👑 THE PERSIAN IMPERIAL SATRAPY
PAGE 1 OF 5, CYRUS BUILDS AN EMPIRE
KING OF KINGS
CYRUS THE GREAT (~550 BCE)
In the mid-sixth century BCE, Cyrus the Great turned the Persian heartland into the vast Achaemenid Empire. He defeated the Medes, then Lydia in Anatolia, and in 539 BCE captured Babylon without destroying the city. Unlike some conquerors who smashed temples, Cyrus gained fame for mercy and practical rule. His empire stretched from Iran toward Egypt and the Aegean Sea, touching Asia, Africa, and Europe. Greeks who later fought Persia still respected Cyrus as a remarkable leader. His dynasty ruled for two centuries and changed how empires could govern many peoples at once.
👑 CYRUS
Cyrus founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire around 550 BCE and conquered Babylon in 539 BCE, one of the largest states the ancient world had seen.
RISE!
THREE WORLDS
- The empire reached from India toward Egypt and Greek Anatolia.
- That made it one of the first true multi-continent empires.
- Trade linked Persia to Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Mediterranean ports.
BABYLON
- Cyrus took Babylon in 539 BCE with limited destruction.
- He respected local temples and traditions in many regions.
- Earlier Mesopotamian kings like Hammurabi ruled one river valley; Cyrus ruled dozens of peoples.