(Cylinder Nabonidus, © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons)

Nabonidus (Akkadian Nabû-nā'id) was the last king of Babylon, ruling from 556 - 539 BC after overthrowing the young king Labashi-Marduk of the Chaldaean dynasty. Because of his repeated references to Ashurbanipal and interest in the city of Harran, it has been proposed that Nabonidus was an Assyrian. He possibly gained access to the throne by marrying Nitrocis, daughter of Nebuchadnezzar II and widow of Nergal-sharezer.

Nabonidus is a highly disputed king, traditionally interpreted as the one who cowardly fled from the invading Persian armies, leaving Babylon to Cyrus II without resistance. More modern interpretations, however, based on additional texts from within Babylonia, dating back to the final days of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the early Persian empire, seem to shift the balance into Nabonidus' favour. Undisputed is that Cyrus II conquered Babylon in 539 BC:

"In the month of Tašrîtu, when Cyrus attacked the army of Akkad in Opis on the Tigris, the inhabitants of Akkad revolted, but he massacred the confused inhabitants. The fifteenth day [12 October], Sippar was seized without battle. Nabonidus fled. The sixteenth day, Gobryas [litt: Ugbaru], the governor of Gutium, and the army of Cyrus entered Babylon without battle. Afterwards, Nabonidus was arrested in Babylon when he returned there. Till the end of the month, the shield carrying Gutians were staying within Esagila but nobody carried arms in Esagila and its buildings. The correct time for a ceremony was not missed.

In the month of Arahsamna, the third day [29 October], Cyrus entered Babylon, green twigs were spread in front of him - the state of peace was imposed upon the city. Cyrus sent greetings to all Babylon. Gobryas, his governor, installed subgovernors in Babylon."

(Babylonian Chronicles on the 17th year of the reign of Nabonidus)

Nabonidus' fate after the Persian conquest is unknown.

Visit the Bitum Boutique for this and other wonderful family plaques or Samarcande Bahktiari's Kilim Bazaar for stunningly beautiful backgrounds you can use in your Bitum.

If you have anything you'd like to add to the family page or have spotted an error, please let one of the Meso scribes know.