Cyrus the Great

Founder of the Persian Achaemenid Empire and author of a famously tolerant model of rule.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Conquered Media, Lydia and Babylon, creating the largest empire yet seen.
• The Cyrus Cylinder is celebrated as an early declaration of tolerant, restorative rule.
• Ended the Babylonian captivity, allowing exiled peoples to return to their homelands.

Specifications & Metrics

• ERA: c. 600 – 530 BC