Cyrus The Great Legacy

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Good Afternoon Miss Silk and classmates. For my project, I will be exploring a significant figure - Cyrus the Great. His impact on the ancient world is extremely well known, and I will be assessing the legacy of Cyrus the Great’s rule in ancient history.

During his establishment and rule of the Archaemenid Empire, Cyrus was exceptionally impactful in the way he ruled, including his structure of government and treatment of people in the lands he conquered. The importance of this figure cannot be understated and this led to the decision to study his legacy.

The sources which will be used are a mix of primary sources, mainly from Greek and Babylonian texts, as well as secondary sources such as books and websites. Sources such as Herodotus, Xenophon
He first ascended to the throne of the Median Empire, and then subsequently conquered neighbouring areas such as the Indus area and the Babylonian Empire. Both Herodotus and Xenophon agree that he established a robust form of government, and the people of the land which he conquered respected him due to his tolerance of languages and religion.

The source that will be analysed in this speech is the Cyropedia by Xenophon, produced around 370 BCE. It is a biography of Cyrus the Great, merged with some fictional elements. Through close study of the source, many interesting points about perspective, reliability and usefulness can be made.

Firstly, Xenophon presents a surprising perspective on his rule, portraying him in an extremely positive light. This is intriguing, considering the tense relations between the Persian and the Greek Empire. Xenophon writes that “…here is a man …who won for himself obedience from thousands of his fellows, from cities and tribes innumerable: we must ask ourselves whether the government of men is after all an impossible or even a difficult task, provided one set about it in the right way.” Xenophon praises Cyrus’ rule, exemplifying him as one of the most admirable and righteous kings in ancient history. Given his background, it is highly unlikely that Cyrus the Great differed considerably from Xenophon’s
He then united them into the Archaemenid Empire. However, Xenophon completely ignores this, and claims that Cyrus gained the throne from Cyaxares, the son of the king of Medes who does not exist. He even makes reference to these wars in his other texts, clearly demonstrating bias. It can be concluded that the Cyropedia is unreliable when investigating the life of Cyrus the Great.

Usefulness is also another a factor in assessing the Cyropedia. Due to the partly fictional nature of the book, some historians believe that it does not hold any reliable historical evidence. However, it is still useful for assessing his legacy. Regardless of whether Xenophon’s work was truly an accurate depiction of Cyrus the Great, his book has been read by millions of people.

The Cyropedia may not be useful for gaining accurate facts about his life, but how his rule was portrayed and his importance still makes it a valuable source. For example, the Roman historian Aristobulus who accompanied Alexander the Great to the tomb of Cyrus had seen the devastation of robbery on Cyrus’ tomb, and had been ordered to repair the tomb. This is evidence that Alexander greatly respected

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