Silence as message: Cyrus and the end of the Babylonian tradition of royal inscriptions

Abstract

Babylonia’s transition to Persian rule in 539 BCE is often described in terms of conti-

nuity, with the Cyrus Cylinder as prime testimony of the persistence of local traditions.

However, beyond the Cylinder, there is a notable lack of Persian-era royal inscriptions from Babylonia. This article asks what this inscriptional silence signified. It will argue that the absence of political messaging in the urban landscape of Babylonia had a tangible, material dimension to it. Experienced by wide sections of the population, silence was an integral part of state-controlled discourse and served a particular goal in the Persian-Babylonian political arena