History glossary
The Cyrus Cylinder
a Babylonian royal inscription presenting Cyrus as a restorer after his conquest of Babylon.
- Category
- Inscription
- Region
- Babylon
- Date range
- 539 BCE
What it means
The Cyrus Cylinder is a clay royal inscription from Babylon. It presents Cyrus as a ruler favoured by Marduk who restored disrupted cults and returned divine images, revealing how Persian rule used local language of legitimacy after conquest.
