Babylon during the time
Babylon during the time of Alexander the Great Alexander the Great and the End of Babylon BY ADHID MIRI, PHD The history of Babylon, up to and including its end, is truly amazing. In 539 B.C.E., Babylon fell to the forces of Cyrus the Great, who incorporated the city into the Persian Empire. About two centuries later, the city would fall again to Alexander the Great, who made it the capital of his own short-lived empire which collapsed after his death in 323 B.C.E. Babylon then fell into a period of decline and eventually became abandoned, falling into ruin. Alexander III of Macedon, more commonly known as “Alexander the Great,” ruled over the ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedon. He was born in Pella in 356 BC. Most of his life was spent in military campaigns throughout Asia and Northeast Africa with his father King Philip II. Succeeding his father as king at 20 years of age, by age 30 Alexander had managed to form one of the most powerful empires in the ancient ages, stretching from Greece to northwest India. He is considered one of history’s most successful military commanders. Alexander’s legacy includes the cultural diffusion which his conquests gave rise to. He established twenty cities that carry his name, the most widely known being Alexandria in Egypt. With his legend compared to classical hero Achilles, he always featured prominently in the history of both Greek and non- Greek cultures. He became an icon for the military leaders to follow. Even today, military academies all over the world still teach his tactics for fighting wars. When Alexander was on his way to Babylon in the spring of 323, many envoys approached him. Most of them offered tokens of submission, hoping to ward off an invasion, but one delegate was more interested in the well-being of the king himself. The Babylonian astronomer Belephantes’ message to King Alexander was sincere and simple: Alexander was in mortal danger and should avoid Babylon. The king was disturbed. The Babylonian astronomers, or Chaldeans, were specialists in the celestial omens. On many occasions they had warned kings of approaching calamities, had proposed certain sacrifices, and had been able to avert disasters. In 331, they had accurately predicted Alexander’s invasion of Mesopotamia and his victory at Gaugamela, and ever since, the Macedonian king attached great value to their predictions. Accepting Belephantes’ advice, he decided not to go to Babylon, agreeing to make a remarkable sacrifice to the gods - he would rebuild the Etemenanki, the temple-tower (ziggurat) of Babylon. This pyramid, The death of Alexander the Great 90 meters high, was believed to be the foundation of heaven on earth and was among the most important sanctuaries in the ancient world. Once this project was completed, the supreme god of Babylonia, Marduk, could not remain angry and would no doubt bless the king. Later, Alexander reversed his decision. Greek philosophers at his court had reproached him for his credulity and convinced him that the Babylonian astronomers had scared him to obtain money for their temple. Alexander was persuaded to listen to his Greek advisors and decided to inspect the city. Alexander made his way to Babylon in the spring of 323, after a decisive victory against King Darius III at Gaugamela. According to lore, the great king could not believe his eyes when approaching Babylon and witnessing the amazing reflections of the deep blue glazed buildings under the desert sun. Blue was a rare natural color in the Mesopotamian world and the glazed bricks were a striking appearance to visitors. At Alexander’s entrance, many Babylonians took positions on the walls, eager to have a view of their new king. Many went out to meet him, including Bagophanes, the man in charge of the citadel and royal treasury. In paying his respects to Alexander, Bagophanes had carpeted the entire road with 26 CHALDEAN NEWS NOVEMBER 2020
flowers and garlands, setting up silver altars at intervals on both sides, heaped not just with frankincense but with all manner of perfumes. Following Bagophenes were Alexander’s gifts - herds of cattle and horses, with lions and leopards carried along in cages. Next came the Magians chanting a song in their native fashion, and behind them were the Chaldeans, then the Babylonians, represented not only by priests but also by musicians equipped with their national instrument. (The role of the latter was to sing the praises of the Persian kings, that of the Chaldeans to reveal astronomical movements and regular seasonal changes.) The rebuilding of the Etemenanki had not been completed. Alexander, educated by Aristotle the philosopher, took no half measures. No less than 20,000 soldiers were ordered to demolish the entire monument and prepare the terrain for a new, larger ziggurat. (Archaeologists have found the debris.) The operation was already well underway when Alexander, ignoring the advice of the Chaldeans, arrived in Babylon and took up residence in the ancient royal palace. Alexander was on his way returning to his home in Macedonia to see his mother, still depressed and mistrustful of his gods and his friends, when he fell ill. With death staring him in the face, Alexander realized how his conquests, his mighty army, his sharp sword, and all his wealth were of no consequence. He now longed to reach home and see his Mother’s face and say his last goodbyes. Ultimately, he had to accept the fact that his sinking health would not permit him to reach his distant Macedonia. According to historians, Alexander the Great called his generals and said, “I will depart from this world soon. I have three wishes, carry them without fail”. With tears on their faces, the generals reluctantly agreed to abide by their king’s last wishes. His first request was, “My physicians alone must carry my coffin.” When pressed, his explanation was, “I want the physicians to carry my coffin (not the generals) so people realize that when the hour comes, no doctor on earth can cure anybody, not even King Alexander. They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death.” His second wish was that “the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with the gold, silver, precious stones which we collected in our treasury during conquests. This is to tell the people that I spent my life of power earning riches, but not even a Alexander the Great’s Dying Wishes • My first wish is that my physicians alone must carry my coffin. • Secondly, I desire that the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with the gold, silver, precious stones which we collected in our treasury during conquests. • My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin. fraction of gold will come with me. These precious items we took from people and must be returned to the people.” Alexander’s third and last wish is that “both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin, to let all people know that I came into this world empty handed and will leave it empty handed.” Alexander the Great departed this life leaving a legacy not only of military prowess and command, but simple life lessons he taught at the hour of his death: Remember, your health is in your hands, look after it; wealth is only meaningful if you can share and enjoy while still alive and healthy; and what you do for yourself, dies with you. What you do for others will live forever. Upon uttering his final words, the king closed his eyes. Soon after, death conquered the great conqueror. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC at the age of 32. He was buried nearby in a little town called Alexandria, near Hilla, Iraq. Since then, historians have debated his cause of death, proposing everything from malaria, typhoid, and alcohol poisoning, to assassination by one of his rivals. The Chaldean scientific paradigm had been corroborated. But the Babylonian astronomers were not the type of men to boast about their successes. With scientific detachment, the Chaldean on duty wrote, “the king died, clouds made it impossible to observe the skies.” Another great title from Mention ad this and a receive copy FREE Read of Write and Aramaic Fr. by J. Michael Bazzi (.99 value) www.letinthelightpublishing.com (619)586-3523 NOVEMBER 2020 CHALDEAN NEWS 27
