cyl-l01-03lines 1–3Damaged / incompleteThe opening is almost entirely lost. Iranica: the first three lines are almost entirely broken away.
No openly licensed translation of this span is on hand. Our summary, plus links to Finkel / Schaudig.
Flagship object · BM 90920
Cyrus the Great — Freedom, Ownership, and the Legacy of Ancient Persia
The Cyrus Cylinder is a Babylonian building inscription — and in that same text it records people’s claim to house and land, freedom of worship, relief from forced labour, and security from plunder. This page keeps Rogers 1912’s wording apart from the interpretation we draw from it in defence of property and liberty, and apart from what the object means to Iranians today.
Three separate layers — never collapsed into one voice
Historical evidence
The Cylinder is a Babylonian royal building / foundation inscription in Akkadian cuneiform, deposited after 539 BCE.
Philosophical interpretation
Read as a theory of individual rights: peaceful entry, the lifted yoke, restored houses, returned settlements, and restored cults are the Cylinder’s recognition of property and liberty — the fruit of labour, the security of dwellings, freedom of worship, and a limit on arbitrary coercion.
Modern cultural meaning
For many Iranians the Cylinder is a symbol of a just, world-facing Iran. That meaning is real as memory; it is not a substitute for the Akkadian wording.
Opening
In a British Museum case lies a clay barrel about a handspan long: fired, wheel-made, inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform. Museum number 90920. The catalog dates it after 539 BCE in Babylon, credits Hormuzd Rassam at Amran in 1879, and notes that the text is still incomplete after restoration.
Iranian pride in this object stands on the lines we actually have: a Persian king, speaking in Babylonian, who restores houses, lifts a shameful yoke, returns gods and people to their places, and brings his army in without plunder. Those lines should be read — neither wrapped in slogans nor emptied by denial.
Cyrus and the Babylonian setting
In 539 BCE Cyrus took Babylon. Nabonidus was the last Chaldean king. Iranica’s account: the text was composed by priests of Marduk. Marduk accuses Nabonidus of cultic ruin, chooses Cyrus of Anshan, and Babylon falls without a battle. Then Cyrus speaks in the first person.
It is a Babylonian legitimacy document, kin to Mesopotamian foundation inscriptions. Iranica calls it a building inscription. That genre still carries specific content: lines 22–34 reach houses, the yoke, sanctuaries, and the return of people.
Historical evidenceThe exhibit
Photographs and 3D model: licences under the viewer.
Photogrammetric 3D model of the actual BM 90920 in the British Museum, licensed CC BY 4.0.
The actual object — photogrammetry of BM 90920, not an artistic reconstruction.
3D model: 159 photographs, November 2024, Reality Capture, @artfletch on Sketchfab. License CC BY 4.0. Not an official British Museum scan; it is photogrammetry of the cylinder in the museum case. Rotate, zoom, and see every side in the Sketchfab viewer.
Timeline
- 539 BCECyrus captures Babylon; the inscription is written afterwards and deposited in the wall (BM: 539 BC after).
- 1879 CEHormuzd Rassam finds the cylinder at Amran, Babylon, in a foundation context tied to the Marduk temple.
- 1880 CEEnters the British Museum collection as 90920.
- 1912 CERogers publishes a public-domain English of fragment A (dated; no Yale join).
- 1972 CEWalker publishes a newly identified fragment (cited by Iranica and the BM).
- 1975 CEBerger identifies the Yale fragment as lines 36–45.
- 2013 CEFinkel’s BM edition; the catalog’s running translation is his and is not copied here.
Guided reading
- The opening is broken; do not silently restore it.
- The indictment of Nabonidus is Marduk theology; it also names a yoke of unresting servitude (line 8).
- “Without battle” is the inscription’s claim (line 17).
- A peaceful army and a ban on the enemy announce security of person and goods (22–24).
- Lifting the yoke and restoring houses is relief from corvée and revival of dwellings (25–26).
- Returning people and gods to their places restores settlement and worship (30–34).
Complete text — a parallel reader
Line by line, numbered, with a stable anchor. Akkadian and English from Rogers 1912 (public domain, fragment A). Persian is this site’s rendering of that English, not Razmju and not the museum translation. Damaged lines and the Yale join are marked. Property- and liberty-bearing lines are gilded.
Rogers 1912 · site Persian rendering
Peaceful entry, without plunder or terrorRelief from the shameful yoke / Nabonidus’s corvéeRepair of houses and an end to their ruinReturn of displaced peoples to their own lands and dwellingsRestoration of sanctuaries and gods — freedom of worship
Akkadian (transliteration)[ . . . ]-ni-šu
English[. . .] his troops
Persian[. . .] سپاهیانش
Akkadian (transliteration)[ . . . ]-ki-ib-ra-tim
English[. . . four] quarters of the world
Persian[. . . چهار] گوشهٔ جهان
Akkadian (transliteration)[. . .]-ka gal ma tu-û i-šak-na a-na e-nu-tu ma-ti-šu
English[. . .] a weakling was established as ruler over his land
Persian[. . .] ناتوانی را بر سرزمینش فرمانروا نهادند
Akkadian (transliteration)ši-[ . . . ta-am]-ši-li ú-ša-aš-ki-na si-ru-šu-un
Englishand [. . .] a similar one he appointed over them,
Persianو [. . .] همانندی را بر آنان گماشت،
Akkadian (transliteration)ta-am-ši-li É-sag-ila i-te-[ . . . ] a-na Uriki ù si-it-ta-tim ma-ha-za
Englishlike Esagila he made [. . .] to Ur and the rest of the cities,
Persianهمانند اسگیلا [. . .] برای اور و بقیهٔ شهرها ساخت،
Akkadian (transliteration)pa-ra-as la si-ma-a-ti-šu-nu ta-[ . . . ] û-mi-šá-am-ma id-di-ni-ib-bu-ub ù ana na-ak-ri-tim
Englisha command dishonouring them [. . .] he planned daily and in enmity,
Persianفرمانی ننگآور برای آنان [. . .] هر روز و با دشمنی طرح میریخت،
Akkadian (transliteration)sat-tuk-ku ù-šab-ti-li ú-ad-[di . . . ]-tak-ka-an ki-rib ma-ha-zi pa-la-ha iluMarduk šar ilâni [šá]-qi-še a-šu-uš-šu
Englishhe caused the daily offering to cease; he appointed [. . .] he established within the city. The worship of Marduk, king of the gods [. . .]
Persianنذر روزانه را قطع کرد؛ [. . .] را در شهر نهاد. پرستش مردوک، شاه خدایان [. . .]
Akkadian (transliteration)li-mu-ut-ti ali-šu [i-te]-ni-ip-pu-uš û-mi-šá-am-ma na-[. . . niše] i-na ab-ša-a-ni la ta-ap-šú-úh-tim ú-hal-li-iq kul-lat-si-in
Englishhe showed hostility toward his city daily [. . .] his people; he brought all of them to ruin through servitude without rest.
Persianهر روز با شهرش دشمنی کرد [. . .] مردمش را؛ همه را با بیگاری بیآسایش به تباهی کشاند.
Akkadian (transliteration)a-na ta-zi-im-ti-ši-na iluEllil lililani iz-zi-iš i-gu-ug-ma [ . . . ] ki-su-úr-šú-un ilâni a-ši-ib lib-bi-šú-nu i-zi-bu ad-ma-an-šú-un
EnglishOn account of their complaints, the lords of the gods became furiously angry and left their land; the gods, who dwelt among them, left their homes,
Persianاز شکایت آنان، خداوندانِ خدایان بهخشم سرزمین را ترک کردند؛ خدایانی که میانشان میزیستند خانههایشان را رها کردند،
Akkadian (transliteration)i-na ug-ga-ti šá ú-še-ri-bi a-na ki-rib Babili ilu Marduk ti-[ . . . ] li-sa-ah-ra a-na nap-har da-ád-mi šá in-na-du-ú šú-bat-su-un
Englishin anger over his bringing into Babylon. Marduk [. . .] to all the dwelling places, which had become ruins,
Persianاز خشمِ آوردنِ آنان به بابل. مردوک [. . .] به همهٔ سکونتگاههایی که ویرانه شده بودند،
Akkadian (transliteration)ù niše mât šú-me-ri ù Ak-ka-diki ša i-mu-ú ša-lam-ta-aš ú-sa-ah-hi-ir ka-[ . . . ]-ši ir-ta-ši ta-a-a-ra kul-lat ma-ta-a-ta ka-li-ši-na i-hi-it ib-ri-e-šu
Englishand the people of Sumer and Akkad, who were like corpses [. . .] he turned and granted mercy. In all lands everywhere
Persianو مردم سومر و اکد را، که چون مرده بودند، [. . .] بازگرداند و رحمت کرد. در همهٔ سرزمینها
Akkadian (transliteration)iš-te-'-e-ma ma-al-ki i-ša-ru bi-bil lib-bi šá it-ta-ma-ah qa-tu-uš-šú m Ku-ra-aš šar ali An-šá-an it-ta-bi ni-bi-it-su a-na ma-li-ku-tim kul-la-ta nap-har iz-zak-ra šú-[ma-šu]
Englishhe searched; he looked through them and sought a righteous prince after his own heart, whom he took by the hand. He called Cyrus, king of Anshan, by name; he appointed him to lordship over the whole world.
Persianجست؛ نگریست و شاهزادهای درستکار به دلخواه خویش یافت و دستش را گرفت. کوروش، شاه انشان، را به نام خواند و او را به خداوندی همهٔ جهان گماشت.
Akkadian (transliteration)mât Qu-ti-i gi-mir Um-man Man-da ú-ka-an-ni-ša a-na še-pi-šu niše sal-mat qaqqadi ša ú-šá-ak-ši-du ka-ta-a-šu
EnglishThe land of Qutu, all the Umman-manda, he cast down at his feet. The black-headed people, whom he gave his hands to conquer,
Persianسرزمین قوتو و همهٔ اومانماندا را به پایش افکند. مردم سیاهسر را، که به دستش سپرده بود تا بگشاید،
Akkadian (transliteration)i-na ki-it-tim ú mi-ša-ru iš-te-ni-'-e-ši-na-a-tim iluMarduk belu rabu ta-ru-ú niše-šu ip-še-e-ti šá dam-qa-a-ta ù lib-ba-šú i-šá-ra ha-di-iš ip-pa-al-li-is
Englishhe took them in justice and righteousness. Marduk, the great lord, looked joyously on the caring for his people, on his pious works and his righteous heart.
Persianبه داد و راستی نگاه داشت. مردوک، خداوند بزرگ، با شادی به مراقبت او از مردمش، به کارهای پرهیزکارانهاش و دل درستش نگریست.
Akkadian (transliteration)a-na ali-šú Bab-ilani ki a-la-ak-šú ik-bi ú-ša-as-bi-it-su-ma har-ra-nu Babili ki-ma ib-ri ú tap-pi-e it-tal-la-ka i-da-a-šu
EnglishTo his city, Babylon, he caused him to go; he made him take the road to Babylon, going as a friend and companion at his side.
Persianاو را به شهرش بابل روانه کرد؛ راه بابل را پیش پایش نهاد، چون دوست و همدم در کنارش.
Akkadian (transliteration)um-ma-ni-šu rap-ša-a-tim šá ki-ma me-e nari la ú-ta-ad-du-ú ni-ba-šu-un kakke-šú-nu sa-an-du-ma i-šá-ad-di-ha i-da-a-šú
EnglishHis numerous troops, in unknown numbers, like the waters of a river, marched armed at his side.
Persianسپاهیان بسیارش، به شمار ناشناخته، چون آب رود، مسلح در کنارش رفتند.
Akkadian (transliteration)ba-lu qab-li ù ta-ha-zi ú-še-ri-ba-aš ki-rib Babili ala-šú Bab-ilaniki i-ti-ir i-na šap-šá-ki m, iluNabu-na'id šarru la pa-li-hi-šú ú-ma-al-la-a qa-tu-uš-šu
EnglishWithout battle and conflict, he permitted him to enter Babylon. He spared his city, Babylon, a calamity. Nabonidus, the king, who did not fear him, he delivered into his hand.
Persianبدون نبرد و ستیز او را به درون بابل راه داد. شهرش بابل را از بلا نگاه داشت. نبونئید شاه را، که از او نمیترسید، به دست او سپرد.
Akkadian (transliteration)niše Babili ka-li-šú-nu nap-har mât šú-me-ri u Ak-ka-diki ru-bi-e ù šak-ka-nak-ka šá-pal-šú ik-mi-sa ú-na-aš-ši-qu še-pu-uš-šú ih-du-ú a-na šarru-ú-ti-šú im-mi-ru pa-nu-uš-šú-un
EnglishAll the people of Babylon, Sumer, and Akkad, princes and governors, fell down before him and kissed his feet. They rejoiced in his sovereignty; their faces shone.
Persianهمهٔ مردم بابل، سومر و اکد، شاهزادگان و فرمانداران، پیش پایش افتادند و پایش را بوسیدند. از شاهیاش شاد شدند؛ رویشان درخشید.
Akkadian (transliteration)be-lu šá i-na tu-kul-ti-šá ú-bal-li-tu mi-tu-ta-an i-na bu-ta-qu ú pa-ki-e ig-mi-lu kul-la-ta-an ta-bi-iš ik-ta-ar-ra-bu-šu iš-tam-ma-ru zi-ki-ir-šú
EnglishThe lord, who by his power brings the dead to life, who amid destruction and injury had protected them, they joyously blessed him, honoring his name.
Persianخداوندی که به نیروی خویش مرده را زنده میکند و در میان ویرانی و آسیب نگاهشان داشته بود، با شادی برکت دادند و نامش را بزرگ داشتند.
Akkadian (transliteration)a-na-ku mKu-ra-aš šar kiš-šat šarru rabu šarru dan-nu šar Babili šar mât šú-me-ri ú Ak-ka-di šar kib-ra-a-ti ir-bit-tim
EnglishI am Cyrus, king of the world, the great king, the powerful king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters of the world,
Persianمنم کوروش، شاه جهان، شاه بزرگ، شاه نیرومند، شاه بابل، شاه سومر و اکد، شاه چهار گوشهٔ جهان،
Akkadian (transliteration)mar mKa-am-bu-zi-ia šarru rabu šar alu An-šá-an mar mari mKu-ra-aš šarru rabu šar alu An-šá-an ŠA.BAL.BAL m ši-iš-pi-iš šarru rabu šar alu An-ša-an
Englishson of Cambyses, the great king, king of the city of Anshan, grandson of Cyrus, the great king, king of the city of Anshan; great-grandson of Teispes, the great king, king of the city of Anshan;
Persianپسر کمبوجیه شاه بزرگ شاه شهر انشان؛ نوهٔ کوروش شاه بزرگ شاه شهر انشان؛ نبیرهٔ چیشپیش شاه بزرگ شاه شهر انشان؛
Akkadian (transliteration)ziru da-ru-ú ša šarru-ú-tu ša iluBel u ilu Nabu ir-a-mu pa-la-a-šú a-na tu-ub lib-bi-šú-nu ih-ši-ha šarru-ut-su e-nu-ma a-na ki-rib Babili e-ru-bu sa-li-mi-iš
Englisheternal seed of royalty whose rule Bel and Nabu love, in whose administration they rejoice in their heart. When I made my triumphal entrance into Babylon,
Persianتخمهٔ جاودان شاهی که بل و نبو فرمانش را دوست میدارند و از حکومتش در دل شادند. چون با پیروزی به بابل درآمدم،
- 23Peaceful entry, without plunder or terror · Restoration of sanctuaries and gods — freedom of worship
Akkadian (transliteration)i-na ul-si ù ri-šá-a-tim i-na ekal ma-al-ki ar-ma-a šú-bat be-lu-tim iluMarduk belu rabu lib-bi ri-it-pa-šú šá mare Babili ú . . . an-ni-ma û-mi-šam a-še-'-a pa-la-ah-šú
EnglishI took up my lordly residence in the royal palace with joy and rejoicing; Marduk, the great lord, moved the noble heart of the residents of Babylon to me, while I gave daily attention to his worship.
Persianبا شادی و سور در کاخ شاهی نشستم؛ مردوک، خداوند بزرگ، دل نژادهٔ باشندگان بابل را بهسویم گرداند، و من هر روز به پرستش او پرداختم.
Akkadian (transliteration)um-ma-ni-ia rap-ša-tim i-na ki-rib Babili i-šá-ad-di-ha šú-ul-ma-niš nap-har mat [šu-me-ri] ù Akkadiki mu-gal-[l]i-tim ul ú-šar-ši
EnglishMy numerous troops marched peacefully into Babylon. In all Sumer and Akkad I permitted no enemy to enter.
Persianسپاهیان بسیارم آسوده به بابل درآمدند. در همهٔ سومر و اکد هیچ دشمنی را راه ندادم.
- 25Damaged / incompleteRelief from the shameful yoke / Nabonidus’s corvée · Repair of houses and an end to their ruin
Akkadian (transliteration)dannat Babili ù kul-lat ma-ha-zi-šu i-na šà-li-im-tim aš-te-'-e mare Babi[li . . .] ki ma-la lib-[. . .]-ma ab-ša-a-ni la si-ma-ti-šu-nu šú-bat-su-un
EnglishThe needs of Babylon and of all its cities I gladly attended to. The people of Babylon [and . . .], and the shameful yoke was removed from them. Their dwellings,
Persianنیاز بابل و همهٔ شهرهایش را بهخوشی برآوردم. مردم بابل [و . . .]، و یوغ ننگین از گردنشان برداشته شد. خانههایشان،
Akkadian (transliteration)an-hu-ut-su-un ú-pa-aš-ši-ha ú-šá-ap-ti-ir sa-ar-ba-šu-nu a-na ip-še-e-ti-[ia] iluMarduk belu rabu ú-ih-di-e-ma
Englishwhich had fallen, I restored. I cleared out their ruins. Marduk, the great lord, rejoiced in my pious deeds, and
Persianکه فروریخته بود، باز ساختم. ویرانههایشان را پاک کردم. مردوک، خداوند بزرگ، از کارهای پرهیزکارانهٔ من شاد شد، و
Akkadian (transliteration)a-na ia-a-ti mKu-ra-aš šarru pa-li-ih-šu ù mKa-am-bu-zi-ia mari si-it lib-bi-[ia ù a]-na nap-har um-ma-ni-ia
Englishgraciously blessed me, Cyrus, the king who worships him, and Cambyses, my own son, and all my troops,
Persianمرا، کوروش شاهی که او را میپرستد، و کمبوجیه پسر خودم، و همهٔ سپاهیانم را بهنرمی برکت داد،
Akkadian (transliteration)da-am-ki-iš ik-ru-ub-ma i-na ša-lim-tim ma-har-ša ta-bi-iš ni-it-ta-['-id i-lu-ti-šu] sir-ti nap-har šarri a-ši-ib parakke
Englishwhile we, before him, joyously praised his exalted godhead. All the kings dwelling in palaces,
Persianو ما پیش روی او با شادی الوهیت والایش را ستودیم. همهٔ شاهانی که در کاخها مینشینند،
Akkadian (transliteration)ša ka-li-iš kib-ra-a-ta iš-tu tam-tim e-li-tim a-di tam-tim šap-li-tim a-ši-ib kul-[. . .] šar-ra-ni mati A-mur-ri-i a-ši-ib kuš-ta-ri ka-li-šu-un
Englishof all the quarters of the earth, from the Upper to the Lower sea dwelling [. . .] all the kings of the Westland dwelling in tents
Persianاز همهٔ گوشههای زمین، از دریای بالا تا دریای پایین [. . .] همهٔ شاهان مغربزمین که در خیمه میزیند
Akkadian (transliteration)bi-lat-su-nu ka-bi-it-tim ú-bi-lu-nim-ma ki-ir-ba Babili ú-na-aš-ši-qu še-pu-ú-a iš-tu [. . .] a-di alu Aššurki ù Šu-šan ki
Englishbrought me their heavy tribute, and in Babylon kissed my feet. From [. . .] to Asshur and Susa,
Persianباج گران خود را آوردند و در بابل پایم را بوسیدند. از [. . .] تا آشور و شوش،
Akkadian (transliteration)A-ga-deki mâtu Eš-nu-nak alu Za-am-ba-an alu Me-túr-nu Deriki a-di pa-at mât Qu-ti-i ma-ha-za [šá e-bir]-ti nâru Diqlat šá iš-tu ap-na-ma na-du-ú šú-bat-su-un
EnglishAgade, Eshnunak, Zamban, Meturnu, Deri, with the territory of the land of Qutu, the cities on the other side of the Tigris, whose sites were of ancient foundation—
Persianآگاده، اشنونک، زامبان، متورنو، دِری، با قلمرو قوتو، شهرهای آن سوی دجله که بنیادشان کهن بود—
- 32Return of displaced peoples to their own lands and dwellings · Restoration of sanctuaries and gods — freedom of worship
Akkadian (transliteration)ilâni a-ši-ib lib-bi-šu-nu a-na aš-ri-šú-nu ú-tir-ma ú-šar-ma-a šú-bat da-er-a-ta kul-lat niše-šu-nu ú-pa-ah-hi-ra-am-ma ú-te-ir da-ád-mi-šu-un
Englishthe gods, who resided in them, I brought back to their places, and caused them to dwell in a residence for all time. All their people I gathered and restored to their dwelling-places.
Persianخدایانی را که در آنها میزیستند به جای خود بازگرداندم و در خانهای جاودان نشاندم. همهٔ مردمشان را گرد آوردم و به سکونتگاههایشان بازگرداندم.
Akkadian (transliteration)ù ilâni mât šú-me-ri ù Akkadiki šá m, iluNabu-na'id a-na ug-ga-tim bel ilâni ú-še-ri-bi a-na ki-rib Babili i-na ki-bi-ti iluMarduk belu rabû i-na šá-li-im-tim
EnglishAnd the gods of Sumer and Akkad—whom Nabonidus, to the anger of the lord of the gods, had brought into Babylon—by the command of Marduk, the great lord,
Persianو خدایان سومر و اکد را — که نبونئید به خشم خداوندِ خدایان به بابل آورده بود — به فرمان مردوک، خداوند بزرگ،
Akkadian (transliteration)i-na maš-ta-ki-šu-nu ú-še-ši-ib šú-ba-at tu-ub lib-bi kul-la-ta ilâni ša ú-še-ri-bi a-na ki-ir-bi ma-ha-zi-šu-un
EnglishI caused them to take up their dwelling in residences that gladdened the heart. May all the gods, whom I brought into their cities,
Persianدر خانههایی که دل را شاد میکند نشاندم. باشد که همهٔ خدایانی که به شهرهایشان بازگرداندم،
Akkadian (transliteration)û-mi-ša-am ma-har iluBel ù iluNabu ša a-ra-ku ume-ia li-ta-mu-ú lit-taš-ka-ru a-ma-a-ta du-un-ki-ia ù a-na iluMarduk beli-ia li-iq-bu-ú ša mKu-ra-aš šarri pa-li-hi-ka u mKa-am-bu-zi-ia mari-šu
Englishpray daily before Bêl and Nabû for long life for me, and may they speak a gracious word for me and say to Marduk, my lord, “May Cyrus, the king who worships you, and Cambyses, his son,
Persianهر روز پیش بل و نبو برای درازی عمرم دعا کنند و سخنی نیک برایم بگویند و به مردوک، خداوند من، بگویند: «کوروش، شاهی که تو را میپرستد، و کمبوجیه پسرش،
Akkadian (transliteration)da [ . . . ] ib-šu-nu lu-ú [ . . . ] ka-li-ši-na šú-ub-ti ni-ih-tim ú-še-ši-ib [ . . . ]
Englishtheir [. . .] I permitted all to dwell in peace [. . .]
Persianایشان را [. . .] همه را در آسایش جای دادم [. . .]
Lines 37–45 sit on the Yale fragment (NBC 2504) and are absent from Rogers 1912. Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s wall Imgur-Enlil and an inscription of Ashurbanipal; the ending is still incomplete. Finkel 2013 is copyrighted and is not reproduced here.
Lines 37–45 sit on the Yale fragment (NBC 2504) and are absent from Rogers 1912. Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s wall Imgur-Enlil and an inscription of Ashurbanipal; the ending is still incomplete. Finkel 2013 is copyrighted and is not reproduced here.
Lines 37–45 sit on the Yale fragment (NBC 2504) and are absent from Rogers 1912. Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s wall Imgur-Enlil and an inscription of Ashurbanipal; the ending is still incomplete. Finkel 2013 is copyrighted and is not reproduced here.
Lines 37–45 sit on the Yale fragment (NBC 2504) and are absent from Rogers 1912. Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s wall Imgur-Enlil and an inscription of Ashurbanipal; the ending is still incomplete. Finkel 2013 is copyrighted and is not reproduced here.
Lines 37–45 sit on the Yale fragment (NBC 2504) and are absent from Rogers 1912. Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s wall Imgur-Enlil and an inscription of Ashurbanipal; the ending is still incomplete. Finkel 2013 is copyrighted and is not reproduced here.
Lines 37–45 sit on the Yale fragment (NBC 2504) and are absent from Rogers 1912. Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s wall Imgur-Enlil and an inscription of Ashurbanipal; the ending is still incomplete. Finkel 2013 is copyrighted and is not reproduced here.
Lines 37–45 sit on the Yale fragment (NBC 2504) and are absent from Rogers 1912. Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s wall Imgur-Enlil and an inscription of Ashurbanipal; the ending is still incomplete. Finkel 2013 is copyrighted and is not reproduced here.
Lines 37–45 sit on the Yale fragment (NBC 2504) and are absent from Rogers 1912. Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s wall Imgur-Enlil and an inscription of Ashurbanipal; the ending is still incomplete. Finkel 2013 is copyrighted and is not reproduced here.
Lines 37–45 sit on the Yale fragment (NBC 2504) and are absent from Rogers 1912. Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s wall Imgur-Enlil and an inscription of Ashurbanipal; the ending is still incomplete. Finkel 2013 is copyrighted and is not reproduced here.
The Akkadian text runs to 45 lines (Iranica): fragment A in London, fragment B at Yale. The current reference edition is Finkel 2013; his translation appears on the museum catalog and is not reproduced here (copyright). What we may print line by line is Rogers 1912.
Finkel’s translation on the British Museum catalogAnother scholarly English (Cogan/Schaudig) on Livius — no reuse licence stated
Key passages
cyl-l04-08lines 4–8Damaged / incompleteIn the inscription’s voice, Marduk recounts the offences of Nabonidus, last Chaldean king: cults distorted, daily offerings halted, fear of Marduk ended.
No openly licensed translation of this span is on hand. Our summary, plus links to Finkel / Schaudig.
term: Marduk is the city-god of Babylon. The inscription speaks in Babylonian temple theology, not in the language of a Persian court Zoroastrian edict.
context: Iranica (Dandamayev 1993/2013, following Harmatta): composed in an archaizing form inspired by Neo-Assyrian models, especially Assurbanipal inscriptions drafted in Babylon. The indictment of Nabonidus belongs to that legitimacy tradition.
cyl-l09-19lines 9–19Marduk seeks a righteous king, calls Cyrus of Anshan by name, and has him enter Babylon without battle. Nabonidus is delivered into his hand.
He called Cyrus, king of Anshan, by name; he appointed him to lordship over the whole world. … Without battle and conflict, he permitted him to enter Babylon. He spared his city, Babylon, a calamity. Nabonidus, the king, who did not fear him, he delivered into his hand.
term: Anshan (Anzan) is an Elamite–Persian centre in Fārs. The text calls Cyrus king of the city of Anshan, not “King of Iran” in a modern national sense.
alternative-reading: “Without battle” is the inscription’s own claim. Other Babylonian notices also describe a low-violence entry; that is not the same as the absence of political coercion.
cyl-l20-22lines 20–22The text switches to Cyrus in the first person: titles as king of the world, Babylon, Sumer and Akkad, and genealogy back to Teispes of Anshan.
I am Cyrus, king of the world, the great king, the powerful king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters of the world, son of Cambyses, the great king, king of the city of Anshan, grandson of Cyrus, the great king, king of the city of Anshan; great-grandson of Teispes, the great king, king of the city of Anshan.
term: The titles “king of the world / Babylon / Sumer and Akkad / the four quarters” and the genealogy to Teispes seat kingship in Babylonian language (Iranica: lines 20–22). Rogers 1912 has these titles on fragment A; Finkel 2013 remains the current line-level edition.
cyl-l22-26lines 22–26Cyrus takes up residence with joy; his troops march in peacefully; the shameful yoke is lifted and fallen dwellings are restored.
When I made my triumphal entrance into Babylon, I took up my lordly residence in the royal palace with joy and rejoicing. My numerous troops marched peacefully into Babylon. In all Sumer and Akkad I permitted no enemy to enter. The needs of Babylon and of all its cities I gladly attended to. The people of Babylon [and . . .], and the shameful yoke was removed from them. Their dwellings, which had fallen, I restored. I cleared out their ruins.
cyl-l26-30lines 26–30Marduk blesses Cyrus and Cambyses. Royal-religious legitimacy, following the same deeds that named houses and the yoke.
No openly licensed translation of this span is on hand. Our summary, plus links to Finkel / Schaudig.
cyl-l30-36lines 30–36Damaged / incompleteRestoration of cults and return of displaced divine images and people to their settlements. Iranica: permission for exiled peoples to return home. Judah is not named; return to house and cult is in the lines themselves.
From [. . .] to Asshur and Susa, Agade, Eshnunak, Zamban, Meturnu, Deri, with the territory of the land of Qutu, the cities on the other side of the Tigris, whose sites were of ancient foundation—the gods, who resided in them, I brought back to their places, and caused them to dwell in a residence for all time. All their people I gathered and restored to their dwelling-places.
limit: The return of people to their settlements and of cult statues to their sanctuaries restores house and worship. Judah is not named; the argument is from these lines.
limit: The Cylinder does not quantify rations, wages, or tax; those figures sit in the Persepolis Fortification and Treasury archives (Iranica; Hallock 1969). What this span records is the return of communities to their settlements.
cyl-l36-45lines 36–45Damaged / incompleteYale fragment: restoration of Babylon’s defences and an inscription of Ashurbanipal. The ending is incomplete. No public-domain English of this join is reproduced here.
No openly licensed translation of this span is on hand. Our summary, plus links to Finkel / Schaudig.
context: These lines are the Yale join, absent from Rogers 1912. Line-level English belongs to Finkel 2013 or Schaudig 2001 — here only a summary is given.
term: Iranica: restoration of Babylon’s defences and an inscription of Ashurbanipal belong to this join. That continues the building inscription. No public-domain English of the Yale fragment is reproduced here.
Historical and philosophical analysis
Historical evidenceHistorically the Cylinder is an account of Babylon’s capture and restoration, in Marduk’s voice then the king’s. Priests wrote it in the foundation-inscription tradition. That same account, line by line, names fallen houses, a shameful yoke, people returned to their settlements, and gods returned to their sanctuaries.
Philosophical interpretationRead as a theory of individual rights: peaceful entry, the lifted yoke, restored houses, returned settlements, and restored cults are the Cylinder’s recognition of property and liberty — the fruit of labour, the security of dwellings, freedom of worship, and a limit on arbitrary coercion.
Individual rights and property
Philosophical interpretationThis project’s position is that the Cylinder recognizes individual property rights and liberty. That is interpretation, not a slogan detached from the text. Each block below is tied to a numbered line and to Rogers 1912. Words the Cylinder does not contain — including the name Judah — are not invented.
Peaceful entry, without plunder or terror
Cyrus writes his entry as triumphant and yet peaceful, and says he permitted no enemy in all Sumer and Akkad. Plunder, terror, and an army’s seizure of people’s goods are exactly what these lines shut out. Secure possession is the precondition of property.
eternal seed of royalty whose rule Bel and Nabu love, in whose administration they rejoice in their heart. When I made my triumphal entrance into Babylon,
My numerous troops marched peacefully into Babylon. In all Sumer and Akkad I permitted no enemy to enter.
Relief from the shameful yoke / Nabonidus’s corvée
Nabonidus, in the inscription’s voice, had brought people to ruin through “servitude without rest.” Cyrus says the “shameful yoke” was removed from Babylon’s people. Corvée is coerced taking of a person’s time and labour — the negation of liberty of occupation and of the fruit of work. Lifting that yoke recognizes that liberty.
he showed hostility toward his city daily [. . .] his people; he brought all of them to ruin through servitude without rest.
The needs of Babylon and of all its cities I gladly attended to. The people of Babylon [and . . .], and the shameful yoke was removed from them. Their dwellings,
Repair of houses and an end to their ruin
Line 26 restores fallen dwellings and clears their ruins. A house is the most concrete form of property. A king who ends the ruin of houses recognizes residential possession — not as a vague favour, but as a specified act upon “dwellings.”
which had fallen, I restored. I cleared out their ruins. Marduk, the great lord, rejoiced in my pious deeds, and
Return of displaced peoples to their own lands and dwellings
From Asshur and Susa to the cities beyond the Tigris, Cyrus gathers people and restores them to their dwelling-places. Deportation is the taking of land and house. Return to those settlements is restitution of that holding. Judah is not named; the claim here is from these lines, not from the Bible.
brought me their heavy tribute, and in Babylon kissed my feet. From [. . .] to Asshur and Susa,
the gods, who resided in them, I brought back to their places, and caused them to dwell in a residence for all time. All their people I gathered and restored to their dwelling-places.
Restoration of sanctuaries and gods — freedom of worship
Gods whom Nabonidus had forced into Babylon are returned to their own sanctuaries. Freedom of worship means a community may serve its god in its own place, not in captivity at the centre. These lines record that liberty.
And the gods of Sumer and Akkad—whom Nabonidus, to the anger of the lord of the gods, had brought into Babylon—by the command of Marduk, the great lord,
I caused them to take up their dwelling in residences that gladdened the heart. May all the gods, whom I brought into their cities,
For the running Achaemenid economy — rations, silver, kurtaš — turn to the Persepolis Fortification and Treasury archives. Those tablets are a royal provisioning machine. The Cylinder is something else: a public limit on plunder, corvée, cultic exile, and the taking of houses.
Evidence against modern readings
Modern cultural meaning
Twentieth-century exhibitions and some Iranian and UN-adjacent publications presented the Cylinder as an ancestor of human-rights charters. That heading is modern cultural meaning. The text we actually print is Rogers 1912: houses restored, a yoke lifted, people and gods returned. Our philosophical reading starts from those lines.
Philosophical interpretation
The project’s philosophical frame is individual ownership against arbitrary power. On the Cylinder that frame is not an empty question: lines 22–34 give the argument — no plunder, no unresting servitude, restored dwellings, returned people, restored cults.
Bibliography
The British Museum. The Cyrus Cylinder (museum number 90920)
The British Museum
Supports: Object identity BM 90920; fired clay; Rassam; Amran/Babylon; length 21.90–22.80 cm; max diameter 10 cm; Babylonian cuneiform; incomplete foundation cylinder after 539 BC; Finkel translation exists on the page but is not reproduced here.
verified · https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1880-0617-1941
Muhammad A. Dandamayev. Cyrus iv. The Cyrus cylinder (1993)
Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. VI, fasc. 5, pp. 521–522 (updated 2013-07-26)
Supports: 1879 Rassam foundation deposit at the Marduk temple; Yale fragment lines 36–45 (Berger); 45-line Akkadian building inscription composed in Marduk’s priesthood; contents outline by line-range; not a complete text.
Irving L. Finkel (ed.). The Cyrus Cylinder: The King of Persia’s Proclamation from Ancient Babylon (2013)
I.B. Tauris, London
Supports: Bibliographic existence of the 2013 BM scholarly edition; BM catalog calls it the definitive account of the text. Full running translation is not used.
partial · https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIB10074
CAIS / K. C. Hanson reproducing Rogers via Ahlström. Cyrus the Great’ Cylinder — Transliteration & Translation of the Text (1998)
Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies
Supports: Documents a widely circulated Rogers-derived presentation of lines 1–36 and a popular “first charter of human rights” framing. Fact-box errors (Nineveh; 23×11 cm) are not followed.
verified · https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/History/hakhamaneshian/Cyrus-the-great/cyrus_cylinder_complete.htm
Robert William Rogers. Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament (1912)
Eaton & Mains, New York / Oxford University Press, London
Supports: Public-domain English translation of fragment A (pp. 380–384 as commonly cited). Does not include the Yale fragment. Line readings are those of 1912.
verified · https://archive.org/details/cuneiformparalle00rogerich
Jona Lendering (page); translation based on Mordechai Cogan, adapted to Schaudig with Bert van der Spek. Cyrus Cylinder Translation (2003)
Livius.org; underlying edition Hallo & Younger, Context of Scripture II
Supports: Existence of a modern scholarly English aligned to Schaudig. No reuse license stated — linked, not copied.
verified · https://www.livius.org/sources/content/cyrus-cylinder/cyrus-cylinder-translation/
Persepolis Administrative Archives (2017)
Encyclopaedia Iranica
Supports: Names the Fortification and Treasury archives as two groups of administrative clay tablets, fragments, and sealings from Persepolis agencies.
verified · https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/persepolis-admin-archive/
Muhammad A. Dandamayev. Persepolis Elamite Tablets (2002)
Encyclopaedia Iranica (updated 2012-11-08)
Supports: PF 509–494 BCE (Hallock); PT 492–458 BCE (Cameron); rations and silver to kurtaš; royal taxes and royal-economy administration; large unpublished remainder.
verified · https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/persepolis-elamite-tablets/
C. B. F. Walker. A Recently Identified Fragment of the Cyrus Cylinder (1972)
Iran 10, pp. 158–59
Supports: Cited by BM and Iranica for findspot and foundation-deposit character. Article itself not opened this pass.
inaccessible
P.-R. Berger. Der Kyros-Zylinder mit dem Zusatzfragment BIN II Nr. 32 (1975)
Zeitschrift für Assyriologie 64, pp. 192–234
Supports: Identification of the Yale fragment (Nies & Keiser no. 32 / BIN II 32) as lines 36–45 — via Iranica, not via ZA 64 itself.
inaccessible
Amélie Kuhrt. The Cyrus Cylinder and Achaemenid Imperial Policy (1983)
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 25, pp. 83–97
Supports: Listed by Iranica/BM as the standard discussion of imperial policy vs unique edict. Full text not opened; popular “first charter” claim is treated as disputed, not refuted from this PDF.
inaccessible
Hanspeter Schaudig. Die Inschriften Nabonids von Babylon und Kyros’ des Großen (2001)
Ugarit-Verlag, Münster
Supports: Existence of a standard Assyriological edition used by later translations (Livius/Cogan adaptation). Line readings not taken from this book this pass.
inaccessible
Daderot. Cyrus Cylinder, Babylon, Iraq, mid 500s BC, cuneiform on clay — British Museum — DSC01316 (2024)
Wikimedia Commons
Supports: Authentic photograph of the object in the British Museum, reusable under CC0 1.0, dated 21 May 2024, own work.
@artfletch. The Cyrus Cylinder (photogrammetry) (2024)
Sketchfab
Supports: Photogrammetry of the actual BM 90920 in the museum case (159 photos, November 2024, Reality Capture). CC BY 4.0. Not an official British Museum scan.
verified · https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/the-cyrus-cylinder-f8d0a48f63f44bb49323b623853f6592
