Contents
Cyrus the Great
The founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire who conquered Babylon in 539 BCE.
Cyrus Cylinder · Pasargadae
- Born
- Unknown
- Birthplace
- Iran
- Died
- 530 BCE
More people
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great united and expanded Persian power across much of the ancient Near East. Accounts of his life mix contemporary inscriptions with later Greek and biblical traditions.
Early life
Persis
Came from the ruling house of Anshan in southwestern Iran.
Early history
Many stories of his childhood belong to later legend.
Career
- Around 550 BCE
Median conquest
Defeated Astyages and absorbed Median power.
- 540s BCE
Western expansion
Conquered Lydia and extended Persian control into Anatolia.
- 539 BCE
Babylon
Took the city and its empire.
Reign & legacy
Cyrus Cylinder
An inscription presents his rule in Babylonian royal terms.
Pasargadae
Established a royal centre in Persia.
Imperial foundations
Created the base for the later Achaemenid Empire.
Beyond work
Historical memory
Greek and biblical texts remember him in different, often admiring ways.
Death
Accounts of how he died conflict; no single narrative is certain.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Career and work — metmuseum.org ↗Photo: Ancient relief traditionally associated with Cyrus; Surenae. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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