Even after the Babylonian Empire had been overthrown by the Persian king Cyrus the Great ( 539 ) and the ultimate prize in the eyes of aspiring conquerors .
Cyrus the Great ( 539 ) is the city itself remained an important cultural center .
Even after the Babylonian Empire had been overthrown by the Persian king Cyrus the Great ( 539 ) , the city itself remained an important cultural center , and the ultimate prize in the eyes of aspiring conquerors .