Cyrus the Great

(Cyrus II of Persia)

558–529 BC

CYRUS THE GREAT

Cyrus was the founder of the Great Persian Empire. He is a character of great importance in history, and a detailed history of his somewhat extraordinary birth and upbringing are given by both Herodotus and Xenophon. Although later Persian emperors were not known for their magnanimity, Cyrus has a relatively good reputation as a just and merciful monarch. He is credited by the Jews with overthrowing the much harsher Babylonian Empire, and allowing 40,000 Jewish exiles to return to Judea. There are numerous other examples of his leniency in dealing with conquered peoples.

When Cyrus was born, the Kingdom of Media, just southwest of the Caspian Sea was the dominant kingdom in the region. It's dominions ranged from eastern Asia Minor to the Indus Valley, and Persia, a small kingdom on the Persian Gulf, was part of the Median Empire. The Babylonian Kingdom to the southwest stretched from Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean, and Lydia dominated most of Asia Minor. By the time Cyrus was thirty, he had conquered all of Media, and Lydia, and was in the process of subduing Babylon. By the time of his death, the entire region, from the West Coast of Asia Minor, to the Indus Valley was combined into a Persian Empire, the largest and most powerful empire the world had thus far ever known. The Persian Empire was to last from 550 B.C. until its overthrow by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. .

Key events during the life of Cyrus:

Year	Event
576 BC	The infant Cyrus ordered to be killed by Astyages, but saved by Harpagus.
566 BC	As a young boy Cyrus is revealed to be the grandson of Astyages.
558 BC	Is raised to the throne of his father's kindom of Anshan.
554 BC	Harpagus plans to help Cyrus overthrow Astyages. Plans Persian Revolt.
550 BC	Armies of Cyrus capture Ecbatana, and conquer Media.
546 BC	Cyrus conquers Lydia; Croesus becomes one of his chief ministers.
544 BC	Cyrus conquers Babylon
536 BC	The Jews are freed to return to Judea. The Temple is rebuilt.
530 BC	Cyrus campains in Scythia.
529 BC	Cyrus is killed while trying to subdue the Massagetae.

Book Links
Cyrus the Great  by  Jacob Abbott

Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
Young Cupbearer  in	Fifty Famous People  by  James Baldwin
Boy and the Robbers  in	Fifty Famous People  by  James Baldwin
Birth and Bringing Up of Cyrus  in	Stories of the East From Herodotus  by  Alfred J. Church
Cyrus the Great  in	Back Matter  by  books/horne/soldiers/_back.html
Cloud in the East  in	On the Shores of the Great Sea  by  M. B. Synge

Image Links
The Exposure of the Infant.  in Cyrus the Great	Cyrus's Hunting.  in Cyrus the Great	Cyrus and his grandfather Astyges  in Fifty Famous People
Otanes and the robber  in Fifty Famous People	Cyrus Restoring the Sacred Vessels  in Greatest Nations - Greece	Cyrus the Great  in Back Matter

Contemporary	Short Biography
Astyages	King of Medes, who was overthrown by his grandson Cyrus the Great.
Mandane	Mother of Cyrus, married to king of Persia. Daughter of Astyges, King of Medes.
Harpagus	Minister of Astyages who betrayed him in favor of Cyrus.
Croesus	Wealthy monarch of Lydia who lost his kingdom to Cyrus the Great.
Tomyris	Queen of the Scythians. Her army defeated and killed Cyrus the Great.
Amasis II	Second to last king of Egypt, died before Egypt was overrun by Cambyses.
Cambyses	Eldest son of Cyrus. Invaded Egypt, killed brother, then died.