The History of Antiquity, Vol. 6 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 6 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
[139] The Babylonian tablets give dates from the first to the ninth year
inclusive of "Kuras, king of Babylon," which entirely agree with the
dates of the canon of Ptolemy, _i.e._ with the capture of Babylon by
Cyrus 538 B.C., and the death of Cyrus in 529 B.C. On another tablet,
No. 877, Br. Mus., we find the "year eleven of Cambyses king of Babylon"
(E. Schrader, "Z. Aegypt. Sprach." 1878, s. 40 ff.). It is a fact
established by the canon of Ptolemy as well as by Herodotus that
Cambyses did not sit on the throne for eight whole years. Tablet 906
explains this eleventh year; it runs as follows: "Babylon month Kislev,
day 25, year 1 of Cambyses king of Babylon, at that time Cyrus king of
the lands." Hence in Babylon dates were sometimes fixed by the years of
Cyrus king of Babylon, and sometimes by the years of the viceroy. If the
"year eleven" of Cambyses in Babylon was the year of Cambyses' death,
Cyrus must have handed over the government of Babylonia to him in the
year 532 B.C., _i.e._ three years before his own death. This view, which
has been developed by E. Schrader, I feel able to adopt against the
opinion of T. G. Pinches, who wrongly assumes an abdication of Cyrus.
That years were not dated from Cambyses after his death is proved by
seventeen other tablets, which do not go beyond the eighth year of his
reign, and two others of the 20 Elul and 1 Tisri from the first year of
Barziya, _i.e._ of the Pseudo-Smerdis.
[140] Herod. 2, 182; Diod. 1, 68.
[141] Herod. 3, 1.
[142] Herodotus writes Kadytis after the Egyptian name Kazatu. Vol. I.
132.
[143] Herod. 2, 1; 3, 44.
[144] Bekker reads 7000.
[145] Ctesias, "Pers." 9; Athenaeus, p. 560.
[146] Strabo, p. 758.
[147] In Herod. (3, 19) the voluntary submission of the Cyprians stands
in direct connection with their participation in the campaign against
Egypt; hence it cannot be placed earlier. If Xenophon ("Inst. Cyri," 1,
1) represents the Cyprians as already subjugated by Cyrus, he maintains
the same of Egypt also. On the other hand, the statement of Xenophon
that the Cyprians retained their native kings owing to their voluntary
submission is amply confirmed by later events ("Inst. 2 Cyri." 7, 4, 2;
8, 6, 8).
[148] Herod. 3, 44.
[149] According to Lepsius, Amasis died in January 525, and hence
Memphis fell in July of this year: "Monatsberichte Berl. Akademie,"
1854. The Psammenitus of Herodotus is called Psammecherites in Manetho;
and Psamtik on the monuments. Rosell. "Monum. storici." 2, 153; 4, 105.
[150] Diod. "Exc. de virtute," p. 557; Polyaen. "Strateg." 7, 9. In
regard to the campaign we may compare the march of Pharnabazus and
Iphicrates against Nectanebos in the year 374 B.C., in Diod. 15, 41-43.
Aristot. "Rhet." 2, 8, 12.
[151] Herod. 2, 181. De Rougé, "Revue Archeol," 8, 3; Brugsch, "Hist. of
Egypt," 2, 294.
[152] Aristot. "Rhet." 2, 8, 12.
[153] Herod. 2, 181.
[154] Herod. 3, 37.
CHAPTER XI.
THE MARCH TO MEROE.
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