CYRUS IL was the son of Darius II. and Parysalis. Artaxerxes, the eldest sou of Darius, succeeded him a.a king: but Cyrus disputed the right of succession, and fouudod his own claim on the fact that ho was the first-born after the accession of his father. Cyrus was the favourite of his mother, Parysatis, and was indebted to her intercession with Artaxerxes for the preservation of his life after he had been charged with a conspiracy against the king. He was sent back to his government in the western provinces of Asia :Minor, but did net rehnquiali his designs on Artaxerxes. Indignant at the disgrace ha had suffered by being seuteuced to death, he resolved, if possible, to dethrone his brother. The grtett difficulty was to raise a sufficient force without exciting his brother's auspicious. Clearchus, a Lacer:he monian general, undertook to raise a body of Creek troops for the pus pees of making war ou some Thracian tribes. Aristippus in Thessalia, and l'roxenus in Boeotia, raised troops for similar purposes and with a similar object. Artaxerxes had originally been apprised of the designs of Cyrus by Tissaphernes, but the cities which were in the government of Tiasaphernes now all revolted to Cyrus, with the exception of 31iletns. A war thus arising between Tiasaphernes and Cyrus, gave Cyrus a pretext for openly collecting his forces, and even for soliciting the aid of the king, to whom be made heavy complaints of the conduct of Tiasaphernes. Artaxerxes was thus blinded to the real aims of Cyrus, who explained his intentions to no Greek but Clearchus, lost they should be deterred from joining him by the boldness of the attempt. When his forces were all collected, he set out from Sardis, the seat of tho Persian authority in Western Asia (n.o. 401), without the soldiers knowing auything morn of the objects of the expedition than that he was going to march against the Pisidiaus, who had Infested his province. Tissaphernes however with his characteristic cunning saw that the preparations were much too great to be really intended against the Pisidians, and accordingly lie went with all expedition to inform the king. Artaxerxes no sooner heard of the armament of Cyrus than he began to make preparations for opposing him. Cyrus in the meantime was con tinuing his march through the southern provinces of Asia Minor, passing through Celtme, Pelne, l'hymbrium, Tyrzeum, leonium, and Dana, till he arrived at the foot of the Taurus, which he crossed and arrived at Tarsus. Here the Greeks refused to march any farther: they suspected that they were going against the king and declared that they were hired for no such purpose. The tumult was partially appeased by the influence of Clearchus, who persuaded them to send deputies to Cyrus to enquire what was the real object of the cxpeditiou. Cyrus, by an artful evasion, which however
was partly seen through by the soldiers, pretended that ho had an enemy, Abrocomas, on the banks of the Euphrates, at the diNtance of a few days march, and that ho wee advancing against him. A promise of half as much pay again as they had received before, induced them to proceed ; but it was not till some time after that it was openly stated that they were going against the king. At last, on arriving at the plain of Cynaxa, in the province of Babylon, Cyrus found Artaxerxes ready to oppose him with an immense army. Clearchus advised Cyrus not to expose his own person, but he rejected the counsel. As soon as the enemy approached, the Creeks attacked them with such vigour that the disorderly and ill-assorted army of the king forthwith took to flight. While Artaxerxes was preparing to attack in the flank, Cyrus advanced against him with a large body of horae, and with his own hand killed Artagersee, the captain of the kinee guards, and routed the whole troop. Just at this moment, spying the king himself, and crying out "I see him I" he rushed for ward and engaged with him in close combat. He killed his brother's horse and wounded the king biuselL The king mounted another horse, but Cyrus attacked him again, and gave him another wound, and was in the act of giving him a third when he himself was slain. The select guards and friends of Cyrus, not choosing to survive their master, killed themselves on his body. With the life of Cyrus ended the cause in which he died, and the Greeks effected their retreat under the command of Xenophon and others. [Xesioritoe.) The whole expedition occupied fifteen months.
The character of Cyrus is highly eulogised by Xenophon (' Anab.,' 1. c. 9.) In his childhood and youth he excelled all his companions in those pursuits which belonged to their rank. He was fond of war and bunting. Ills justice was conspicuous in all his conduct, both public and private, and ho never suffered the evil-doer to go unpunished. To those who deserved reward for services ho was unbounded in his munificence, and his friends received frequent tokens of his kind remembrance. On the whole it was the opinion of Xenophon that no individual had ever secured the affections of a greater number of men, whether Creeks or others. Acoording to a passage in Xenophon quoted by Cicero (' De Senectute,' c. 17), Cyrus was fond of agricul tural and horticultural labours, and worked with his own hands.
(Xenophon, Anabatia, i.; Plutarch, Artaxerxes; Diodorus Siculue, xiv.)