Cyrus the Great
Founder of Persian Empire Liberator of the Jews
Cyrus the First, the Great, whose rule began sometime between 557 and 559BC, was the founder of the Persian Empire, which became the foundation of Alexander the Great's empire two hundred years later. It included the kingdoms of Persia, Lydia, Media and the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He is mentioned in the Bible as the liberator of the Jews from captivity.
Cyrus was probably born around 575BC. What we know about his background is pretty sketchy. He may have been one of a long line of kings, or the founder of his line.
Herodotus (Book 1:108-117) gives a long account of the circumstances of his birth. He was the son of the king of Media's daughter, Mandana and a Persian, Cambyses. The Median king, Astyages, felt threatened by the child, who was prophesied to overthrow him, so he attempted to have him murdered. But in a classic tale of the helpless innocent melting the hard heart (a la Snow White), the infant Cyrus was allowed to live and brought up as by the servant who had been ordered to kill him, replacing his stillborn son. Cyrus later discovered his true identity and went on to overthrow his grandfather, Astyages.
Other sources indicate that Cyrus was from the Achaemenid dynasty, who had ruled the small kingdom of Persis for generations. While the first version sounds suspiciously like a fairy tale, the second one is largely based on inscriptions by Darius I, who claimed to be from another branch of the same family. Given that Darius also faked inscriptions 'by Cyrus' about the Achaemenid dynasty at Cyrus' palace, Pasargadae, and that he seized power by force, it seems likely that Darius either distorted or totally made up the history of the Achaemenids to give himself a legitimate claim to the throne he had snatched.
Either way, what we do know is that the fall of the Assyrian Empire (c.612 BC) had left the Near East as a number of small, independent kingdoms, such as Lydia (kingdom of the famously rich Croesus), Sardis and Media, as well as the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which had taken over the remains of the Assyrian Empire. The region was largely stable, but the small kingdom of Anshan (part of Persia) was subject to the Medes. In about 550BC Cyrus, who had recently become king of Anshan, went to war against Medea. Over the following ten years he conquered not only Media, but also neighbouring Lydia, Sardis and the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He ended up ruling all of central Asia – the Persian Empire.
Cyrus is also important in Jewish history because of his liberal religious policies. In 587BC Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, had attacked Jerusalem, destroyed the temple and taken a large number of Hebrew citizens into slavery in Babylonia (2 Chronicles 36.17-23). Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Israel, ordered them to rebuild the temple, and even gave them back the temple treasure which had been stolen (Ezra 1.1-11). Cyrus, like Alexander the Great who eventually took over the Persian Empire, seems to have had a policy of keeping all gods sweet, just in case.
Cyrus built a beautiful palace at Pasargadae, with extensive gardens, and it is here that he is buried in a tomb (see photo) inscribed with the words,
“O man, I am Cyrus son of Cambyses, who founded the empire of Persia and ruled over Asia. Do not grudge me my monument.” (Arrian Anabasis 6.29)
He died in 530BC and was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II.
Sources: The Oxford Classical Dictionary (3rd Edition); Shadows in the Desert, P K Farrockh, Osprey, 1998
The tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae
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