# 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. ## Key Facts - Born: ~600 BCE, Anshan (modern Iran) - Died: ~530 BCE (in battle against the Massagetae) - Reign: ~559–530 BCE - Title: King of Kings, King of Anshan, King of Persia, King of Babylon ## Conquests - Defeated the Medes under Astyages (~550 BCE) - Conquered Lydia and captured Croesus (~547 BCE) - Conquered Babylon (539 BCE) — reportedly entered without a battle [^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 - [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.