Persian and Seleucid Rulers of Babylon

(Achæmenid rulers previous to Cyrus' conquering Babylon:

• Achæmenes
• Teispes
• Cyrus
• Cambyses)

(104) Cyrus (II) "The Great" 559-530

• Captures Babylon during the regency of Bel-šar-usur (Belshazzar) in 538 b.c.e.

• Gubaru 538-525

• (Satrap) Uštani 524 (?) - 516

• makes Susa administrative capital, Persepolis royal residence

• Darius retakes Babylon on 18 December, 521 b.c.e.

• Darius retakes rebel city on 27 November, 521 b.c.e.
• (Satrap 3 (?)) Zopyrus (unknown dates, see Herodotus III. 159)
• (Satrap 4 (?)) Tritantaichmes (unknown dates, see Herodotus I. 192)
• (Satrap 5 (?)) "Huta[.....], son of Pagakânna" ? - 486 (see tablet BM 74554)

• (110) Bel-Šimanni 482
• (111)Šamaš-erba 480 (?)
• (112) Ušhuši-kûšti (?) 478-476 (?)
• Xerxes sacks Babylon in 476, burns Esagila and Etemenanki, removes Marduk from temple (possibly returned by Alexander the Great)

Artaxerxes I 464-425
Xerxes II 424
Sogdianus 424
Darius II 423-405
Artaxerxes II 404-359
Artaxerxes III 358-338
Arses 337-336
Darius III 335-330

• Alexander The Great conquers Babylon, Susa and Persepolis, 331 b.c.e.; commands rebuilding of Esagila

• dies in Babylon, 323

• (Seleucid Satraps) Dochimos 323-321
• Seleucus (Satrap) 321-316 (later becomes King, 312 b.c.e.)

  Begins rebuilding Esagila complex; Eumenes (rebel) occupies part of Babylon from 318-316, forces Seleucus to flee to Egypt, 316

• Peithon (Satrap) 316-312

• (Alexander IV probably assassinated with his mother Roxane in 310 b.c.e.)

• regains Babylon from Eumenes 312, general rejoicing in Babylon; Seleucid Era begins this year, used until 384 S.E. (72-73 c.e.) in extant cuneiform inscriptions)

• takes Babylon during 310-309, while Seleucus absent
• Seleucus regains Babylon in 308 (?)

  Seleucus founds Seleucia sometime between 307 and 300; mass emigrations begin to depopulate Babylon

• Antigonus takes Babylon sometime during 302-301
• Seleucus again master of Babylon, 301

116. Seleucus I (Nikator) 311-281
117. Antiochus I (Soter) 281-261
118. Antiochus II (Theos) 261-246
119. Seleucus II (Callinicus) 246-226
120. Seleucus III (Soter) 225-223
121. Antiochus III (The Great) 222-187
122. Seleucus IV (Philopator) 187-175
123. Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) 175-164
124. Antiochus V (Eupator) 164-162
125. Demetrius I (Soter) 162-150

• 126. Timarchos (Satrap of Media) proclaims himself King of Babylon 161-160; caught and executed by Demetrius in 160 b.c.e.

• Mithridates I (Arsacid Dynasty) takes Babylon 141-140, although probably not made King

• Mithridates I (Arsacid Dynasty) 2nd time, 139-136

• regains territory from Arsacids
• Antiochus King of Babylon 130-129 b.c.e.

• has Babylon 126-122 (called himself King and issued coins at least 124-123 b.c.e.)
• Himeros is the last recorded person to be called "King of Babylon"

Arsacid Dynasty prior to conquest of Babylon:

• Arsaces I 250-248 b.c.e.
• Arsaces II (Tiridates I) 248-211
• Artabanus I 211-191
• Priapatius 191-176
• Phraates I 176-171
• Mithridates I 171-138
• Phraates II 138-128
• Artaban II 128-124

1. Mithridates II 124-88 b.c.e.

• captures Babylon from Himeros, 122 b.c.e.
• Esagila's last recorded service, 93 b.c.e.

• Latin author Diodorus Siculus reports that Babylon is only partially inhabited, and the temples are in ruins; most of the space withing the walls is arable land (II,7-10)

• Latin author Strabo reports that Seleucia is much larger than Babylon, the latter now for the most part empty and desolate; Etemenanki is still visible (XVI.1,5)

• 14. Tiridates III 36
• 15. Cinnamus 37
• 16. Gotarzes II 38-51
• 17.Vardanes 39-47

• Last dated cuneiform text - an astromical compendium for calendrical use containing also predictions of planetary positions, provenance Babylon (Seleucid Era 385=74/75 c.e.)