Cyrus the Great is a familiar name to all Iranians and a well-respected and beloved figure in human history. What makes this historical figure particularly remarkable is the consistency and agreement among diverse historical sources regarding his virtuous character. Few monarchs in history are portrayed so positively across sources, especially when those sources originate from various nations and ethnic groups. Moreover, the archaeological remains from antiquity depict a favorable image of Cyrus.
The Cyrus Cylinder is the earliest known document in human history that describes the compassionate conduct of a king from one nation toward a completely different and defeated people after achieving victory over them. In general, Cyrus’s entry into Babylon marked a turning point in human history, after which the concepts of humanity and human rights gained unprecedented global attention.
Cyrus the Great cannot be classified among the great conquerors of history, as the vastness of his empire was not primarily due to his own military conquests. He managed to bring the large territory of the Medes under his rule without significant warfare. Therefore, most of Cyrus’s reign was not spent on war and conquest, but rather on building civilization.
