. The library of historic characters and famous events of all nations and all ages . /^BEFORE the time of Cyrus, Persiahad been a petty kingdom. Hisgreat victories over the kingdoms ofMedia, Lydia and Babylonia, reducedthem to provinces, so that eventuallyhis empire extended from the PersianGulf to the Black Sea, from Afghan-istan to the Mediterranean Sea. Like most of the heroes of an-tiquity, the classical legends assignhim an humble birth ; but the revela-tions of the contemporary cuneiformtablets give us more authentic infor-mation than that of Herodotus orCtesias. We now know that Cyrus,t
. The library of historic characters and famous events of all nations and all ages . /^BEFORE the time of Cyrus, Persiahad been a petty kingdom. Hisgreat victories over the kingdoms ofMedia, Lydia and Babylonia, reducedthem to provinces, so that eventuallyhis empire extended from the PersianGulf to the Black Sea, from Afghan-istan to the Mediterranean Sea. Like most of the heroes of an-tiquity, the classical legends assignhim an humble birth ; but the revela-tions of the contemporary cuneiformtablets give us more authentic infor-mation than that of Herodotus orCtesias. We now know that Cyrus,the Akhaemenian, as he called him-self, was the son of Cambyses, grandson of Cyrus, and great-grandson of Teispes, and ruled over the kingdom of Auzan(Elani). In his youth he was renowned for his valor. Aboutthe year 549 B. c, having revolted against Astyages, kingof Media, whose vassal he had been, he dethroned the king,then married his daughter and added Media to the domain ofPersia. Croesus, king of Lydia, who had increased his wealth andpower enormously by the conquest of Syri
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectb, booksubjecthistory
