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# Cyrus the Great

# Cyrus the Great

## Overview
Cyrus II of Persia (~600–530 BCE), known as Cyrus the Great, founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire and is celebrated for his tolerance toward conquered peoples. @t[600 BCE..530 BCE]

## Key Facts
- Born: ~600 BCE, Anshan (modern Iran) @t[~600 BCE]
- Died: ~530 BCE (in battle against the Massagetae) @t[~530 BCE]
- Reign: ~559–530 BCE @t[559 BCE..530 BCE]
- Title: King of Kings, King of Anshan, King of Persia, King of Babylon

## Conquests
- Defeated the Medes under Astyages (~550 BCE) @t[~550 BCE]
- Conquered Lydia and captured Croesus (~547 BCE) @t[~547 BCE]
- Conquered Babylon (539 BCE) — reportedly entered without a battle @t[=539 BCE] [^1]
- Freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity, allowing return to Jerusalem

## Legacy
- Cyrus Cylinder: Clay cylinder declaring his policies of tolerance and restoration [^2]
- Respected by Greeks (Xenophon's *Cyropaedia*), Jews (called "messiah" in Isaiah 45:1), and Persians
- Tomb at Pasargadae still stands
- Founded the largest empire the world had yet seen

---
[^1]: Kuhrt, A. *The Persian Empire* (Routledge, 2007)
[^2]: British Museum, "The Cyrus Cylinder" (BM 90920)
---

## Review Queue

<!-- factbase:review -->
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Born: ~600 BCE, Anshan (modern Iran)" - when was this true?
> 600 BCE event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Died: ~530 BCE (in battle against the Massagetae)" - when was this true?
> 530 BCE event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Reign: ~559–530 BCE" - when was this true?
> 530 BCE event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Title: King of Kings, King of Anshan, King of Persia, King of Babylon" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 16: "Defeated the Medes under Astyages (~550 BCE)" - when was this true?
> 550 BCE event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Conquered Lydia and captured Croesus (~547 BCE)" - when was this true?
> 547 BCE event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Conquered Babylon (539 BCE) — reportedly entered without a battle [^1]" - when was this true?
> 539 BCE event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity, allowing return to Jerusalem" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 22: "Cyrus Cylinder: Clay cylinder declaring his policies of tolerance and restora..." - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Respected by Greeks (Xenophon's *Cyropaedia*), Jews (called "messiah" in Isai..." - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Tomb at Pasargadae still stands" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Founded the largest empire the world had yet seen" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Kuhrt (2007) [^1]; British Museum [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Born: ~600 BCE, Anshan (modern Iran)" - what is the source?
> Kuhrt (2007) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Died: ~530 BCE (in battle against the Massagetae)" - what is the source?
> Kuhrt (2007) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Reign: ~559–530 BCE" - what is the source?
> Kuhrt (2007) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Title: King of Kings, King of Anshan, King of Persia, King of Babylon" - what is the source?
> British Museum Cyrus Cylinder [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 16: "Defeated the Medes under Astyages (~550 BCE)" - what is the source?
> Kuhrt (2007) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "Conquered Lydia and captured Croesus (~547 BCE)" - what is the source?
> Kuhrt (2007) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity, allowing return to Jerusalem" - what is the source?
> British Museum Cyrus Cylinder [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "Respected by Greeks (Xenophon's *Cyropaedia*), Jews (called "messiah" in Isai..." - what is the source?
> Kuhrt (2007) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Tomb at Pasargadae still stands" - what is the source?
> Kuhrt (2007) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 25: "Founded the largest empire the world had yet seen" - what is the source?
> Kuhrt (2007) [^1]
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 18: "Conquered Babylon (539 BCE) — reportedly entered without a battle [^1]" - Kuhrt source from 2007 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Established scholarship remains current.