Historical Figures

Cyrus the Great

Also Known As Cyrus II of Persia

Citation Formats

General Reference

History Atlas. "Cyrus the Great." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://dev-history.interactiveatlas.org/historical-figures/cyrus-the-great.

APA Style

History Atlas. (n.d.). Cyrus the Great. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://dev-history.interactiveatlas.org/historical-figures/cyrus-the-great

BibTeX

@misc{historyatlas-cyrus-the-great,
  author = {History Atlas},
  title = {Cyrus the Great},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://dev-history.interactiveatlas.org/historical-figures/cyrus-the-great},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Cyrus the Great, born Cyrus II of Persia, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, uniting the Median and Persian kingdoms and expanding his rule from Anatolia to Central Asia within roughly two decades. He captured Babylon in 539 BC and, according to the Cyrus Cylinder, freed captive peoples including the Judean exiles, an act later cast as an early model of religious and cultural tolerance in imperial rule. He died in 530 BC, reportedly on campaign in Central Asia, and was succeeded by his son Cambyses II.

Facts

Death Year

530 BCE 1

Role

Founder and first King of Kings of the Achaemenid Persian Empire 1

Birthplace

Anshan, Persis (present-day Fars province, Iran) 1

Disputed

Birth Year

600 BCE

Sources place his birth around 600 BC; the exact year is not precisely attested and is conventionally given as circa.

Cross-Tradition Connections