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Cyrus the Great

Cyrus II of Persia (Old Persian: 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 Kūruš; c. 600–530 BC),[b] commonly known as Cyrus the Great,[6] was the founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.[7] Hailing from Persis, he brought the Achaemenid dynasty to power by defeating the Median Empire and embracing all of the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East,[7] expanding vastly and eventually conquering most of West Asia and much of Central Asia to create what would soon become the largest polity in human history at the time.[7] The Achaemenid Empire's largest territorial extent was achieved under Darius the Great, whose rule stretched from the Balkans (Eastern BulgariaPaeonia and ThraceMacedonia) and the rest of Southeast Europe in the west to the Indus Valley in the east.

Cyrus the Great
𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁

550–530 BC

Empire established

559–530 BC

Cambyses II

549–530 BC

Cambyses II

547–530 BC

Cambyses II

539–530 BC

Cambyses II

c. 600 BC[4]
Anshan, Persis (present-day Fars Province, Iran)

4 December 530 BC[5] (aged 70)
Pasargadae, Persis

After conquering the Median empire, Cyrus led the Achaemenids to conquer the Lydian Empire and eventually the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He also led an expedition into Central Asia, which resulted in major military campaigns that were described as having brought "into subjection every nation without exception";[8] Cyrus allegedly died in battle with the Massagetae, a nomadic Eastern Iranian tribal confederation, along the Syr Darya in December 530 BC.[9][c] However, Xenophon of Athens claimed that Cyrus did not die fighting and had instead returned to the city of Pasargadae, which served as the Achaemenid ceremonial capital.[10] He was succeeded by his son Cambyses II, whose campaigns into North Africa led to the conquests of Egypt, Nubia, and Cyrenaica during his short rule.


To the Greeks, he was known as Cyrus the Elder (Greek: Κῦρος ὁ Πρεσβύτερος Kŷros ho Presbýteros). Cyrus was particularly renowned among contemporary scholars because of his habitual policy of respecting peoples' customs and religions in the lands that he conquered.[11] He was influential in developing the system of a central administration at Pasargadae to govern the Achaemenid Empire's border satraps, which worked for the profit of both rulers and subjects.[7][12] Following the Achaemenid conquest of Babylon, Cyrus issued the Edict of Restoration, in which he authorized and encouraged the return of the Jewish people to what had been the Kingdom of Judah, officially ending the Babylonian captivity. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and left a lasting legacy on Judaism due to his role in facilitating the return to Zion, a migratory event in which the Jews returned to the Land of Israel following Cyrus' establishment of Yehud Medinata and subsequently rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. According to Chapter 45:1 of the Book of Isaiah,[13] Cyrus was anointed by the Jewish God for this task as a biblical messiah; he is the only non-Jewish figure to be revered in this capacity.[14]


In addition to his influence on the traditions of both the Eastern world and the Western world, Cyrus is also recognized for his achievements in human rights, politics, and military strategy. The Achaemenid Empire's prestige in the ancient world would eventually extend as far west as Athens, where upper-class Greeks adopted aspects of the culture of the ruling Persian class as their own.[15] As the founder of the first Persian empire, Cyrus played a crucial role in defining the national identity of the Iranian nation; the Achaemenid Empire was instrumental in spreading the ideals of Zoroastrianism as far east as China.[16][17][18] He remains a cult figure in Iran, with the Tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae serving as a spot of reverence for millions of the country's citizens.[19]

Titles[edit]

His regal titles in full were The Great King, King of Persia, King of Anshan, King of Media, King of Babylon, King of Sumer and Akkad, and King of the Four Corners of the World. The Nabonidus Chronicle notes the change in his title from "King of Anshan" to "King of Persia". Assyriologist François Vallat wrote that "When Astyages marched against Cyrus, Cyrus is called 'King of Anshan", but when Cyrus crosses the Tigris on his way to Lydia, he is 'King of Persia.' The coup therefore took place between these two events."[159]

2016 Cyrus the Great Revolt

Kay Bahman

List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources

List of people known as the Great

Archived 22 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine Full Babylonian text of the Cyrus Cylinder as it was known in 2001; translation; brief introduction

Cyrus Cylinder

Xenophon, Cyropaedia: the education of Cyrus, translated by Henry Graham Dakyns and revised by F.M. Stawell, .

Project Gutenberg