History teaches humility. One example that supports this is Babylon. The city, which for 1500 years was the capital of the Middle East, is gone. What caused his death?
The main reason for the power of Babylon (translated as "Gate of the Gods") was its geographical location. The city, built by the Amorite nomads (another mystery - why did the nomads need a city?) Was located in Mesopotamia - in the valley where the Tigris approaches the Euphrates. These rivers overflowed frequently, and the river sediments left behind after the water left was perfect soil. And the city on the Euphrates became the richest in Mesopotamia.
A series of cruel trials
The further rise of the city was served by many other circumstances, which the Babylonians used wisely.
It is known that Moscow was not built immediately. And Babylon was not built immediately. Both the city and the kingdom have existed on a very modest scale for a century since their inception - it included several cities at a distance of up to 80 kilometers. And under the sixth king Hammurabi, who ruled from 1793 BC, flourishing began. Hammurabi conquered all of Sumer and part of the Northern Mesopotamia. But most importantly, he laid the foundations for the future might of his state. After his death for almost a thousand years, the Babylonian kingdom determined the politics and course of life in the entire Middle East.
Babylon also had a hard time. For example, when he was conquered by other peoples - the same Kassites or Elam. But over time, the state was revived again, and its capital for almost the entire 1500th period was in sight of the entire Ancient world.
By the 6th century BC, the Babylonian kingdom was at the height of its power. It finally received a king Nebuchadnezzar II worthy of its greatness. He defeated Judea, destroyed Jerusalem, captured the Jews, seized the District, Syria, Palestine, fought victorious wars with Egypt. It seemed that a little more - and Babylon will become the ruler of both the Middle East and the entire Mediterranean.
Promotional video:
But that didn't happen. Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC. In 556 BC, that is, six years after the death of the most powerful king of Babylonia, who left the kingdom in all its splendor of greatness, the country was headed by a king named Nabonidus. He ruled for 17 years, and over the years all the achievements of Nebuchadnezzar were lost, power crumbled to dust, and in 539 BC Babylonia was seized by the Persian king Cyrus II.
Several centuries passed, and only one name remained from the great city, whose population at the best times numbered about half a million inhabitants.
Why the city, which was reborn every time like a phoenix from the ashes, could not survive the last conquest? Were the Persians, like the subsequent conquerors, were so cruel and blind that they could not appreciate the benefits of its continued existence?
On the advice of the princess
Cities, like people, don't die for no reason. Moreover, such great ones as Babylon. "Gate of the Gods" began their journey into oblivion even before the city was captured by the Persians.
It all started when King Nabonidus married the Egyptian princess Nitocris, who was the wife of Nebuchadnezzar II before him. She arrived in the capital of Mesopotamia accompanied by Egyptian irrigation specialists. Egypt had by this time achieved tremendous success in irrigation, and the Babylonians wanted advice on "How to get higher yields?" After inspecting the structures, the Egyptians recommended digging another canal that would feed the arid lands above Babylon.
No sooner said than done! The Babylonians dug the Pallucat Canal and a number of branches from it. In some ways, it was reminiscent of our epic with the virgin soil raised. New areas were introduced into circulation, and yields, in fact, became much higher. But not for long: since most of the water of the Euphrates was taken in by large and small canals, the river began to flow more slowly and become shallow. Silt, sand, gravel (or as they are also called, alluvium) began to settle at the bottom, and not be carried away into the sea, as it was before. As a result, water contamination led to soil salinization. Yields began to decline, and local residents, frustrated by these innovations, began to leave for other places. The city became poorer every year.
And the final blow to the economy was dealt by the development of sea routes. Merchant caravans, which in the past usually passed through Babylon, began to appear less and less. In 312 BC Seleucus Nicator, one of the Diadochi of Alexander the Great, who conquered Babylon, decided to resettle its inhabitants to a new city - Seleucia on the Tigris.
In 129 BC, the already almost deserted city was captured by the Parthians. They completed his destruction. Babylon entered our era as a ghost - dilapidated and desolate.
And time, having taken pity on the former ruler and giant, forever covered him with its shroud.
Magazine: Mysteries of History №48. Author: Igor Rodionov