Nitocris of Babylon

Nitocris of Babylon (c. 550 BC) is an otherwise unknown queen regnant^[1] of Babylon described by Herodotus in his Histories. According to Histories of Herodotus, among sovereigns of Babylon two were women, Semiramis and Nitocris.^[2] Nitocris is credited by Herodotus with various building projects in Babylon. She is also said to have tricked Darius I by placing her tomb above a gate so that no Persian could pass below and enter through. According to the account, Darius was lured in by a mysterious inscription that served as a trap for greedy kings.^[3]^[4] According to Herodotus she was the wife of Nabonidus (Gr. Labynetus) against whose son an expedition was launched by Cyrus the Great.^[5]^[6] Dougherty and Beaulieu identify the son as Belshazzar.^[7]

If this is the case, she is most likely the queen in the story of Belshazzar's feast, and she is identified as such in Handel's oratorio Belshazzar.

^ Smith, Philip (1871). The Ancient History of the East: From the Earliest Times to the Conquest by Alexander the Great : Including Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Media, Persia, Asia Minor, and Phoenicia. Harper. p. 344. Herodotus (i. 185) ascribes these works to Nitocris, whom he clearly regards as a queen regnant, and whom he makes the mother of "Labynetus" (i. e., Nabonadius) the last king of Babylon (i. 188).
^ Herodotus. "History". Classics dept. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
^ Notes and Discussions Darius and the Tomb of Nitocris Jstor.org of
^ Herodotus, Histories I.185
^ Dougherty, Raymond Philip (2008). Nabonidus and Belshazzar: A Study of the Closing Events of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers. pp. 38, 40–42, 65. ISBN 978-1-55635-956-9. Citing Herodotus, The Histories, 1.188
^ Cf. Wiseman, D.J. (2004). Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon: The Schweich Lectures. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 104. ISBN 0-19-726100-0. According to Wiseman, "Nabonidus is known to have been in his self-imposed exile for ten . . . years. Belshazzar was co-regent during his absence".
^ Beaulieu, Paul-Alain (1989). The Reign of Nabonidus King of Babylon 556-559 B.C. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 80, 81. ISBN 0-300-04314-7.

[1] Smith, Philip (1871). The Ancient History of the East: From the Earliest Times to the Conquest by Alexander the Great : Including Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Media, Persia, Asia Minor, and Phoenicia. Harper. p. 344. Herodotus (i. 185) ascribes these works to Nitocris, whom he clearly regards as a queen regnant, and whom he makes the mother of "Labynetus" (i. e., Nabonadius) the last king of Babylon (i. 188).

[2] Herodotus. "History". Classics dept. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

[3] Notes and Discussions Darius and the Tomb of Nitocris Jstor.org of

[4] Herodotus, Histories I.185

[5] Dougherty, Raymond Philip (2008). Nabonidus and Belshazzar: A Study of the Closing Events of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers. pp. 38, 40–42, 65. ISBN 978-1-55635-956-9. Citing Herodotus, The Histories, 1.188

[6] Cf. Wiseman, D.J. (2004). Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon: The Schweich Lectures. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 104. ISBN 0-19-726100-0. According to Wiseman, "Nabonidus is known to have been in his self-imposed exile for ten . . . years. Belshazzar was co-regent during his absence".

[7] Beaulieu, Paul-Alain (1989). The Reign of Nabonidus King of Babylon 556-559 B.C. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 80, 81. ISBN 0-300-04314-7.

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