Cyrus the great biography

Constitution — Thomas Jefferson owned two copies of this text. Eurocentricism has led many to overlook Cyrus' contribution to governance, such as administrative divisions. Representing the Persians as the enemies of the Greeks, from whom all that is classic— democracy in particular—was believed to have been derived, led to an underappreciation of this Persian king's contribution to democratic governance.

Cyrus was exemplary for upholding universal religious freedom ; he is perhaps most widely known for allowing the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. The ancient historians Ctesias and Plutarch noted that Cyrus was named from Kuros, the sun, a concept that has been interpreted as meaning " like the sun, " by noting its relation to the Persian noun for sun, khorsheed, while using -vash as a suffix of likeness.

In the Bible, he is known as simply Koresh. Cyrus the Great was the son of a Persian king named Cambyses I and a Mede princess from the Achaemenid dynasty, which ruled the kingdom of Anshan, in what is now southwestern Iran. The dynasty had been founded by Achaemenes ca. Inscriptions indicate that when the latter died, two of his sons shared the throne as Cyrus I of Anshan and Ariaramnes of Persia.

Cambyses is considered by Herodotus and Ctesias to be of humble origin, but they further note his marriage to Princess Mandane of Media, who was the daughter of Princess Aryenis of Lydia and Astyages, king of the Medes. From their union, Mandane bore only one son, Cyrus II, better known today as Cyrus the Great, whom Cambyses named after the child's grandfather.

According to Ctesias, Cyrus the Great married a daughter of Astyages, which seems unlikely, as his wife would also be his aunt. A possible explanation is that Astyages married again, and his second wife bore him this daughter. Cyrus also had several daughters, of whom Atossa is significant, as she later married Darius the Great and was mother of Xerxes I of Persia.

Little is known of Cyrus' early years, as the sources detailing that part of his life are few in number, and many have been damaged or lost. According to most sources, Cyrus was born in either B. In his Histories, Herodotus gives a detailed description of Cyrus' rise to power according to the best available sources. The story of Cyrus' early life found in the Histories belongs to a genre of legends in which abandoned children of noble birth, such as Oedipus or Romulus and Remus, return to claim their royal positions.

His overlord was his own grandfather, Astyages, who had conquered all Assyrian kingdoms apart from Babylonia. He then ordered his steward Harpagus to kill the infant. Harpagus, morally unable to kill a newborn, summoned a herdsman of the king named Mithridates and ordered him to dispose of the child. Luckily for the young boy, the herdsman took him in and raised him as his own.

When Cyrus was ten years old, Herodotus claims that it was obvious that Cyrus was not a herdsman's son, stating that his behavior was too noble. Astyages interviewed the boy and noticed that they resembled each other. Astyages ordered Harpagus to explain what he had done with the baby, and after confessing that he had not killed the boy, the king forced him to eat his own son.

Astyages was more lenient with Cyrus, and allowed him to return to his biological parents, Cambyses and Mandane. While Herodotus' description may be a legend, it does give insight into the figures surrounding Cyrus the Great's early life. Subsequent to his father's death in B. However, Cyrus was not yet an independent ruler. Like his predecessors before him, Cyrus had to recognize Median overlordship.

Harpagus, seeking vengeance, convinced Cyrus to rally the Persian people, who were then in a state of vassalage to the Medes, to revolt, which occurred between B. Rise and military campaigns [ edit ]. Median Empire [ edit ]. Main article: Medo-Persian conflict. Lydian Empire and Asia Minor [ edit ]. Eastern Campaigns [ edit ]. Further information: Gedrosia.

Neo-Babylonian Empire [ edit ]. Further information: Battle of Opis and Fall of Babylon. Death [ edit ]. Burial [ edit ]. Main article: Tomb of Cyrus. Legacy [ edit ]. Religion and philosophy [ edit ]. Jewish texts [ edit ]. Politics and management [ edit ]. Cyrus Cylinder [ edit ]. Main article: Cyrus Cylinder. Currency denomination [ edit ].

Titles [ edit ]. Family tree [ edit ]. Further information: Achaemenid family tree. Cyrus family tree [ ]. Achaemenes King of Persia. Ruler of Persia [ i ]. Prince imposter Gaumata ruled as Smerdis [ i ]. See also [ edit ]. Notes [ edit ]. Parker and W. Dubberstein, Babylonian Chronology B. References [ edit ]. Cambridge University Press. ISBN Retrieved 10 November IX; see also M.

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Frye does propose remembrance and line of continuity: See A. Kuhrt and H. The Median Empire was the dominant power in the region, though the Persians were closely connected in culture and family ties to the Medians. Shortly after Cyrus rose to the throne, the Median king Astyages attacked Cyrus — worried about his power and influence. However, helped by defections from the Median army including the general Harpagus, Cyrus successfully led the Persians in a rebellion against the Medes and, after a conflict lasting three years, he succeeded in freeing the Persians from their Medes rulers.

When he was victorious, he chose not to kill Astyages and actually married his daughter. However, Cyrus was military successful and took Croseus prisoner. Cyrus gained much wealth from this military victory but claimed he used it judiciously to develop his empire. Collecting boot [is] not an end itself, but only a means for building [an] empire.

Riches would be of little use to us now—except as a means of winning new friends. After the western success, Cyrus turned his attention to the east attacking the Babylonian empire in eastern Iran. At the Battle of Opis in , the Persians defeated the Babylonian army. Before laying siege to the city of Babylon, his army diverted the main river from the city — enabling soldiers to wade through.

Faced with the strength of Cyrus and his army; he was allowed to enter Babylon without any resistance. Babylon was itself a powerful empire having conquered outlying regions, such as Syria and Judea into its empire.

Cyrus the great biography

In Babylon, Cyrus also created the Cyrus Cylinder which is a proclamation praising Cyrus and portraying his regal claims. This victory marked the end of Lydia's independence and its incorporation into the Persian Empire. Cyrus the Great is known for his military prowess and his ability to unite diverse tribes and kingdoms under his rule.

He implemented a policy of religious and cultural tolerance, respecting the customs and beliefs of the conquered peoples. This approach earned him the admiration and loyalty of his subjects, leading to a relatively peaceful and prosperous empire. Cyrus' reign set the foundation for the Achaemenid Empire, which would become one of the largest and most influential empires in history.

His legacy as a benevolent ruler and his respect for human rights are still celebrated today. Cyrus the Great Persian king, reigned - BC.