East of the river Euphrates
Modern Day Iraq
Capital of Babylonia during the 2nd and 1st millennia BC
Babylon profits from its location, within the trade routes between the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf.
Late 3rd millennia BC - first mentioned in recorded texts.
2340BC - Sargon 1st of Kish builds a new capital named Agade (Akkad) which reputedly becomes Babylon, though this is disputed.
2200BC - Site of a temple.
2100BC - Subject to the city of Ur.
1894BC
Independent state.
An Amorite dynasty is founded by Sumu-abum.
Hammurabi (1
2)
is recognised as the high point of this dynasty.
1792BC-1750BC
The reign of Hammurabi.
Much of his time as ruler is spent at war. Initially, freeing Babylon
from the influence of foreign powers. Then defeating a number of other
mesopotamian city states, thus forming an empire.
He had military dealings with the Assyrians - a constant threat to his
empire.
Hammurabi creates a code of law, and is responsible for various civic
projects.
The empire deteriorates quickly after his death.
1595BC - Babylon captured by the Hittites.
They are unable to hold onto Babylon due to its distance from their
power base in Anatolia.
1590BC - 1155BC
The Kassite dynasty.
A tribe from the central Zagros region who take advantage of the power
vacuum left by the Hittites.
The Kassites transform the city state into Babylonia, of which southern
Mesopotamia is subject and Babylon the capital (and administrative
centre).
Renamed Karanduniash
12th century BC
Babylon is now recognised as the religious centre of the empire, with
Marduk, the head of the Mesopotamian pantheon of gods.
The Kassite dynasty collapses under pressure from the Elamites.
Many short lived dynasties follow.
730BC
The Assyrians.
During the reign of Sennacherib of Assyria, Babylonia is in a constant
state of revolt.
689BC - The walls, temples and palaces are razed, and the rubble thrown
into the sea (reputedly).
Sennacherib is murdered. His successor Esarhaddon rebuilds the old
city.
652BC - On his death, Babylonia is left to his elder son
Shamash-Shum-Ukin.
He heads a revolt against his brother, Assurbanipal, who resides in
Nineveh.
626BC - 615BC
The Assyrians are expelled by Nabopolasser with help from the Medes.
Nabopolasser founds the Neo-Babylonian dynasty.
He and son Nebuchadnezzar 2nd, expand the kingdom, forming an empire
which encompasses much of south west Asia.
604BC - 562BC
The reign of Nebuchadnezzar 2nd.
587BC - Babylon conqours Judea
Nebuchadnezzar 2nd is credited with the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon 580bc
The imperial capital is refurbished with temples, palaces and the
Processional Way.
574BC - Babylon conqours Phoenician cities.
Babylon is now the largest city of the known world, covering more than
1,000 hectares (2,500 acres).
539BC
Cyrus the Great captures Babylon and makes it part of the newly formed
Persian empire.
Babylon serves as the residence of the crown prince.
A revolt in 482bc causes Xerxes I to raze the temples and ziggurat and
melt down the statue of the god Marduk.
331BC - Darius 3rd (of Persia) defeated by Alexander.
330BC - Alexander the Great captures the city. He plans to rebuild, and make it the capital of his empire, but dies first (in Babylon).
312 BC - Babylon is used as a capital by the Seleucid dynasty (Alexander's successors).
Early 3rd Century BC
The capital of Seleucia on the Tigris is founded and most of Babylon's
population move there.
The city temples continue in use for a short time - but the city
becomes insignificant and mostly disappears before the coming of Islam
in the 7th century AD.
141BC - Parthians. Babylon already desolate.
Babylonia and the Persian Empire
Religion and the Priesthood 1 2 3 4 5
Marduk - temple of Marduk
Statue of - melted down by Xerxes
Ziggurat
Ishtar Gate
Babylonian Talmud
Mandaean religion - the religion of the prophet Mani
First city to reach a population
of 200000 at 612bc.
It has been estimated that Babylon was the largest city in the world
from 1770 to 1670 BC, and 612 to 320 BC.
Western Trading Routes
Waterways
Bridge building
A system of laws - the Code of Hammurabi 1780bc
Writing - Aramaic (post 9th century bc)
The city was cut in two by the Euphrates river.
Nebuchadnezzar 2nd is credited with the construction of the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon.
The city was well fortified, with three surrounding walls. Two of them
7m thick and one 3m thick.
The walls have been described (by Herodotus), with impressive
estimates, such as 56 miles long, 80 feet thick, and 320 feet high.
9 city gates.
The Ishtar gate (and also main gate).