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9 years ago ===The Persian conquest of Babylonia===
Different accounts of the fall of Babylon survive. According to the Cyrus Cylinder, the people opened their gates for Cyrus and greeted him as their liberator. [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 40-55 prophesied that the Persians would carry off Babylonian women and cultic statues. [[Herodotus]] said that Cyrus defeated the Babylonians outside their city, after which a [[siege]] began. When this took too long, Cyrus diverted the [[Euphrates]], so that his troops could march into the city through the river bed.<ref>Herodotus, ''[[Histories (Herodotus)|Histories]]'' 1.188-191</ref> [[Xenophon]] had a similar view, but he did not mention the battle.<ref>Xenophon, ''[[Cyropaedia]]'' 7.5.1-36</ref> Finally, [[Berossus]] claimed that Cyrus beat the Babylonian army, but this time, Nabonidus was supposed to have fled to nearby [[Borsippa]]. There he hid, while Cyrus took Babylon and demolished its outer walls. When Cyrus turned towards Borsippa, Nabonidus soon surrendered.<ref>From the ''Babyloniaca'': [[Fragmente der griechischen Historiker]] 680F9a = [[Josephus|Flavius Josephus]], ''[[Against Apion]]'' 1.149-153.</ref>