Nitocris of Babylon facts for kids
Nitocris of Babylon (c. 550 BC) is an otherwise unknown queen of Babylon described by Herodotus in his Histories. According to Herodotus she was the wife of Nabonidus (Gr. Labynetus) against whose son Cyrus the Great launched an expedition. Dougherty and Beaulieu identify the son as Belshazzar. 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.
According to Histories of Herodotus, Among sovereigns of Babylon two were women, Semiramis and Nitocris. 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.
In the past, various hypotheses have been proposed to link her with one or several known persons:
- Naqi'a, wife of Sanherib, known for building activities
- Adad-happe, the historical mother of Nabonidus, last king of Babylon
- an otherwise unknown wife of Nebuchadnezzar II or a daughter of his. The latter view is the most commonly accepted.
See also
In Spanish: Nitocris de Babilonia para niños
