Cyrus the Great (-601 to -530)

Although his father, Cambyses I, died in 551 BC, Cyrus had ruled since 559 BC as viceroy. Together with the defected ruler of the Media empire, Harpagus, Cyrus revolted against king Astyages starting in the summer of 553 BC, with the first war in early 552 BC. Harpagus and Cyrus captured the Medes capital, Ekbatana, in 549 BC, and became king over all the lands of Medo and Persia. King Asyages was pardoned and made governor of a province. In 546 BC, Cyrus officially adopted the title "King of Persia". His uncle Arsames, who became king of the city of Persepolis (Parsa) under the Media empire, appears to have peacefully handed over power to Cyrus and served as governor of Parsa under Cyrus. Arsames's son, Hystaspes (father of Darius I), who was also Cyrus’s cousin, was made deputy king (satrap) of Parthia and Phrygia. So, Cyrus united the twin Achaemenid kingdoms of Parsa and Anshan into the Persian Empire. Arsames was still alive when his grandson Darius I became king of Persia, after the death of Cyrus' two sons.

Astyages 'brother-in-law, the Croesus king of Lydia, first attacked the city of Pteria (now Cappadocia in Turkey), apparently in revenge for Astyages' defeat. Cyrus brought soldiers to attack Pteria in 546 BC. Croesus retreated to Sardis, the capital the following day. Cyrus then laid siege to the city of Sardis. Harpagus advised Cyrus to place his camels in front of his soldiers. Lydia's horses were not accustomed to smelling camels, became afraid so that Cyrus was able to easily defeat Lydia's army. Cyrus captured Croesus and took control of the city of Sardis. According to the Greek chronicler Herodotus, Cyrus pardoned Croesus and made him his advisor, but according to the Nabonidus Chronicles, the king of Lydia was killed by Cyrus.

In 540 BC, Cyrus captured Elam (Susiana) and its capital, Susan. The Nabonidus Chronicle records that prior to the war, Nabonidus moved statues of gods into the capital city of Babylon, so it is thought that the war began in the winter of 540 BC. Harran Stelae H2 - A, and the Nabonidus Chronicles (17th year) show Nabonidus celebrating Akitu's new year on Nissanu 1 (April 4, 539 BC) in Babylon. In early October 539 BC, Cyrus defeated the Babylonian army in the Opis War, on the banks of the Tigris River, north of Babylon. On October 10, the city of Sippar fell without a fight. On October 15, Gubaru, the commander of Cyrus, entered the capital of Babylon, without significant resistance from the Babylonian army. Herodotus explains that the Persians used the lake that the Babylonian queen Nitocris had built to protect Babylon from the attacks of the Medes, to divert the flow of the Euphrates into the canal so that the water was knee-deep. This made it easier for the Persian army to enter the city via the river at night. This is no different from the record in the Book of Daniel, that King Belshazzar was killed by the Persian army during a night without major warfare (Daniel 5:28). On October 29, Cyrus entered the city of Babylon.

Cyrus is a philanthropist who one day will benefit him. One of the writers named Xenophon recounts in his writing about Cyrus. Cyrus combined restraint, justice, intelligence, and kindness of soul to help him establish the greatest empire in the world. He was obeyed by his people voluntarily even though he controlled many cities, many people, and many nations. Even by the people who were a few months away from Cyrus volunteered to obey his orders. Of all the justice and virtue of Cyrus's soul, he surpasses all kings especially in creating terror. "He can convey fear to himself to many people in the world so he is intimidating everyone," said Xenophon.

Cyrus is a leader who has expertise in the military field. But that is only one side of a human. What stands out even more, perhaps, is the policy of how he is governed. He is known to be very tolerant of local religions and their customs. And he always kept aloof from the cruel and vicious attitude of the conquerors. The Babylonians, for example, and even more clearly the Assyrians, had killed thousands of people and driven out all the inhabitants who feared would revolt. For example, when Babylonians conquered Judea in 586 BC, they brought the Judeans to Babylon. But fifty years later, after Cyrus had conquered Babylon, he gave the Jews permission to return to his homeland. Were it not for Cyrus, it seemed that the Jews would have perished as an isolated group in the 5th century BC.

The ancient Babylonian writings provide evidence that Cyrus died around December 530 B.C., i.e., from the latest writings on his reign, (the tablet from Borsippa is dated August 12, 530 B.C.) and the first reference to the reign of his son, Cambyses II (tablet from Babylon dated 31 August 530 B.C.) who succeeded him as king.

His tomb is located in the capital Pasargadae (built around 530 BC) which is still around today. Historical writers, Strabo and Arrian recorded a similar description of this tomb based on reports from Aristobulus of Kassandreia, who on the orders of Iskandar the Great (Alexander the Great) visited this tomb twice. According to Plutarch, his tombstone reads,

"O man, whoever you are and wherever you come from because I know you will come, I am Cyrus who won the kingdom of the Persians. Wherefore do not object to me this little soil to cover my bones. "