King of the World The Life of Cyrus the Great

by Waters, Matt

• ISBN13: 9780197803073
• ISBN10: 0197803075
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2025-02-04
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• More Book Details

Summary

The Persian Empire was the world's first hyperpower, with territory stretching from Central Asia to Northeastern Africa and from Southeastern Europe to the Indus Valley. It was the dominant geopolitical force from the later sixth century to its conquest by Alexander in the 330s BCE. Much of the empire's territory was conquered by its founder, Cyrus the Great, who reigned from 559-530 BCE. Cyrus became a legend in his own lifetime, and his career inspired keen interest from Persia's unruly neighbors to the west, the ancient Greeks. The idealized portrait of Cyrus by the Greek Xenophon had a profound impact on ancient, medieval, and early modern debates about rulership.

King of the World provides an authoritative and accessible account of Cyrus the Great's life, career, and legacy. While Greek sources remain central to any narrative about Cyrus, a wealth of primary evidence is found in the ancient Near East, including documentary, archaeological, art historical, and biblical material. Matt Waters draws from all of these sources while consistently contextualizing them in order to provide a cohesive understanding of Cyrus the Great. This overview addresses issues of interpretation and reconciles limited material, while the narrative keeps Cyrus the Great's compelling career at the forefront. Cyrus' legacy is enormous and not fully appreciated— King of the World takes readers on a journey that reveals his powerful impact and preserves his story for future generations.

Author Biography

Matt Waters is Professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He is the author of Ctesias' Persica and Its Near Eastern Context and Ancient Persia: A Concise History of the Achaemenid Empire, 550-330 BCE, among other works.

Table of Contents

Preface

Figures and Maps

Chronological Chart/Table

Timeline

Chapter 1 - Introduction: The Kings of Anshan

Scope and Scale: The Cusp of the First World Empire
An Achaemenid Renaissance
Setting the Historical Stage
Persians and Iranians
The Kingdom of Anshan/Parsumash among the Great Powers pp. 14-23
Cyrus I
A Royal Heirloom
What's in a (Throne) Name?
Endnotes

Chapter 2 - An Irresistible Force

A New Son Rising
Cyrus and Cassandane
The Daughters of Cyrus: Atossa and Artystone
Endnotes

Chapter 3 - On the March

Median Problems
(More) Dreaming of Cyrus
Cyrus' War with Astyages
Go West, Young Man
Endnotes

Chapter 4 - The Chosen One

The Conquest of Babylonia
Cyrus' Babylonian Inscriptions
The Cyrus Cylinder
Royal Inscriptions from Uruk and Ur
The Verse Account
A Time of Transition
Endnotes

Chapter 5 - The Imperial Project

(Re)Ordering the World
The Roads Go Ever On
The Persian Army
A Unifying Ideology
More Territory, More Capitals
Pasargadae
Tomb of Cyrus
Gate R
Palaces S and P
Paradise Found, The Royal Garden
The Zendan and the Tall-i Takht
Exit Pasargadae
Cyrus the Polytheist
Endnotes

Chapter 6 - Legacies

The Death of Cyrus
Reality and Imagination
Recalling Cyrus: Alexander III of Macedon
Subtle but Formidable Remembrances
Conclusions: New out of Old
Endnotes

Appendix A - On Sources
Endnotes

Appendix B - Translation of the Cyrus Cylinder

Appendix C - Teispids and Achaemenids
Endnotes

Bibliography