FROM WORLD-DOMINION TO SUBJECTION. 



119 



sum-iskun, king of Babylon," he speaks of the restoration and 



decoration of E-sagila and E-zida, of the palace which he built 

 for himself in the capital, and other architectural work. 



He died in Nisan or lyyar of the 4th year of his reign, and 

 was succeeded by Labasi-Maruduk, the Greek Laborosoarchod, 

 his son. According to Berosus, he occupied the throne for nine 

 months only (555 B.C.). He is said to have been a mere youth 

 at the time of his accession, but from a tablet dated in his father 

 Kerighssar's second year, he would seem, in 557 B.C., to have been 

 old enough to have a separate establishment, his house-steward 

 having been N'abu-sabit-qate, a royal official. Berosus states 

 that " a plot was hatched against him, and he was tormented to 

 death, by reason of the very ill-temper and ill-practices which 

 he exhibited to the world." The contract-tablets seem to indi- 

 cate that his reign lasted not nine months, but nine weeks 

 only. 



Though the prosperity of Babylonia seems to have been well 

 maintained during this period of short reigns following the 

 death of Nebuchadrezzar, it is clear that there was a considerable 

 amount of discontent ; and that feeling, on the part of the people, 

 or the more highly-placed administrative officials, had reached 

 such a point that they had no inclination to allow a young 

 ruler like Labasi-Maruduk sufficient time to show what he could 

 do. It is clear, also, that they had another personage in their 

 mind, who, they thought, would be more successful. This man 

 was Nabonidus, who possibly had already had some experience 

 in administrative work, and if so, he had probably gained the 

 confidence of a certain section of the people. One thing, how- 

 ever, is clear, and that is, that plotters, during his reign, were 

 either non-existent, or altogether unsuccessful. In addition to 

 the confidence which his personality seems to have inspired, 

 there was the fact that he had a son possessing a considerable 

 amount of energy, who, had he been allowed to ascend the 

 throne, might have changed the course of events for Babylon ; 

 but the crisis came too early, as the sequel will show. 



Neriglissar, judging from his cylinder-inscription, considered 

 it needful to lay stress on his royal descent, real or assumed, but 

 apparently Nabonidus had nothing of that nature to bring 

 forward as a claim to public and official support when he 

 ascended the throne. He could only state that he was son 

 of N"abu-balatsu-iqbi, the r2tbil emqu, " prince sagacious," or the 

 like. Who this personage was we have yet to learn. But 

 although he only bases his claim to the nation's goodwill on this 

 member of his ancestry, the Book of Daniel, in describing 



