Page:Herodotus and the Empires of the East.djvu/90

84 points strongly to some device practiced by the Persians, presumably the same of which Herodotus speaks. Moreover the statement in the Nabû-na'id annals that Gobryas entered Babylon "without fighting" (bala saltum) is in perfect accord with such an inference.

Herodotus represents the motive which actuated the Persian king to seize Babylon as desire for conquest. (I., 178.) According to his account, the Babylonians put forth their strongest efforts to repulse the Persian king. From the cuneiform inscriptions, however, we get the impression that the Babylonians, or at least a great part of them, hailed the advent of Cyrus with joy. This is most plainly declared in the so-called Cyrus cylinder. This inscription, it is generally supposed, was compiled at the command of Cyrus by a priest of Merodach, the tutelary god of Babylon. The first part of the document discusses the defects of the reign of Nabû-na'id. These defects consist in the neglect of the daily sacrifice, the derogation of the honor of Merodach, the introduction of foreign gods into Babylon, and the oppression of the inhabitants. The inscription goes on to say that Merodach is implored for help; the god hears the prayer and looks for another, a righteous king; such a king he finds in Cyrus, the king of Anshan. To him Merodach gives the sovereignty over Babylonia and the Eastern lands, and finally allows him to enter Babylon in triumph.

In the second part of the inscription Cyrus gives an account of his previous doings. He mentions the friendly reception which was accorded him by the population of Babylon, and expresses his anxiety to promote the well-being of his new subjects. He thanks Merodach for the blessings which he has bestowed upon him, the