Cyrus The Great Hyperbole

There have been many people whose names, when referenced, are commonly accompanied by the phrase, “The Great”. Although it has been proven throughout history that many people are not shy of hyperbole, there is one historical figure whose greatness is not exaggerated. This man’s name was Cyrus the Great. As his title suggests, Cyrus the Great was highly regarded by his subjects, as well as people born years after his passing. “Father” to the Iranians, and “Liberator” to the Babylonians, Cyrus earned every title he was given. A compassionate, but successful military leader, Cyrus taught tolerance for religious diversity through his actions as King, and immediately became one of the most influential people in world history. However, his …show more content…
His reign lasted 28 years, starting in 558 B.C.E. Not much is known about his early life and family background, but, like many important historical figures, there are many stories regarding his history. A Greek historian named Herodotus told the most popular of these stories. In his story, Herodotus says that Cyrus’ grandfather, Astyages, had a dream, which was later interpreted as a sign that Cyrus would one day overthrow him. He ordered that Cyrus, who was just an infant at the time, would be left in the mountains to die. Fortunately, the person who was eventually told to carry out the murder took pity on the baby Cyrus, taking him in to raise him as his own. Years later, when Cyrus was 10, it became clear that he was of noble descent and Astyages realized what had happened. Rather than killing Cyrus himself, Astyages decided to let him live in exile with his birth …show more content…
However, true to Herodotus’ story, Cyrus did eventually overthrow his grandfather. Within the first 10 years of his reign, Cyrus revolted and conquered Ecbatana, the Median capital, dethroning Astyages and taking control of the Median Empire. By doing so, he became an independent leader who no longer had to acknowledge the Median king as an authority figure. With his increasing power and control over the what we now know as the Middle East, Cyrus went on to conquer Babylon, Lydia, and the Greek cities of Asia Minor. All of Cyrus’ conquests were important and remain important to this day, because of the influence they had on the people who would live and lead after Cyrus, and what would eventually come from this influence, such as democracy and the U.S. Constitution. However, one conquest in particular spoke to Cyrus’ character and influence more than any of his preceding or succeeding triumphs. This occurred when Cyrus and his troops finally conquered the Babylonian