CM 4 (Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period)

The Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (also known as "King List 6") is an important historiographical document from ancient Babylonia.

The Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (also known as "King List 6") is an important historiographical document from ancient Babylonia. It mentions the length of the reigns of several kings, beginning with the accession of Philip Arridaeus, the brother of Alexander the Great, in June 323, and continuing to the reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (r.175-164). Together with the Uruk King List, the Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period is a useful text for those who are reconstructing the chronology of Babylonia in the late fourth to mid-second centuries.

The cuneiform tablet (BM 35603 = Sp. III 113) is in the British Museum. On this website, you will find a new transciption and translation by Bert van der Spek of the Free University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), who has recently restudied this tablet as part of his publication of the Babylonian Chronicles of the Hellenistic Period. He also took the photos.note

Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (BM35603), left edge

Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (BM35603), left edge

 Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (BM35603), obverse

Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (BM35603), obverse

 Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (BM35603), reverse

Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (BM35603), reverse

 Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (BM35603), upper edge

Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (BM35603), upper edge

Description of the tablet

The tablet measures about 80 x 65 mm and is written in a late Babylonian script. The only exception is the archaic spelling of the AG sign. As Grayson has suggested, this suggests that "the original editors observed that the scribe was conscious of the antiquity of the king list tradition in Babylonia and of the fact that he was perpetuating this tradition in his own time".

Since Demetrius II (r.145-125 BCE) is mentioned on the left edge the tablet was probably inscribed in his reign.

Previous editions:

Chapter
Obv
Rev
Upper edge
Left edge
Section
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

[Rev.1] [Year] 87 [225/224]: Se(leucus III Keraunos was) [king. He reigned 3 years]

[Rev.2] Year 90 [222/221]: An(tiochus III the Great), the king, as[cended] the throne.

[Rev.3] He reigned for 35 [years].

[Rev.4] From the 102th year [210/209] until (year) 119 [193/192] An(tiochus) [the king?]

[Rev.5] and An(tiochus), his son!, were kings!.

[Rev.6] Year 125, Simanu [= month III]: It was heard in Babylon: 

[Rev.7] as follows: "On the twenty-fifth day An(tiochus III), the king, was killed in Elam"

[Rev.8] The same year: Se(leucus IV Philopator), his son, ascended the throne. He reigned for twelve years.

[Rev.9] Year 137, Ulûlu [= month VI], the tenth: Se(leucus IV), the king, died...

[Rev.10] The same month: An(tiochus IV Epiphanes), his son,note ascended the throne. He reigned for eleven years.

[Rev.11] The sam[e year], Arahsamna [= month VIII]: An(tiochus IV) and An(tiochus), his son, [were] kings.

[Rev.12] [Year 1]42, Abu [= month V]: At the command of An(tiochus IV), the king, An(tiochus), the king, his son, was killed.

[Rev.13] Year 143 [169/168]: An(tiochus IV was sole) king.

[Rev.14] Year 148, Kislîmu [= month IX]: It was heard that An(tiochus IV), the k[ing died].

[Rev.15] [...] x x x [...]