Who was Cyrus the Great?
Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 6th century BC, creating the largest empire the world had yet seen. He is remembered for his tolerance toward conquered peoples.
Cyrus II became king of Anshan, in present-day Iran, around 559 BC. He conquered the Median Empire, then the wealthy kingdom of Lydia, ruled by King Croesus, and in 539 BC the city of Babylon. His empire stretched from the Mediterranean to Central Asia.
Unlike many conquerors, Cyrus allowed peoples to keep their customs and religions. After taking Babylon, he allowed Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple, and he is praised in the Hebrew Bible. A clay cylinder, the Cyrus Cylinder, records his policies and is held in the British Museum.
His legacy
Cyrus died around 530 BC, possibly in battle in Central Asia. His tomb still stands at Pasargadae in Iran. Later Persian rulers, like Darius the Great, expanded the empire further. Greek writers such as Xenophon admired Cyrus as a model ruler.
Did You Know?
A replica of the Cyrus Cylinder is displayed at the United Nations headquarters in New York.