CYRUS THE GREAT, or CYRUS TILE ELDER (c. 600-529 n.c.). The founder of the Persian Empire and conqueror of Babylon, whom Isaiah called the anointed of the Lord and his shepherd (Isa. xliv. 23; xlv. 1). The name of this mon arch appears in Old Persian as Kuruk% in the Babylonian inscriptions as Kurag, in Hebrew as KOrd, and in Greek as KU pos , whence Latin Cyrus. According to Herodotus, the name signi fies sun; but there is some possibility, judging from the Neo-Elamitie, that its signification may have been shepherd, with which the Isaiah passage might be compared. The lineage of this great King we have on his own authority on a famous cuneiform cylinder discovered some years ago. (Consult Journal Asiatic Society, London, 1880). This was written in the Babylo nian language, and is now among the treasures of the British !Museum. In this Cyrus traces his royal claim through his father, Cambyses, and his grandfather, Cyrus, back to Teispes; the latter was the son of Aelnemenes (q.v.), founder of the Aehannenian line. The ancestral home was Anshan, or Attain, which is believed to have been a city or district of Elam (q.v.). However that may he, there can be no doubt that Cyrus was a Persian, and he is rightly so called in the Old Testament.
According to the cuneiform records of Naboni this (,Valni-nu'id), Cyrus was a vassal of Asty ages •t/treat/1, who is spoken of as King of the Medes, or again of the Seythians. There is good ground for believing that Cyrus was di rectlyconnected with this ruler by the ties of blood. Herodotus 1071f) expressly states that Cyrus was the grandson of Astyages, whose daughter Mandane had been married to Cam byses, a Persian noble. The Greek historian has a number of interesting and highly colored leg ends to narrate the fear of Astyages for the infant as his future vanquisher, with popular stories also regarding the fortunes of the youthful prince and his rapid elevation to power. Whatever value is to be placed on these pic turesque accounts, there is no question that Cyrus's triumphant career began with his o•er throw of Astyages and his final mastery of Media before the year B.C. 550. The conquest
of the Median Empire opened the way for further success, and Cyrus turned his victorious arms against Cnesus of Lydia, W111)111 he van quished B.C. 516. Asia Minor was thus brought practically under this ambitious ruler's sway.
The time had now arrived to strike a mighty blow against Babylon. Nabonidus, the King of that ancient capital, seems to have estranged himself from his subjects, and to have lost the favor of the priestly class. By preference he lived at Tens, or Tev5, and when the condition of affairs within Babylon itself became such as to Lail him back it was too late. The account of the fall of the city we can gather by combin the testimony of the cuneiform records with the biblical narrative and Ilerodotus. Internal factions seem to have been numerous; the dews, who were in captivity in the city, apparently played a part. Babylon is stated to have fallen teithout fighting before the victorious hosts of Cyrus, and Nabonidus was utterly overthrown. Belshazzar of the Old Testament may have been Bel-gar-uur, the son of Nahonidus, who, accord ing to the inscriptions, offered resistance to the advance of Cyrus's forces. The fall of the city itself occurred at the moment of the great Tam muz festival, July, 539, and it was actually ac complished by Cyrus's satrap Gobryas or Ugbarn of the inscriptions), who was in com mand of the advance army. Cyrus himself Made Ids triumphal entry into the city in October, 539, and became King of Babylon. The famous cylinder above referred to records the inaugura tion of his rule. We know in general that his policy toward the conquered people was a most liberal one, and even though it may have fallen somewhat short, perhaps, of the enthusiastic hopes of a prophetic Isaiah, its ultimate influ ence and effects are undoubted as having contrib uted toward the restoration of the Jew's from captivity. See BABYLON.