9 abr 485 ano antes da era comum - Mars in Center of Cancer, Babylonian Revolts

Descrição:

Queen Esther wife of Xerxes Chronological, Historical and Archaeological Evidence by Gerard Gertoux

Herodotus explains the origin of these rebellions by describing the context that followed the defeat of Marathon (490 BCE) that King Darius wanted to avenge. As these war preparations were requiring huge resources in men (more troops) and money (more tax), this created a climate of insurrection especially from the Babylonian aristocracy which preferred to do business with the Greeks, not war.

The transition of power after the death of Darius experienced the same problems. Herodotus explains that there was a climate of insurrection in the Persian Empire from the Battle of Marathon (in 490 BCE),

Greek historians describing the succession Darius/ Xerxes all indicate that some Babylonian revolts occurred just after the death of Darius, not 2 years later. In addition, that chronology sounds logical because revolts usually occur just after the death of a king when some pretenders to the throne contest the succession, which was the case for Xerxes. An astronomical fragment (JCS 1, 350 n°2) enables the dating of these Babylonian revolts. Although the data are fragmentary they describe a revolt, clearly dated 05/IV/[?] during Xerxes’ reign (line 3 of the tablet) in perfect agreement with Bel-šimânni’s tablet (BM 87357). The astronomical fragment reads54:
3. [...]themonthofTammuz(IV),the5thday[...]
4. [...]toBabylonwent[...]
5. [...]thetroopsofElam[...]
6. [...thereg]ionofMarswhichto[...]
7. [...M]arsintoCancerente[red...]
8. [... fle]d and into the river jumped and [...]
9. [...to]Borsippawent,destroyedthecity[...]
The historical notices appear to be related to a conflict between Babylon and Elam
(Media and Persia). Line 4 indicates that the troops, and/or others, went to Babylon. Line 5 mentions the troops of Elam, and line 8 apparently refers to a military defeat (Here someones flees and then jumps into a river, a parallel is to be found in the annals of Assurbasirpal). In line 9 a group of people go to Borsippa. Lines 6-7 date these events to a year when the planet Mars is in the vicinity of Cancer during the month of Tammuz (IV). Observations of Mars in this context may be more than coincidental since the planet Mars is not only the planet of Nergal, the Babylonian god of war, but is also often associated with Elam in astrology. The fragment refers to an astronomical omen rather than belonging to an astronomical diary for two reasons: 1) most information comes from a chronicle rather than an astronomical record (in which historical events are rare); 2) given that the constellation of Cancer covers 20° of the sky55 it needs 20 days to be crossed by a planet, which prevents one from making an observation dated to a specific day. For practical reasons, Mars was entering visually in a constellation when it was crossing its centre.

An astronomical simulation56 indicates (see below) that Mars was in the centre of the constellation of Cancer around 9 April -484* (485 BCE), that matched to Nisan (1st month of the Babylonian year), and again57 6 March -467* (468 BCE). Presumably after the death of Darius, Babylonian priests, given the dissatisfaction with Babylon and this omen early in the reign of Xerxes (year 11), predicted wars, which happened soon after.

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