Shamash-eriba

Shamash-eriba (Akkadian: Šamaš-eriba) was a Babylonian rebel leader, leading a revolt against the Achaemenid Empire in 482–481 BC. Shamash-eriba rebelled against the Persian king Xerxes I in the summer of 482 BC[1][2], proclaiming himself King of Babylon and King of the Lands.[3]

Shamash-eriba succeeded in taking control of Babylon itself, and other prominent cities such as Borsippa and Dilbat. A previous Babylonian revolt against Xerxes by the rebel leader Bel-shimanni had been defeated relatively quickly, but the Persian response to Shamash-eriba's insurrection was slow. Although he was eventually defeated, the siege of Babylon lasted for months, ending in March 481 BC.[1]

Although no concrete evidence exists of retribution against the city after it was successfully retaken[4], classical sources suggest that Babylon was punished severely for the revolt. Its fortifications were destroyed and its temples were damaged as Xerxes ravaged the city. It is possible that the statue of Marduk, which represented the physical manifestation of Babylon's patron deity Marduk, was removed by Xerxes from Babylon's main temple, the Esagila, at this time.[1]