Rise of Cyrus + Conquests

• Rise of Cyrus against Media

  1. Astyages had a dream that his daughter Mandane's son would overthrow him

  2. Astyages ordered his adviser Harpagus to kill the baby Cyrus

  3. Harpagus gave the baby to a herdsman to expose on a mountain

  4. The herdsman raised Cyrus as his own

  5. Cyrus showed leadership skills as a shepherd boy

  6. Astyages realised Cyrus was his grandson and got angry at Harpagus

  7. Astyages sent Cyrus back to Persia while Harpagus plotted revenge
• Herodotus says: Before Cyrus was born, Astyages dreamt that his daughter Mandane would one day have a son who would become King by overthrowing him
• Astyages then chose to marry his daughter off to a king Cambyses I of the distant and minor kingdom of Persia (away from Ecbatana Capital of Media)
• Mandane became pregnant; Astyages had a second dream predicting that his grandson would overthrow him (vines came out of his daughter's womb and covered all of Asia)
• After the baby (Cyrus) was born, Astyages ordered his adviser Harpagus to kill the baby. He didn't have the heart to do this so he gave the baby to a herdsman to expose on the side of a mountain
• The herdsman could also not bear to kill the baby so he and his wife took it as their own and raised him
• As a shepherd boy Cyrus showed leadership skills. At 10 he got into a fight with a Median Noble Cyrus was elected as king and whipped the son of a Median Noble
• Astyages realised when he met Cyrus that he was his grandson → he was angry at Harpagus as he did not kill the baby when he ordered him to so he got Harpagus 12-year old son and killed him, cooked him into a stew and made Harpagus drink it
• Astyages then sent Cyrus back to Persia (not a threat) while Harpagus still worked under Astyages (plotting his revenge → kept in touch with Cyrus / secretly encouraged Median nobles to rebel against Astyages and support Cyrus)
• Cyrus became King of Persia

  1. Harpagus encouraged him to attack Media (promised him the support of Median Aristocrats)

  2. Astyages saw war coming and appointed Harpagus general (stupid)

  3. When 2 sides met the majority of the Median army joined Cyrus or ran away

  4. Cyrus became King of Medes but allowed Astyages to live on in retirement
• Conquest against Lydia


  1. Croesus King of Lydia) was a big fan of Greek culture → left gifts at Delphi (greatest sanctuaries of Greek religion)

  2. Herodotus says that Croesus went to Delphic Oracles asking for help → they said that if he attacks Cyrus than a mighty empire will fall

  3. Croesus thought that the Empire was Cyrus' so he attacked (didn't think it was his empire, which it was)

  4. Croesus worried about Cyrus (due to his conquest of Media) so he attacked the Persians at river of Halys

  5. Before fighting Cyrus asked Ionians to leave Croesus but they refused

  6. Both sides had losses but not one winner

  7. Croesus retreated for the Winter to re-build his army (ancient armies rarely fought in winter) → hoped to get help from Babylonians, Egyptians and Spartans (his allies)

  8. Cyrus made a counter-attack on Lydians and marched to Sardis (capital)

  9. Lydians had strong cavalry but Harpagus had a smart plan: put camels in their front line as horses are terrified of them → led to them retreating into Sardis to try and withstand a siege

  10. Croesus sent appeal to his allies but before they could set sail they were told that Sardis had been captured

  11. Persians took control of Lydian Empire

  12. Ionians and Aeolians sent envoys to Cyrus asking for the same terms they had under Croesus Cyrus rejected their request) → only Miletus manged to get the same terms as under Croesus from Cyrus
• Croesus was taken captive and Cyrus initially ordered that he be burnt to death on pyre → however Cyrus then decided to spare him, he believed the gods gave him a sign (solar eclipse)→ lets him become an advisor
• Lydians revolted and in 545 Harpagus led Persians on revolt mission with Ionians and Aeolians as key target (Herodotus)


  1. Harpagus brought all Ionian cities to submission (except Miletus)

  2. Islands like Chios and Samos also surrendered due to fear (Source Xenophanes poem → 'What age were you when the Mede came?')
• Conquest of Babylon


  1. Herodotus tells us about this conquest → some Babylonian sources but all in favour of Cyrus (Cyrus good at Propaganda)

  2. Nabonidus Chronicle tells us 'when Cyrus did battle at Opis on the bank of Tigris against Akkad → they retreated' When '14th day Sippar was captured', 'Nabonidus fled' and on the '16th day the army of Cyrus entered Babylon without a battle'

  3. Herodotus however tells us Babylon was ready for a siege but Persians got into the city by diverting the Euphrates and wading along the river to the point it flowed into Babylon (Scholars doubt this account)

  4. Herodotus describes Babylon: 'Babylon lies in a wide plain, a vast city in the size of a square with sides nearly fourteen miles long and circuit of some 56 miles, and in addition to its enormous size it surpasses the splendour of any city in the known world'

  5. Babylonian sources present Nabonidus as a evil King (disrespected Babylonian gods → especially the great God Marduk → favoured moon goddess Sin)

  6. Cyrus Cylinder describes conquest of Babylon → Cyrus tries to link himself to previous Babylonian kings → He presents himself to be chosen by Marduk to restore order and proper religious practice to Babylon (after Nabonidus who removed divine statues from subject people and didn't celebrate Babylonian festivals properly)

  7. Cyrus wanted to be seen as divinely appointed restorer of traditional Babylonian religion
• Cyrus fought against Massagetae when he died
• why did Croesus attack Persia

  Herodotus says that Croesus went to Delphic Oracles asking for help → they said that if he attacks Cyrus than a mighty empire will fall

  Croesus thought that the Empire was Cyrus' so he attacked (didn't think it was his empire, which it was)
• how did both Persia and Lydia prepare for battle

  Croesus worried about Cyrus (due to his conquest of Media) so he attacked the Persians at river of Halys

  Before fighting Cyrus asked Ionians to leave Croesus but they refused