Cyrus Cylinder
E11366
The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient clay artifact inscribed with a proclamation by the Persian king Cyrus the Great, often regarded as an early charter of human rights and a key source on his policies toward conquered peoples.
Aliases (3)
Statements (51)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Achaemenid inscription
→
ancient artifact → clay cylinder → inscribed object → |
| associatedDynasty |
Achaemenid Empire
→
|
| associatedWith |
Cyrus the Great
→
|
| category |
Achaemenid royal inscriptions
→
Mesopotamian archaeology → |
| collection |
British Museum Middle East Department
→
|
| condition |
fragmentary
→
|
| content |
account of conquest of Babylon
→
denunciation of Nabonidus → proclamation of Cyrus as king of Babylon → restoration of temples and cults → return of displaced peoples and their gods → |
| country |
United Kingdom
→
|
| countryOfOrigin |
Babylonia
→
|
| creator |
Cyrus the Great
→
|
| currentLocation |
British Museum
→
|
| dateCreated |
6th century BCE
→
circa 539–530 BCE → |
| discoveredBy |
Hormuzd Rassam
→
|
| discoveryDate |
1879
→
|
| discoveryPlace |
site of Babylon
→
|
| excavationSponsor |
British Museum
→
|
| hasCopy |
modern replicas in various institutions
→
|
| hasFragments |
several missing pieces
→
|
| historicalSignificance |
important source on Achaemenid imperial ideology
→
influential in modern discussions of religious tolerance → key source on Cyrus’s rule in Babylon → often described as an early charter of human rights → |
| influenced |
modern interpretations of human rights history
→
|
| inscriptionType |
foundation inscription
→
royal proclamation → |
| language |
Akkadian
→
|
| material |
baked clay
→
|
| mentionsDeity |
Marduk
→
|
| museumCity |
London
→
|
| museumInventoryNumber |
BM 90920
→
|
| placeOfOrigin |
Babylon
→
Mesopotamia → |
| politicalFunction |
propaganda text
→
royal legitimation → |
| purpose |
commemorate conquest of Babylon
→
foundation deposit in city wall → record policies toward conquered peoples → |
| referencedBy |
United Nations exhibitions
→
|
| religiousContext |
Babylonian religion
→
|
| scriptDirection |
left-to-right horizontal rows
→
|
| shape |
barrel-shaped cylinder
→
|
| writingSystem |
Akkadian cuneiform
→
|
Referenced by (12)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Babylonian exile
→
King of Anshan → |
describedBySource |
|
Cyrus the Great
→
Cyrus the Great → |
knownFor |
|
Cyrus the Great
→
|
associatedArtifact |
|
Cyrus the Great
→
|
associatedWith |
|
Cyrus Cylinder
("Achaemenid royal inscriptions")
→
|
category |
|
Chronicles
("decree of Cyrus of Persia")
→
|
coversPeriodTo |
|
Fall of Babylon (539 BCE)
("Cyrus Cylinder decree")
→
|
followedBy |
|
King of the Four Corners of the World
→
|
notablyAttestedOn |
|
Fall of Babylon (539 BCE)
→
|
recordedIn |
|
Nabonidus
→
|
source |