excesses” of his predecessor. New king not only ordered the restoration of the destroyed city, but also freed many of its inhabitants and ordered them to return home.

The king became Shamash-shum-ukin, who ruled the country as a governor. But in 652, he, wanting universal power, entered into an alliance with the Arabs, Arameans and Elamites, after which he again declared war on Assyria. The battle again took place at the Der fortress and again no one was able to win a convincing victory. The Assyrians resorted to a trick: by staging a palace coup in Elom, they put the Babylonians' powerful ally out of action. After this, they besieged Babylon and in 648 BC carried out a brutal massacre of all surviving inhabitants.

Fall of Assyria and New Babylon

Despite this, the desire to throw off the oppression of the cruel Assyrians did not weaken. Around 626 BC, another uprising broke out, led by the Chaldean Nabopolassar (Nabu-apla-utsur). He again concluded an alliance with Elam, which had already recovered from the machinations of the Assyrians, after which allied forces nevertheless, they managed to inflict a number of serious defeats on the common enemy. In October 626, Nabopolassar was recognized by the Babylonian nobility, after which he was crowned in the city, founding a new dynasty.

But the rebels managed to capture the first major city, Uruk, only 10 years later. They immediately tried to capture Assyrian Ashur, but were unsuccessful. Help came from unexpected places. In 614, the Medes began to seize the provinces of Assyria, with whom the Babylonians soon entered into an alliance. Already in 612, they, the Medes and Scythians besieged Nineveh, the capital of the enemy. The city fell and all its inhabitants were slaughtered. Since then, the borders of the Babylonian kingdom under Hammurabi the Second began to expand rapidly.

In 609 BC, the remnants of the Assyrian army were defeated. In 605, the Babylonians successfully captured Syria and Palestine, which were claimed by Egypt at that time. At the same time, Nebuchadnezzar II ascended the throne of Babylon. By 574 BC. e he managed to capture Jerusalem and Tyre. An era of prosperity has begun. It was then that the famous and incredibly developed science, architecture and politics were founded. Thus, the Babylonian kingdom was formed a second time in 605.

However, the era of prosperity ended quite quickly. Other opponents, the Persians, appeared on the borders of the state. Unable to withstand the confrontation with them, in 482 Babylon finally turned into one of the Persian satrapies.

Now you know when the Babylonian kingdom was formed. We hope that the article was interesting.

It has been one and a half thousand years since the remains of one of the greatest cities of antiquity disappeared under sand and clay. And we still remember it, calling any large and noisy city by this name. This is, of course, because this city is mentioned often in the Bible.

Translated from Akkadian, this name (Babilu) means “gate of god.” A small settlement existed here, on the banks of the great Euphrates River, already in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. Caravan roads ran along the Euphrates to the Mediterranean coast. Ships were moving down the river, heading to the old Sumerian cities of the Southern Mesopotamia. The Tigris, connected to the Euphrates by a canal, led to Ashur and the Zagros Mountains, rich in forests and valuable stones.

At the beginning of the 19th century BC. e. In Mesopotamia, a small state was formed with its center in Babylon, whose rulers were destined to create a single great power here.

The most powerful king of Ancient Babylon was Hammurabi (reigned 1792–1750 BC). He conquered all the neighboring kingdoms hostile to Babylon, built many palaces, temples and canals. But most of all, the king became famous for creating the Collection of Laws. This is the oldest collection of laws that we know. Mesopotamian scribes continued to rewrite and study the laws of Hammurabi many centuries after the fall of the great power he created.

Hammurabi's descendants ruled Babylon for over a hundred years. Then began the era of enemy invasions. But the city was rebuilt, lived and developed.

In the 8th century BC. e. Babylon was conquered by Assyria. King Esarhaddon (680–669 BC) did not want to turn the lands under his control into desert: trying to make amends for the evil brought by his father, the king returned to their homeland the inhabitants of Babylon, who had once been driven away to Assyria.

But Assyria fell, and in Babylon from 612 BC. e. The Chaldean dynasty began to rule. The largest king was Nebuchadnezzar II. In 586 BC. e. After an 18-month siege, Nebuchadnezzar's troops took the capital of ancient Israel, Jerusalem. The inhabitants of the city were taken to Mesopotamia. For the Jews, the tragic period of the Babylonian captivity began. Thousands of captives driven to Babylonia and a constant influx of tribute collected from the conquered lands made it possible for Nebuchadnezzar to create unprecedented buildings that earned his capital the glory of one of the wonders of the world (the Hanging Gardens of Babylon).

But the star of a new power, Persia, has already risen. October 29, 539 BC e. Cyrus the Great captured the Babylonian kingdom, and returned the peoples resettled there to their homeland.

In 331 BC, the troops of Alexander the Great entered the city, who declared Babylon the capital of his future world power. But after the death of Alexander, these lands entered the power of the commander Seleucus. Seleucus built the city of Seleucia on the Tigris River and resettled many Babylonians there. Subsequently, Babylon quietly faded away, having lost its commercial significance. After the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. e. The canal system was destroyed. The fertile soils became deserted, and only a small village remained.

In the middle of the 5th century BC. e., less than a hundred years after the conquest of Mesopotamia by Cyrus the Persian, Babylon was visited by the Greek historian and traveler Herodotus.

Herodotus called Babylon the most beautiful of all the cities he had seen. The city was surrounded by a deep ditch full of water and a high wall built of baked bricks. The walls along the edges were protected by towers and were so wide at the top that four horses could ride along them. Herodotus was amazed by the huge temple, built like a tower of eight tiers; around them there were flights of external staircases, directed towards the sanctuary of the god Marduk, located at the very top of the tower. This temple probably amazed the ancient Jews, who described it in the Bible as the Tower of Babel.

About 4 thousand years ago, in the territory between two deep rivers, where the Tigris and Euphrates almost approached each other, the Amorite people created their own state of Babylonia with the capital city of Babylon (which is translated from ancient language means "gate of god").

At the same time, there were many powerful and wealthy city-states in Mesopotamia, but it was Babylon that, in a fair fight, won the right to be considered the main state of Mesopotamia.

The prosperity and glory of Babylon was brought by its ruler Hammurabi, who, trying to expand his own kingdom, annexed all the surrounding states - Ashur, Elam, Susiana, etc. Very soon Babylon became a large and strong state, the inhabitants of which were successfully engaged in agriculture, and also led a lively trade in metals, wool, timber, grain and other goods.

What is Mesopotamia?

The vast space between two deep rivers - the Tigris and Euphrates, starting from the 4th century. BC gave "shelter" to many ancient states of our planet. At one time, Sumer, Assyria, Babylonia, Akkad, Elam, etc. were located here. This entire region in ancient times was called Mesopotamia, and since it was located in a valley between two mighty rivers, it received the additional names Mesopotamia or Mesopotamia.

The Tigris and Euphrates were rivers with a complex “character”: every summer they overflowed very widely, breaking and flooding everything in their path: villages, pastures, roads, crops, etc. However, when the rivers went into their own channels, they compensated people for the inconvenience by leaving in return a layer of nutritious silt, which is very beneficial for the soil. The land of Mesopotamia, fertilized with silt, was unusually fertile, and the people who lived on it became the most ancient farmers. Already in primitive times they learned to cultivate the land, grow crops, as well as dig canals and build dams and embankments.

What laws did they live by in Babylon?

From 1792 to 1750 BC Babylonia was ruled by King Hammurabi, who glorified himself for coming up with some of the strictest, but at the same time, fairly honest and fair laws that existed in history. They are known as the Code of Hammurabi or the Code of Hammurabi. According to these laws - and there were 282 of them - the ancient Babylonians lived, worked, farmed, traded and communicated.

Hammurabi's laws may have saved many ancient Babylonians from committing crimes. The fact is that the Code of this king provides for the most severe punishments - death penalty- for many atrocities, incl. stealing In addition, following the Laws of Hammurabi, a person who was offended - hit, knocked out a tooth or damaged an eye - can do the same to his offender. Those who neglected their households and this harmed their neighbors were severely punished: in this case, the culprit had to sell himself into slavery, but compensate others for the losses.

Who is Nebuchadnezzar?

One of the most famous Babylonian rulers was King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled Babylonia (then called the Neo-Babylonian Kingdom) from 605 to 562 BC. BC

It is believed that it was under this ruler that Babylon reached its heyday: it expanded, was built up with new temples and palaces and became a truly strong and reliable fortress - Nebuchadnezzar built thick (about 30 m) walls around the city and raised ramparts. It was during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar that the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built in Babylon, later declared one of the seven wonders of the world.

Nebuchadnezzar proved himself to be an excellent military commander. Having taken the throne of Babylon after his father, he easily took possession of Syria, Palestine, Phenicia, conquered Judea, captivating several thousand people, and also subjugated the ancient states of Edom and Tyre.

What language was used in Babylon?

The inhabitants of Babylon spoke among themselves in one of the most ancient Semitic languages - Akkadian (also called Assyro-Babylonian). In addition to the Babylonians, this language was used by the Assyrians and Akkadians - the population of Assyria and Akkad.

At one time - around 2000 BC - the Akkadian language was not only the language of Babylon, but also the official common language of the entire Mesopotamia: it was spoken by residents of all states located in this territory. There is evidence that even in Egypt, noble people used this language to communicate.

When the Aramaic language penetrates Mesopotamia (this happened in the 14th century BC), it very quickly gains “fans”, and very soon almost everyone begins to speak the new language. The former language - Akkadian - is used only by rulers. After the Neo-Babylonian kingdom was formed, the Assyro-Babylonian language was only written, and after the 3rd century. BC stop using it completely.

What was the religion in Babylon?

The inhabitants of Babylon, like all the ancient inhabitants of our planet, were very close to nature. They endowed everything they saw around them with divine powers: the sun, earth, rain, wind, thunderstorm, moon, etc. Therefore, all the gods who controlled the lives of the Babylonians were inextricably linked with the forces of nature.

The main gods of Babylon were the gods Anu - the father of all Babylonian gods, Bel - the god of the earth and Ea - the god of the underworld and fertility. They decided the fate of people living in the country, were responsible for their lives and deaths, helped and punished. The fertility of the lands, the floods of the Tigris and Euphrates were in their power - even the demons were powerless before these gods.

The Babylonians also believed in the god of the moon and plants, Sin, who was responsible not only for all the flowers and herbs of Babylon, but also for the herds. No less powerful was the sun god Samas, on whom the life of all life on earth depended, as well as the goddess of war, hunting and fertility Ishtar.

How did the Babylonian civilization disappear?

While the civilization of Babylon flourished and developed in the south of Mesopotamia, in the north of this territory the civilization of Assyria was gaining strength. For some time, Assyria was closely connected with Babylon, subordinate to it, and many scientists even consider it part of this state.

However, over time - in the XIV century. BC - the Assyrians became so bold that they began to attack Babylon, however, unsuccessfully: the forces of both sides were approximately equal. This was the case before King Sennacherib came to power in Assyria and ordered the city to be razed to the ground.

But even after such a blow, the Babylonian civilization did not disappear: King Nebuchadnezzar did everything to ensure that his state again became the most beautiful on earth. However, after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the power of the state weakened - its rulers endlessly replaced each other, not caring about Babylon, and all this led to the fact that the Persian king Cyrus in 539 BC. captured the state and subjugated it to his power.

Walls of Babylon

Euphrates River

Text of the Laws of Hammurabi

Image of Nebuchadnezzar II. Babylonian cameo

Restored Ishtar Gate at Berlin's Pergamon Museum

Sennacherib at the head of the army

Ishtar Gate

Interesting fact:

Lion of Babylon

The tragic event for Babylon (689 BC) occurred during the period of aggression by the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, who flew into a rage from Babylon’s disobedience.

Why do they withdraw into themselves?

"Miracles" of Babylon

539 - the time of the conquest of Babylon by the Persians.
After the uprising of 479, the city lost its independence and status state capital and an important cultural center.

Babylon

Page 1

Babylon is the largest city of ancient Mesopotamia, the capital of the Babylonian kingdom in the 19th-6th centuries. BC,

The most important trade and cultural center of Western Asia. Babylon comes from the Akkadian words “Bab-ilu” - “Gate of God”. Ancient Babylon arose on the site of the more ancient Sumerian city of Kadingir, called

which was subsequently transferred to Babylon. The first mention of Babylon is contained in

inscriptions of the Akkadian king Sharkalisharri (23rd century BC). In the 22nd century Babylon was conquered and plundered by Shulgi,

king of Ur, the Sumerian state that subjugated all of Mesopotamia. In the 19th century originating from

Amorites (Semitic people who came from the southwest) first king of the first Babylonian dynasty

Sumuabum conquered Babylon and made it the capital of the Babylonian kingdom. At the end of the 8th century. Babylon was conquered

van by the Assyrians and, as punishment for the rebellion, in 689 it was completely destroyed by the Assyrian king Sennacherib. Che-

After 9 years, the Assyrians began to restore Babylon. Babylon reached its greatest peak during the period

New Babylonian Kingdom (626-538 BC). Nebuchadnezzar II (604-561 BC) decorated Babylon with luxury

large buildings and powerful defensive structures. In 538, Babylon was taken by troops

Persian king Cyrus, in 331 Alexander the Great took possession of it, in 312 Babylon was captured by one of

commanders of Alexander the Great Seleucom, who resettled most of its inhabitants in the main

the city of Seleucia, which he founded nearby. By 2nd century

AD in place of Babylon only ruins remained.

From 1899 to 1914, systematic excavations were carried out at the site of Babylon by a German archaeologist

Koldevey, who discovered many monuments of the New Babylonian Kingdom.

Judging by the data of these

until then, Babylon, located on two sides of the Euphrates and cut off by canals, occupied

a rectangular territory, the total length of the sides reaching 8150 meters. On the east bank

Euphrates was the main part of the city with the temple of the god Marduk, the patron saint of Babylon, which was called

the building of “E-sagila” (House of Raising the Head), and a large seven-story tower called “E-temenanki”

(House of the foundation of heaven and earth). To the north there was a royal palace separated from the city by a canal with a “hanging

chimi gardens” on artificial terraces, built by Nebuchadnezzar II. The entire city was surrounded by three

walls, of which one was 7 m thick, the other was 7.8 m, and the third was 3.3 m. One of these walls was

and fortified with towers. Complex system hydraulic structures made it possible to flood the surroundings of Va-

vilona. A “sacred road” for religious processions ran through the entire city past the palace, leading to the Temple of Marduk. The road is paved with huge stone slabs and bordered by fortress walls.

us, decorated with images of lions, was led through the monumental fortress gates, which bore the name

goddess Ishtar.

Babylonia

Babylonia is a primitive slave-owning (early slave-owning) state of the Ancient East,

located along the middle and lower reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. It got its name from the city

Babylon, which was the largest political and cultural center of the state, reaching its

flourished twice - in the 18th and 7th centuries BC. Babylonia proper occupied only the middle part

Mesopotamia, from the mouth of the lower Zab (tributary of the Tigris) in the north to the city of Nippur in the south, that is, the country of Akkad,

which in ancient inscriptions was often contrasted with the country of Sumer, located in southern Mesopo-

Tamiya. To the east of Babylonia stretched mountainous regions inhabited by Elamites and other tribes.

us, and to the west stretched a vast desert steppe, in which they roamed in the 3rd-2nd millennia BC

Shei era Amorite tribes.

Starting from the fourth millennium BC, the Sumerians lived in southern Mesopotamia, whose language

belongs to the oldest group of languages of the peoples of Western Asia.

The tribes that inhabited the middle part of the Two-

speeches, they spoke the Akkadian language, which belongs to the Semitic group.

The oldest settlements discovered in Babylonia proper near modern Jemdet Nasr and

ancient city of Kish, date back to the end of the 4th and beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. Population here

was mainly engaged in fishing, cattle breeding and agriculture. Crafts developed. Kamen-

These tools were gradually replaced by copper and bronze ones. The need to drain swamps and create

irrigation network led to the use of slave labor in ancient times. Growth of productive

forces led to further property and social stratification. Deepening class pro-

contradictions were facilitated by the development of exchanges with neighboring countries, in particular with Elam, from where they brought

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Babylon: the history of the greatest city of the ancient world

Ishtar Gate

Babylon (“Gate of God”) – a majestic city in Mesopotamia Ancient world, the capital of the state “Babylonia” - in the distant past was the center of the “world kingdom”. Now these are ancient ruins located about 90 km south of Baghdad (Iraq).

History of the "Eternal Abode of Royalty"

The emergence of Babylon occurs in the second half of the third millennium BC, on the banks of the Euphrates River in the center of Mesopotamia.

By the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. attributed to the founding of a new dynasty in the then small Babylon. When Hammurabi ascended the throne, Babylon became a political center and maintained this position for more than a millennium.

Interesting fact: During the reign of Hammurabi, Babylon received the status of “the eternal abode of royalty.”

Babylon, as the capital of Southern Mesopotamia, grew rich and quickly developed trade and crafts. Growth in the economic sector affected the appearance of Babylon, turning it into a luxurious and regal city. The architecture, roads and building plans changed.

Lion of Babylon

The tragic event for Babylon (689 BC) occurred during the period of aggression by the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, who flew into a rage from Babylon’s disobedience.

Sennacherib destroyed the capital, and the city that was excavated by the archaeologist Koldway is not the old Babylon, but a new one rebuilt and restored.
After the death of the Assyrian king, Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon. The period of his power (604-562 BC) is the era of the apogee of the development of Babylonia - economic, social and cultural.

Babylon, thanks to the military conquests of the country, became the center of the influx of material and cultural wealth. Thanks to which a grandiose reconstruction effort was carried out in Babylon, the capital became the largest and richest center of the ancient Near East.

Features of the construction and architecture of Babylon

The city plan was divided into 2 parts - Old and New city, which were located on different banks of the Euphrates. The left bank is the Old Town area. Rich estates were located here. And on the right bank of the river there was a New City. Mostly ordinary townspeople lived here.

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The Old and New cities were connected by a huge stone bridge. Quite long straight streets ran through the entire city, dividing it into rectangular blocks.

National and cultural diversity

Babylon was a major capital with a population of approximately 200 thousand inhabitants. In addition to the Babylonians, people of other cultures, languages and nationalities lived in the city. There were also forcibly brought slaves and captives. Representatives of a particular culture spoke their own languages and followed their own traditions.

"Miracles" of Babylon

This legendary city was not only a powerful center, but also an incredibly beautiful city. Herodotus called him the most beautiful place of all that he had seen. Gardens of Babylon ( Hanging Gardens) and the Tower of Babel, which are Wonders of the World, the gate of the goddess Ishtar, the seven-tiered Ziggurat tower and the Babylonian lion- this is what you should definitely see if you are planning to visit the ruins of Babylon.

539 - the time of the conquest of Babylon by the Persians. After the uprising of 479, the city lost its independence and status as the state capital and the most important cultural center.

Later, the inhabitants of Babylon began to be resettled to Seleucia on the Tigris, the new capital. Ultimately, what remained of Babylon was a poor settlement, which soon also disappeared. The once great, powerful city of kings and gods has turned into sand-covered and forgotten ruins.

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Among the cities of the Ancient East, Babylon was perhaps the most revered. It twice became the capital of a powerful power, and the very name of the city — Bab-Ilu(“Gate of God”) — spoke of his holiness, the special protection of the gods.

Its first intensification covers the period from approximately 1800 to 1700 BC. Historians call it “Old Babylonian”. The second period of rise after the collapse of the Assyrian power also lasted about a century (626-539 BC). These years are usually designated as the time of existence of the “New Babylonian” kingdom.

Capture by the Amorites

A small settlement on the site of the future Babylon probably existed back in Sumerian times. Babylon became a city after the capture of Mesopotamia by the Amorite nomads around 2000 BC.

The city was located in a very convenient place — where the Euphrates and Tigris rivers come together and numerous channels begin to separate from the main channel of the Euphrates. The position of Babylon was very favorable for engaging in trade, but the Amorites hardly thought about it.

The capture of Mesopotamia disrupted established ties, roads became dangerous, canals became shallow and overgrown. Nomads grazed sheep in fields deprived of water. But the desolation turned out to be short-lived.

Large royal farms collapsed. No one else forced villagers to work in the fields, collected all the harvest in the royal barns, or kept debt records on clay tablets. The peasants now worked on small plots of land that were their property.

The fragmentation of huge economic associations into small ones led to the fact that after establishing trade relations, restoring canals and irrigating abandoned fields, an unprecedented rise began in the country.

By 1800 B.C. Mesopotamia recovered from the consequences of devastation and turned into a blooming, carefully tended garden. New methods of farming contributed to the strengthening of new centers such as Babylon, because the old cities had difficulty adapting to the economic independence of artisans and peasants.

The first rulers of the small Babylonian kingdom pursued a cautious policy. They entered into alliances with strong neighboring states — Larsa, Isin, Mari — and at the same time accurately chose the most advantageous partner. Thus, the first five Babylonian kings were able to significantly expand their possessions, but Babylon had not yet become on par with its allies.

Reign of Hammurabi

The situation changes under the sixth king of Babylon — Hammurabi, one of the greatest politicians of antiquity.

Tsar Hammurabi receives laws from the solar god Shamash (relief of the upper part of the pillar of the Code of Laws)

He ruled Babylon from 1792 to 1750 BC. Having ascended the throne of a small kingdom located in the middle reaches of the Euphrates, Hammurabi ended his days as the ruler of a huge state by the standards of that time, which included the main part of Mesopotamia. A well-thought-out system of political alliances helped him defeat his opponents; and often by someone else’s hands.

After the unification of the country, Hammurabi had to decide very complex tasks. To prevent his possessions from falling apart again into separate regions, the king’s power must be strong. The wise Hammurabi found techniques that allowed the king to control the activities of his subjects. He became the author of the most famous collection of laws in the ancient East, called by historians "Code of Hammurabi".

In 1901, French archaeologists discovered during excavations in Susa, the capital of ancient Elam, a large stone pillar with an image of King Hammurabi and the text of his 247 laws written in cuneiform. From these laws, it mainly became known about the life of Babylonia and how Hammurabi ruled the country.

Hammurabi did not create royal estates, taking land from the peasants. He took advantage of the plots that the communities allocated to him as king. Hammurabi sent his people — warriors and the so-called “mushkenu” to these lands. Mushkenu were considered close to the king and received from him the land, livestock and grain necessary for farming. The theft of property from a muskenu was punished more severely than theft from a simple peasant. So the king could influence the life of rural communities through people loyal to him and dependent on him.

The tsar also had to deal with peasant debts. Previously, peasants paid taxes mainly in grain, oil, and wool. Hammurabi began to collect taxes in silver. However, not all peasants sold food in markets. Many had to borrow silver from the tamkry for additional fee. Those who were unable to pay off their debts had to give one of their relatives into slavery. Hammurabi canceled all the debts accumulated in the country several times and limited debt slavery to three years, but he never managed to cope with the problem of debts. No wonder, because among the tamkars there were not only traders, but also tax collectors and guardians of the royal treasury.

Beginning with the reign of Hammurabi, Babylon was culturally and scientific center Western Asia. Many achievements of the ancient Babylonians have entered modern life: following the Babylonian priests, we divide the year into twelve months, the hour into minutes and seconds, and the circle into 360 degrees.

Scientific and cultural life Babylon turned out to be little dependent on changes in its political fate. Kings and conquerors changed, and in Babylon they also revered Marduk, collected libraries and trained young scribes in special schools.

King Nebuchadnezzar II

In 689 BC Babylon, as punishment for constant rebellion, was completely destroyed by order of the Assyrian king Sennacherib. After some time, the city was rebuilt and acquired an unprecedented splendor.

It reached its peak under the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC). Instead of narrow, crooked streets, straight, long streets up to 5 km long were laid out, which were used for ceremonial processions; they divided the city into regular quarters. A magnificent sanctuary was erected - a seven-step, pyramid-like temple 91 meters high. Such structures in Mesopotamia were called “ziggurat”.

The admiration of contemporaries was also aroused by the two powerful defensive walls of Babylon: each 6-7 meters thick. The main entrance to the city was through a magnificently decorated gate dedicated to the goddess Ishtar. On them, King Nebuchadnezzar II wrote:

“I built Babylon, the most beautiful of cities... At the threshold of its gates I placed huge bulls and snakes with legs, which no king had ever invented before me.”

Some of the relief images of strange animals on the Ishtar Gate have been found and restored by archaeologists; According to the king's plan, they were supposed to scare away enemies from the city.