Alexander's Campaign > Alexander the Great Enters Babylon

Alexander the Great Enters Babylon

Background

On 21 or 22 October 331, Alexander entered Babylon, the old capital of the ancient Near East. The longest description is that of the Roman author Quintus Curtius Rufus, who based his account on earlier, Greek sources. It should be read together with a brief Babylonian eyewitness account, that mentions the date of the surrender.

Alexander the Great Enters Babylon (331 BCE)

The entry of Alexander the Great into Babylon in 331 BCE was a momentous event in his campaign against the Persian Empire. This event marked a significant turning point in his conquest, as Babylon was one of the major cities of the Persian Empire and a symbol of its wealth and power.

Background and Context

1. Battle of Gaugamela:

   • Decisive Victory: Alexander’s decisive victory at the Battle of Gaugamela on October 1, 331 BCE, effectively ended the Persian Empire’s ability to resist his advance. King Darius III fled the battlefield, leaving the empire’s heartland vulnerable.
   • Strategic Objective: Following Gaugamela, Alexander aimed to secure the key cities of the Persian Empire, including Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis. Babylon was particularly significant due to its strategic location, wealth, and symbolic importance.

2. Approach to Babylon:

   • Advance Southward: After his victory at Gaugamela, Alexander advanced southward toward Babylon. The city was known for its grandeur, with extensive walls, impressive architecture, and significant cultural and economic influence.
   • Peaceful Surrender: Recognizing the futility of resistance, the Persian satrap of Babylon, Mazaeus, chose to surrender the city peacefully. This decision spared Babylon from destruction and ensured a smooth transition of power.

Entry into Babylon

1. Reception and Procession:

   • Triumphal Entry: Alexander entered Babylon in a grand procession, greeted by the city’s inhabitants who welcomed him as a liberator. The citizens lined the streets, offering flowers and gifts, and cheering as Alexander and his army made their way through the city.
   • Symbol of Unity: The peaceful entry and the warm reception symbolized the unification of Macedonian and Persian cultures under Alexander’s rule. It showcased his ability to integrate and respect the customs and traditions of the conquered people.

2. Respect for Local Customs:

   • Temple of Marduk: One of Alexander’s first acts was to visit the great temple of Marduk (also known as Bel), the chief deity of Babylon. By participating in local religious ceremonies and offering sacrifices, Alexander demonstrated his respect for Babylonian traditions and sought to legitimize his rule.
   • Restoration Efforts: Alexander ordered the restoration of the temple of Marduk, which had fallen into disrepair. This act endeared him to the Babylonian priesthood and populace, further solidifying his acceptance as their new ruler.

Strategic and Political Significance

1. Administrative Reforms:

   • Appointment of Satraps: Alexander appointed Mazaeus as the satrap of Babylon, a strategic move to ensure continuity and stability. By retaining local administrators and integrating them into his administration, Alexander aimed to maintain order and facilitate governance.
   • Integration of Cultures: Alexander’s policy of cultural integration included encouraging marriages between his soldiers and local women, and adopting elements of Persian dress and customs. These measures helped to blend Greek and Persian cultures, promoting unity within his empire.

2. Economic Impact:

   • Control of Wealth: Babylon was a wealthy city with vast resources, including a large treasury. By controlling Babylon, Alexander gained access to significant financial resources that could support his ongoing campaigns and administrative needs.
   • Commercial Hub: The city’s strategic location on major trade routes made it a vital commercial hub. Control of Babylon allowed Alexander to dominate trade in the region, further enhancing his economic power.

Legacy and Long-Term Effects

1. Hellenistic Influence:

   • Cultural Fusion: Alexander’s entry into Babylon marked the beginning of a period of cultural fusion between Greek and Mesopotamian traditions. The blending of cultures during the Hellenistic period left a lasting legacy on the region’s art, architecture, and intellectual life.
   • Founding of Cities: Inspired by Babylon’s grandeur, Alexander founded new cities throughout his empire, often modeled on Babylonian and Greek urban planning principles. These cities became centers of Hellenistic culture and learning.

2. Military and Political Strategy:

   • Springboard for Further Conquests: The capture of Babylon provided Alexander with a secure base for launching further campaigns into the heart of the Persian Empire. From Babylon, he moved on to capture Susa, Persepolis, and Ecbatana, solidifying his control over the empire.
   • Consolidation of Power: By securing key cities like Babylon, Alexander demonstrated his ability to manage a vast and diverse empire. His policies of cultural integration and respect for local traditions helped to maintain stability and loyalty among his subjects.

Conclusion

The entry of Alexander the Great into Babylon was a significant milestone in his conquest of the Persian Empire. It demonstrated his strategic acumen, his respect for local customs, and his ability to integrate diverse cultures within his expanding empire. The peaceful surrender of Babylon and the subsequent actions taken by Alexander helped to consolidate his power and lay the foundations for the Hellenistic period, characterized by the blending of Greek and Eastern cultures. Alexander’s legacy in Babylon continued to influence the region long after his death, shaping the cultural and political landscape of the ancient world.

Account by Curtius Rufus

Section 5.1.17-33 of Curtius Rufus' History of Alexander the Great of Macedonia was translated by John Yardley.

[5.1.17] Moving on to Babylon, Alexander was met by Mazaeus, who had taken refuge in the city after the battle.note He came as a suppliant with his grown-up children to surrender himself and the city. Alexander was pleased at his coming, for besieging so well-fortified a city would have been an arduous task

[5.1.18] and, besides, since he was an eminent man and a good soldier who had also won distinction in the recent battle, Mazaeus' example was likely to induce the others to surrender. Accordingly Alexander gave him and his children a courteous welcome.

[5.1.19] Nevertheless, he put himself at the head of his column, which he formed into a square, and ordered his men to advance into the city as if they were going into battle.

[5.1.20] A large number of the Babylonians had taken up a position on the walls, eager to have a view of their new king, but most went out to meet him, including the man in charge of the citadel and royal treasury, Bagophanes. Not to be outdone by Mazaeus in paying his respects to Alexander, Bagophanes had carpeted the whole road with flowers and garlands and set up at intervals on both sides silver altars heaped not just with frankincense but with all manner of perfumes

[5.1.21] Following him were his gifts - herds of cattle and horses, and lions, too, and leopards, carried along in cages.

[5.1.22] Next came the Magians chanting a song in their native fashion, and behind them were the Chaldaeans, then the Babylonians, represented not only by priests but also by musicians equipped with their national instrument. (The role of the latter was to sing the praises of the Persian kings, that of the Chaldaeans to reveal astronomical movements and regular seasonal changes.)

[5.1.23] At the rear came the Babylonian cavalry, their equipment and that of the horses suggesting extravagance rather than majesty. Surrounded by an armed guard, the king instructed the townspeople to follow at the rear of his infantry; then he entered the city on a chariot and went into the palace. The next day he made an inspection of Darius' furniture and all his treasure,

[5.1.24] but it was the city itself, with its beauty and antiquity, that commanded the attention not only of the king, but of all the Macedonians. And with justification. Founded by Semiramisnote (not, as most have believed, Belus, whose palace is still to be seen there),

[5.1.25] its wall is constructed of small baked bricks and is cemented together with bitumen. The wall is ten meters wide and it is said that two chariots meeting on it can safely pass each other.

[5.1.26] Its height is twenty-five meters and its towers stand three meters higher again. The circumference of the whole work is 365 stades, each stade, according to the traditional account, being completed in a single day.note The buildings of the city are not contiguous to the walls but are about thirty meter's width from them,[5.1.27] and even the city area is not completely built up - the inhabited sector covers only 275 hectares - nor do the buildings form a continuous mass, presumably because scattering them in different locations seemed safer. The rest of the land is sown and cultivated so that, in the event of attack from outside, the besieged could be supplied with produce from the soil of the city itself.

[5.1.28] The Euphrates passes through the city, its flow confined by great embankments. Large as these structures are, behind all of them are huge pits sunk deep in the ground to take water of the river when in spate, for when its level has exceeded the top of the embankment, the flood would sweep away city buildings if there were no drain shafts and cisterns to siphon it off.

[5.1.29] These are constructed of baked brick, the entire work cemented with bitumen. The two parts of the city are connected by a stone bridge over the river, and this is also reckoned among the wonders of the East. For the Euphrates carries along with it a thick layer of mud and, even after digging this out to a great depth to lay the foundations, one can hardly find a solid base for a supporting structure.

[5.1.30] Moreover, there is a continuous build-up of sand which gathers around the piles supporting the bridge, impeding the flow of water, and this constriction makes the river smash against the bridge with greater violence than if it had an unimpeded passage.

[5.1.31] The Babylonians also have a citadel 3,7 kilometers in circumference. The foundations of its turrets are sunk ten meters into the ground and the fortifications rise 24 meters above it at the highest point.

[5.1.32] On its summit are the Hanging Gardens, a wonder celebrated by the fables of the Greeks.note They are as high as the top of the walls and owe their charm to the shade of many trees.

[5.1.33] The columns supporting the whole edifice are built of rock, and on top of them is a flat surface of squared stones strong enough to bear the deep layer of earth placed upon it and the water used for irrigating it.

Sources

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