Cyrus the Great

Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire and ruled Persia from about 559 to 530 BCE. His conquest of Babylon in 539 BCE established Persian rule across much of western Asia.

Achaemenid Empire: The Persian empire founded by Cyrus the Great and ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty until Alexander’s conquests. Cyrus built this empire through victories over neighboring kingdoms.
Battle of Opis: A battle in 539 BCE in which Cyrus’s forces defeated the Babylonian army near the Tigris River. The victory opened the route toward Babylon and weakened its defenses.
Cyrus Cylinder: A Babylonian clay inscription commissioned after Cyrus captured Babylon, describing his restoration of temples and traditional cults. It presents the conquest through Babylonian royal language and religious policy.
Neo-Babylonian Empire: A Mesopotamian empire that flourished under the Chaldean dynasty before its conquest by Cyrus in 539 BCE. Its fall marks the transfer of Babylonian power to Cyrus’s expanding empire.
Anshan: An ancient kingdom and region in southwestern Iran, associated with the early Achaemenid dynasty. Cyrus ruled Anshan before expanding beyond his Persian homeland.
Fall of Babylon: The Persian capture of Babylon in 539 BCE, which ended the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Cyrus’s conquest brought the wealthy Babylonian state under Persian rule.
Cyrus in the Bible: The portrayal of Cyrus in biblical texts as the Persian ruler who authorized the return of Judean exiles. The biblical account gives Cyrus a role in rebuilding Jerusalem’s temple.
Achaemenid royal road: A network of roads maintained by the Achaemenid rulers to connect imperial centers and provinces. Imperial communications later helped govern territories united by Cyrus’s conquests.
Medes: An ancient Iranian people whose kingdom became a major power in western Asia before Persian expansion. Cyrus’s revolt against Median king Astyages began his rise to regional power.
Median Empire: A kingdom in western Iran that dominated neighboring regions before its defeat by Cyrus. Its incorporation gave Cyrus territory and political networks for further expansion.

Linked from 45 pages