In the Persian language and especially in Iran, Cyrus' name is spelled as کوروش ( Kūroš, ). Another possible Iranian derivation would mean 'the young one, child', related to Kurdish kur ('son, little boy') or Ossetian i-gur-un ('to be born') and kur (young bull). Karl Hoffmann has suggested a translation based on the meaning of an Indo-European root 'to humiliate', and accordingly, the name 'Cyrus' means 'humiliator of the enemy in verbal contest'. The ancient Greek historians Ctesias and Plutarch stated that Cyrus was named from the Sun ( Kuros), a concept which has been interpreted as meaning 'like the Sun' ( Khurvash) by noting its relation to the Persian noun for Sun, khor, while using -vash as a suffix of likeness. The name and its meaning have been recorded within ancient inscriptions in different languages. The name Cyrus is a Latinized form derived from the Greek-language name Κῦρος ( Kỹros), which itself was derived from the Old Persian name Kūruš. This view has been criticized by some Western historians as a misunderstanding of the Cylinder's generic nature as a traditional statement that new monarchs make at the beginning of their reign. In the 1970s, the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, identified Cyrus' famous proclamation inscribed onto the Cyrus Cylinder as the oldest-known declaration of human rights, and the Cylinder has since been popularized as such. He remains a cult figure amongst modern Iranians, with his tomb serving as a spot of reverence for millions of people. Having originated from Persis, roughly corresponding to the modern-day Fars Province of Iran, Cyrus has played a crucial role in defining the national identity of modern Iran. The Achaemenid influence in the ancient world would eventually extend as far as Athens, where upper-class Athenians adopted aspects of the culture of the ruling class of Achaemenid Persia as their own. Ĭyrus is also recognized for his achievements in human rights, politics, and military strategy, as well as his influence on both Eastern and Western civilizations. 'anointed one') Cyrus is the only non- Jewish figure in the Bible to be revered in this capacity. According to Isaiah 45:1 of the Hebrew Bible, God anointed Cyrus for this task, even referring to him as a messiah ( lit. The Edict of Restoration, a proclamation attested by a cylinder seal in which Cyrus authorized and encouraged the return of the Israelites to the Land of Israel following his conquest of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, is described in the Bible and likewise left a lasting legacy on the Jewish religion due to his role in ending the Babylonian captivity and facilitating the Jewish return to Zion. He was important in developing the system of a central administration at Pasargadae governing satraps in the empire's border regions, which worked very effectively and profitably for both rulers and subjects. He was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II, who managed to conquer Egypt, Nubia and Cyrenaica during his short rule.Ĭyrus is well-known for having respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered. However, Xenophon claimed that Cyrus did not die in battle and returned to the Achaemenid ceremonial capital of Persepolis again. Cyrus did not venture into Egypt, and was alleged to have died in battle while fighting the Massagetae, an ancient Eastern Iranian nomadic tribal confederation, along the Syr Darya in December 530 BC.

He also led an expedition into Central Asia, which resulted in major campaigns that were described as having brought 'into subjection every nation without exception'. The reign of Cyrus lasted about thirty years his empire took root with his conquest of the Median Empire followed by the Lydian Empire and eventually the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

At its maximum extent under his successors, the Achaemenid Empire stretched from parts of the Balkans ( Eastern Bulgaria– Paeonia and Thrace– Macedonia) and Southeast Europe proper in the west to the Indus Valley in the east. Spanning from the Mediterranean Sea and Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, the empire created by Cyrus was the largest the world had yet seen.

Under his rule, the empire embraced all of the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Western Asia and much of Central Asia. 600–530 BC Old Persian: 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 Kūruš), commonly known as Cyrus the Great and also called Cyrus the Elder by the Greeks, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, the first Persian empire.

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