Canon of Kings
The
Canon of Kings was a dated list of kings used by ancient
astronomers as a convenient means to date astronomical phenomena, such as
eclipses. The Canon was preserved by the astronomer
Claudius Ptolemy, and is thus sometimes's called
Ptolemy's Canon. It is one of the most important bases for our knowledge of ancient
chronology.
The Canon derives originally from
Babylonian sources. Thus, it lists Kings of Babylon from
747 BC until the fall of Babylon to the Persians in
539 BC, and then Persian kings from
538 to
332 BC. At this point, the Canon was taken up by Greek astronomers in
Alexandria, and lists the
Macedonian kings from
331 to
305 BC, the
Ptolemies from
304 BC to
30 BC, and the
Roman Emperors from
29 BC to
160 AD.
The Canon only deals in whole years. Thus, monarchs who reigned for less than one year are not listed, and only one monarch is listed in any year with multiple monarchs. Usually, the overlapping year is given to the monarch who died in that year, but not always. Note that both periods where no king is listed represent times when
Sennacherib, King of
Assyria, held effective control over Babylon. His name is not listed because of the hatred the Babylonians held for him due to his destruction of the city in
689 BC.
The Canon is generally considered by historians to be extremely accurate. The dates have been confirmed to be essentially accurate whenever they are checked against independent sources. Thus, the vast majority of historians and archaeologists view Babylonian chronology back to
747 BC as settled.
*
Nabonassar (
Nabonassáros):
747-
734 BC*
Nabu-nadin-zer (
Nadíos):
733-
732 BC*
Nabu-mukin-zeri (
Khinzêr) and
Pulu (
Póros):
731-
727 BC*
Ululas (
Iloulaíos):
726-
722 BC*
Marduk-apla-iddina II (
Mardokempádos):
721-
710 BC*
Sargon II (
Arkeanós):
709-
705 BC*no kings:
704-
703 BC*
Bel-ibni (
Bilíbos):
702-
700 BC*
Ashur-nadin-shumi (
Aparanadíos):
699-
694 BC*
Nergal-Ushezib (
Rhegebélos):
693 BC*
Mushezib-Marduk (
Mesêsimordákos):
692-
689 BC*no kings:
688-
681 BC*
Esarhaddon (
Asaradínos):
680-
668 BC*
Shamash-shum-ukin (
Saosdoukhínos):
667-
648 BC*
Kandalanu (
Kinêladános):
647-
626 BC*
Nabopolassar (
Nabopolassáros):
625-
605 BC*
Nebuchadrezzar II (
Nabokolassáros):
604-
562 BC*
Amel-Marduk (
Illoaroudámos):
561-
560 BC*
Neriglissar (
Nêrigasolassáros):
559-
556 BC*
Nabonidus (
Nabonadíos):
555-
539 BC*
Cyrus:
538-
530 BC*
Cambyses:
529-
522 BC*
Darius I:
521-
486 BC*
Xerxes I:
485-
465 BC*
Artaxerxes I:
464-
424 BC*
Darius II:
423-
405 BC*
Artaxerxes II:
404-
359 BC*
Artaxerxes III (
Ochus):
358-
338 BC*
Arses (
Arogus):
337-
336 BC*
Darius III:
335-
332 BC*
Alexander the Great:
331-
324 BC*
Philip III:
323-
317 BC*
Alexander IV:
316-
305 BC*
Ptolemy I Soter (
Ptolemy Lagus):
304-
285 BC*
Ptolemy II Philadelphus (
Philadelphus):
284-
247 BC*
Ptolemy III Euergetes (
Euergetes):
246-
222 BC*
Ptolemy IV Philopator (
Philopator):
221-
205 BC*
Ptolemy V Epiphanes (
Epiphanes):
204-
181 BC*
Ptolemy VI Philometor (
Philometor:
180-
146 BC*
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (
Physcon):
145-
117 BC*
Ptolemy IX Soter II (
Soter):
116-
81 BC*
Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysus (
Auletes):
80-
52 BC*
Cleopatra Thea Philopator (
Cleopatra):
51-
30 BC*
Augustus:
29 BC-
AD 14*
Tiberius:
15-
36*
Gaius:
37-
40*
Claudius:
41-
54*
Nero:
55-
68*
Vespasian:
69-
78*
Titus:
79-
81*
Domitian:
82-
96*
Nerva:
97*
Trajan:
98-
116*
Hadrian:
117-
137*
Aelius Antoninus:
138-
160*
Explanation of Ptolemy's Canon
