In this study, still frequently referenced, linguist O. E. Hagen explores the cuneiform sources for the reign of Cyrus the Great. Principal among these is the now famous Cyrus Cylinder, for which this is now considered a primary early source. A transcription and translation of the cylinder are presented. Also treated are the Backstein Inscription of Cyrus and the Nabonidus Chronicle. Following the texts, a considerable commentary on these documents concerning the Persian Period is given. Added to all of this there is an afterword by Friedrich Delitzsch on the material presented by Hagen, along with line drawings of supplemental material for the Nabonidus Chronicle that had been unavailable to the author at the time of submission. Still considered an important resource for the early understanding of these important documents, Hagen’s study has retained its value over the years.

Ole Eriksson Hagen (1854-1927) studied at the University of Wisconsin before earning a Ph.D. at the University of Leipzig. He taught at the University of South Dakota for ten years before resuming a life of farming.