King Cyrus Of The Great - 1747 Words

King Cyrus of Persia Bikram Brar Ms. Lussier Classics 11G-Section 2 November 15, 2014 This essay is about King Cyrus of Persia or as known throughout the world in his day as Cyrus the Great. This essay will be four paragraphs which will state his early life, genealogy and rise to the throne, his adult life and many conquests, his later years, families, death and his lasting legacy. King Cyrus was born in c. 575 B.C. He was the son of a Persian king called Cambyses and his wife Mandane, and he was called Kurush or Cyrus as Greeks said it. He would be Cyrus the Great, Cyrus the architect and Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire. There are few details of his birth and childhood but most of them can be found in the stories†¦show more content†¦The more reliable Herodotus said Cyrus was of partly Median and that a Median king Astyages, overlord of the Persians, gave his daughter Mandane to his Persian serf Cambyses, rather than one of his Medes that were held in high prestige. He did this because he had a dream where his daughter said she hated him and his kingdom. Herodotus said he kept on having dreams like this and when he heard Cyrus was born ordered one of his officers Harpagus to kill the child. Other accounts say he had dreams that Cyrus would one day overthrow him and that’s why he ordered him killed. Harpagus didn’t have the heart to kill the child and then hid him in the mountains with herdsmen, who agreed to take care of him. Astyages then had Harpagus’ son butchered, jointed the body and then served it dressed in mutton to Harpagus. At the age of 10 Cyrus was found but Astyages was persuaded to let Cyrus live. In 559 B.C. He Cyrus rose to the thrown of Anshan and began to show signs of independence from his Median overlord. When Cyrus became a man Harpagus convinced him to lead the Persians to revolt against Astyages. In 553 B.C. Astyages brought he feared horseman down south/. The Persians were heavily outnumbered but fought savagely. When it was seen that surrender was inevitable, the women even took the battlefield to cheer on Cyrus and the soldiers. The conflict lasted for three years but finally Astyages lost and was captured. Harpagus supreme