Berossus & Manetho · a new plain-English translation from the original language
F5. These things Berossus told in his first book; in the second he reviewed the kings one by one. [As he himself says, Nabonassaros was king at that time — words which make no sense in this place.] He piles up the kings' names with care, yet recites no particular deed of any of them, perhaps because he judged nothing worth recording. From him, then, one can draw out only the sequence of kings. He begins the account in this fashion, as Apollodorus says: that the first to arise as king was Aloros, a Chaldean from the city of Babylon, and that he held the kingship ten saroi. Now he makes the saros amount to three thousand six hundred years; he adds also a certain neros and sossos — the neros, he says, consists of six hundred years, the sossos of sixty. Thus he counts the years after the manner of the ancients. Having said this he continues, and lists the kings of the Assyrians one by one and in order: ten, that is, from Aloros the first king down to Xisouthros, under whom, he says, occurred that first great flood which Moses also records. The sum of the times these kings reigned he gives as one hundred and twenty saroi — that is, four hundred and thirty-two thousand years. And then he writes expressly as follows: On the death of Aloros, his son Alaparos reigned three saroi. After Alaparos, Almelon (in Greek, Amelon), a Chaldean from the city of the Pantibiblians, thirteen saroi. Almelon was succeeded by Ammenon, likewise a Chaldean of the Pantibiblians, twelve saroi. In his age a certain beast named Idotion (Annedotos in Syncellus) came up out of the Red Sea, its shape a mixture of man and fish. Next Amegalaros of the Pantibiblians reigned eighteen saroi; then the shepherd Davonus of the Pantibiblians, who likewise held the kingship ten saroi. In his reign there again came up from the Red Sea four monsters of the same figure, man and fish together. Afterward Edoranchus of the Pantibiblians reigned eighteen saroi. In his time there likewise appeared out of the Red Sea another creature of fish-and-man kind, named Odakon. All these, he says, expounded with precision what Oannes had stated in summary. Then Amemphsinos, a Chaldean of Larancha, ruled ten saroi. Then Otiartes, a Chaldean of Larancha, held the kingdom eight saroi. At last, Otiartes having died, his son Xisouthros held the rule eighteen saroi, and under him the great flood came. So the sum is made up: ten kings, one hundred and twenty saroi. And this is the sequence of the kings: I. Aloros, 10 saroi. II. Alaparos, 3. III. Almelon, 13. IV. Ammenon, 12. V. Amegalaros, 18. VI. Davonus, 10. VII. Edoranchus, 18. VIII. Amemphsinos, 10. IX. Otiartes, 8. X. Xisouthros, 18. Total: ten kings, one hundred and twenty saroi. From these one hundred and twenty saroi, they say, are made up four hundred and thirty-two thousand years, since the saros consists of three thousand six hundred. These things are told in the books of Alexander Polyhistor.
F9. It has pleased me to begin my narrative from my beloved Sibyl of Berossus, more truthful than the rest, who says this: 'Before the tower, and before the speech of humankind was made manifold and various — but after Xisouthros's voyage to Armenia — Zerovanus, Titan, and Japetosthes held the chief power of the earth. (These seem to me to be Shem, Ham, and Japheth.) When they had divided the rule of the whole world among themselves, Zerovanus — whom this writer says was Zoroaster the Magus, king of the Bactrians, founder of the Medes and father of the gods, about whom he tells many other fables foreign to our present purpose — kindled with pride, wished to be master over the other two. Titan and Japetosthes resisted Zerovanus as he pressed his force upon them, and made war against him, because he was planning to set his own sons as kings over all. In that struggle Titan seized a certain part of Zerovanus's hereditary territory. Then their sister Astlicia, interposing herself, calmed the tumult by her charms, and it was agreed among them that Zerovanus should hold the rule. But they bound themselves by oath to kill thereafter every male offspring of Zerovanus, so that no descendant of his should reign over them; and to this task they appointed certain strong men of the Titans to watch the women in childbirth. When these had killed two, in keeping with the sworn pact, the sister Astlicia took counsel with the wives of Zerovanus to persuade some of the Titans to save the remaining boys and carry them off to the East, to a certain mountain they called the Meeting-place of the Gods, which is now called Olympus.'
F11. To the foregoing the same Polyhistor adds this: 'After the flood, Evexius (Euechoos in Syncellus) ruled the land of the Chaldeans four neroi; then the rule was taken up by his son Chomasbelos, four neroi and five sossoi.' From Xisouthros and the flood until the Medes seized Babylon, Polyhistor counts in all eighty-six kings, and reviews each by name from the book of Berossus; their ages all together he makes thirty-three thousand and ninety-one years. After these, who had held the kingship in unbroken succession, he says the Medes suddenly gathered forces, took Babylon, and set up tyrants of their own there. He then sets out the names of eight Median tyrants, with their two hundred and twenty-four years; then again eleven kings and forty-eight years [supplied from the margin; a gap in the manuscript]; then forty-nine Chaldean kings, four hundred and fifty-eight years; after that nine Arab kings, two hundred and forty-five years. Having written out the reckoning of these years, he tells also of Semiramis, who ruled the Assyrians. Then again he enumerates quite distinctly the names of forty-five kings, assigning them five hundred and twenty-six years. After these, he says, there was a king of the Chaldeans whose name was Phulus — whom the history of the Hebrews also records, likewise calling him Phulus, and who is said to have invaded Judea. Then Polyhistor says Senecherib became king — whom the books of the Hebrews report as reigning in the time of king Hezekiah and the prophecy of Isaiah. The divine book says expressly (2 Kings 18:13): 'In the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Senecherib came up against the fortified cities of Judah and took them.' And when that history is completed, it adds: 'And Asordanes his son reigned in his place' (19:37). Continuing again, it says Hezekiah fell sick in that season (20:7), and then in order that at the same time Marudach Baldanes, king of the Babylonians, sent envoys with letters and gifts to Hezekiah (20:12). So the scriptures of the Hebrews. And indeed the historian of the Chaldeans too records Senecherib, with his son Asordanes and with Marudach Baldanes — and with them Nabuchodonosor as well, as will presently be told. And he writes of them in this fashion (see fragment 12).
F12. From the same Alexander, on Senecherib and Nabuchodonosor, their deeds and vigorous exploits. After the brother of Senecherib ended his reign, and after the domination of Hagises over the Babylonians — who, before he had completed his thirtieth day, was slain by Marudach Baldanes — Marudach Baldanes himself seized the tyranny for six months, until a man named Elibus removed him and took the kingship. In the third year of Elibus's reign, Senecherib king of the Assyrians was gathering his forces against the Babylonians; battle was joined, he came off the victor, and he ordered Elibus with his household to be carried off into Assyria. Master now of the Babylonians, he set his own son Asordanes over them as king, and himself hastened his return to Assyria. Soon, when a report reached his ears that the Greeks had gathered forces and carried war into Cilicia, he marched against them at once; battle was joined, and though he lost many of his own men, he routed the enemy nonetheless; and as a monument of the victory he left his own image erected on the spot, ordering the deeds he had done to be carved on it in Chaldean letters for the everlasting memory of the times. He also says Senecherib built the city of Tarsus on the model of Babylon, and gave it the name Tharsin. And having written out the rest of Senecherib's deeds, he adds that he lived reigning eighteen years, until he was destroyed by a plot laid against him by his son Ardunuzanes. Thus Polyhistor. Now the times agree with the narrative of the divine books: for under Hezekiah, Senecherib reigned, as Polyhistor indicates, eighteen years; after him his son eight years; then Sammughes twenty-one years, and his brother likewise twenty-one; then Nabupalassaros twenty years; finally Nabucodrossoros forty-three years — so that from Senecherib to Nabucodrossoros eighty-eight years run out. And if anyone searches the books of the Hebrews, he will find the like: for after Hezekiah, Manasseh son of Hezekiah rules the remaining Jews fifty-five years, then Amos twelve years, then Josiah thirty-one, then Joachim, at the beginning of whose reign Nabuchodonosor came upon Jerusalem to seize it and carried the Jews captive to Babylon — and from Hezekiah to Nabuchodonosor there run eighty-eight years, exactly as Polyhistor reckoned from the Chaldean history. 3. All this concluded, Polyhistor goes on again to set out several further deeds of Senecherib, and writes of his son in just the same manner as the books of the Hebrews, expounding everything with great care. Pythagoras the sage is said to have lived in that season, under these kings. Now after Sammughes, Sardanapallus ruled the Chaldeans twenty-one years. He sent auxiliary forces to Asdahages (Astyages), chief and satrap of the Median nation — namely, so that Amuhia, one of the daughters of Asdahages, might be betrothed to his son Nabucodrossoros. Then Nabucodrossoros ruled forty-three years; he gathered an army and, making his onslaught, reduced the Jews, the Phoenicians, and the Syrians to servitude. There is no need for me to confirm at length that Polyhistor agrees here too with the Hebrew history. After Nabucodrossoros his son Amilmarudochus reigned twelve (properly: two) years — whom the letters of the Hebrews call Ilmarudochus. Next, Polyhistor says, Neglisaros ruled the Chaldeans four years, then Nabonedus seventeen. In that king's reign Cyrus son of Cambyses invaded the Babylonian territory with his forces; Nabonedus joined battle with him, was beaten, and took to flight. Cyrus reigned at Babylon nine years, until he perished in another battle joined on the plain of the Dahae. Then Cambyses held the rule eight years, then Darius thirty-six, then Xerxes and the rest of the kings of the Persians. As Berossus treats the kingdom of the Chaldeans briefly and distinctly, so exactly speaks Polyhistor also: from which it is plain that Nabuchodonosor took the Jews by force of arms; and from him to Cyrus king of the Persians seventy years are made up. — The last part of the fragment belongs to the third book.