The Duration of the Reign of Smerdis, the Magian, and the Reigns of Nebuchadnezzar III and Nebuchadnezzar IV

Abstract

In the article "Darius and His Behistun Inscription," which appeared in AJSL, LV (1938), 392 ff., Professor Olmstead on page 398 arrives at the conclusion that the Magian GaumAta, who claimed to be Bardia, son of Cyrus,' ruled not seven months but one year and seven months, namely, from March 11, 522, to October 17, 521. As a consequence he places Darius' aiccession to the throne not on Teiritu 10, 522/21, but on Tesritu 10, 521/20, a dating which if proved correct would make it necessary to drop all dates given in my table for the events of the first and second years of Darius' reign (AJSL, LV, 14347) by one year. Professor Olmstead bases his conclusion on the wellknown fact that a number of Babylonian tablets are dated in the second, third, and fourth months of the "accession year" of Barzia,2 while others are dated in the first and the third to eighth months of the "first year" of Barzia. Since Gaumata started his rebellion in the twelfth, i.e., the last, month of the year 523/22, the "accession year" of the Babylonian tablets, including as it does a second, a third, and a fourth month, necessarily can be referred only to the following year, 522/21; and since the "accession year" under ordinary circumstances undoubtedly precedes the first official year of a king,3 Professor Olmstead's conclusion that the official "first year" of Barzia represents the