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LocalandImperialDatesattheBeginningoftheHellenisticPeriod
13
First,let,shavealookattheBabyloniancuneiformdocumentationduringAlexander,s
lifetime.IthasbeenknownforalongtimethattheBabyloniansreplacedDarius,IIIregnal
yearsinthedatingformulasofthecuneiformtabletsbytheregnalyearsofAlexanderthe
GreatincombinationwiththetraditionalBabyloniancalendar.ThefirsttostudyAlexan-
der,sreignonthebasisofthecuneiformdocumentationwasOppert(1898).Heconcluded
onthebasisoffourtabletspreservedintheBritishMuseumthattheBabyloniansstarted
AlexIII.01ontheNewYear,sdayfollowingAlexander,sconquestofBabylonia(orspring
330BC;Oppert1898:418andn.1).SinceAlexanderdiedinJune323BCAlexIII.08should
havestoppedaftertwomonths,butbecausealatermonthismentionedinoneofthetexts
fromBritishMuseumtabletsstudiedbyOppert,onetextdatesbyAlexIII.09andthelast
oneevenmentionsAlexIII.10,OppertpresumedthattheBabyloniansdatedposthumously
byAlexandertheGreatandhecallsthisyear-countingsystemanAlexanderera.Inthe
meantimeseveralothertabletsdatedtoAlexandertheGreathavebeenidentifiedandwe
nowknowforcertainthatnotonlyAlexIII.09–10wasused,butalsoAlexIII.11,AlexIII.12
andAlexIII.13appearinthedatingformulasofcuneiformdocuments.Ontheotherhand,
althoughthedocumentationfromthereignofAlexanderhasincreasedalotsinceOppert,s
contributionin1898,notasingletextfromtheperiodAlexIII.01–06hasbeenfounduntil
now,whereastheyearsAlexIII.07–13areallrepresentedbyatleastonetextforeverysingle
year(seeBoiy2007b:24)andtheverybeginningofAlexander,sreigninBabyloniaisat-
testedwiththeso-calledAccessionYear.13ThecompleteabsenceofAlexIII.01–06means
thataccordingtoOppert,stheorythereisalmostnocuneiformtabletfromAlexander,s
lifetimementioningAlexanderinthedateformulaandpracticallyalltextsaretobesituated
afterAlexander,sdeathwhentheBabyloniansdatedaccordingtoOppertwithanAlexander
era.ThesolutiontothisproblemwasfurnishedbyAD566(=LBAT1397),anastronomical
cuneiformtabletfocusingonobservationsoftheplanetJupiterfromArtII.43untilAlexIII.12
sinceeverysingleyearfrom362/361BCuntil324/323BCwasmentionedinAD566inthe
sameyear-countingsystemastheoneusedinthecontemporaryadministrativeandlegal
documents.Luckily,thepassagethatdealswiththeyearswhenthetransitionfromthelast
AchaemenidrulertoAlexandertheGreattookplaceiscompletelypreserved;inAD566:
V16–25itisclearthatDarIII.05wasnotfollowedbyAlexIII.01,butAlexIII.07.AlexIII.01
wastherefore336/335BCorAlexander,sfirstregnalyearinMacedonia.Thismeansthat
alsoinBabyloniaAlexander,sMacedonianregnalyearswereusedandthatAlexIII.01–06
arenotattestedbecausetheysimplyneverexistedinBabylonia.14
Thestoryoftheresearchtotheyear-countingsystemduringAlexander,slifetimein
LydianinscriptionsisparalleltothatoftheBabylonianevidence.TwoLydianinscriptions
(LW3and50)mentionAlexanderincombinationwiththeyearnumbers5(LW3)and12
(LW50).Haussoulier(1924:71),theoriginaleditorofLW50,referredtoOppert,stheory
fortheBabyloniansourcesandinanalogytoithedatedLW3to330/329BCandLW50
to323/322BC.ThismeansthattheLydiansstartedwithAlexIII.01in334/333BCafter
AlexanderdefeatedthePersianarmyattheGranikosandconqueredLydiaimmediatelyaf-
13ThelastdaysormonthsofthelastyearofadeadkingwereindicatedastheAccessionYear(šanat
rēššarrūti)ofthenewking.Itwasnotuntilthenextnewyearthatthenewking,sfirstyearstarted.
14TheperiodfromOctober331untilApril330BCcouldhavebeendatedAlexIII.06,butapparently
theBabylonianspreferredtousethetraditionalsystemofAccessionYearwhenanewkingascendedtothe
throne.FromthefollowingNewYear,sdayonwardstheMacedonianregnalyearswereused.
IthasalsobeenarguedinthepastthattwodatingsystemswereinuseduringAlexander,slifetime(one
byhisBabylonianyearsandanotherbyhisMacedonianyears,seeParker/Dubberstein1956:19).
