History of Cyrus the Great

by Jacob Abbott

Overview

Cyrus II of Persia was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, which expanded to become one of the largest empires of the ancient world, encompassing from the Mediterranean Sea and Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east. Drawing upon archaeological fact and the sometimes dubious histories of Herodotus and Xenophon (with the author providing the necessary caveats as to the historical accuracy where necessary), this work tells of Cyrus's childhood, education, and how he came to the throne. From there, the story follows Cyrus's dealings with-and likely manipulations of-the famous Oracles, and the conquests of Lydia, Babylon, and the expansion of his empire's borders. Along the way, the author weaves in fascinating details of Cyrus's interactions with his civil servants and their families-including events which reveal both the humanness of mankind over 2000 years ago-and also the great brutality to which they could stoop. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the incredible size of the ancient cities, and the captivity of the Jews all form important segments of the story of Cyrus. "In reflecting on this melancholy termination of this great conqueror's history, our minds naturally revert to the scenes of his childhood, and we wonder that so amiable, and gentle, and generous a boy should become so selfish, and unfeeling, and overbearing as a man. "But such are the natural and inevitable effects of ambition and an inordinate love of power. The history of a conqueror is always a tragical and melancholy tale. To be generous, disinterested, and noble, seems to be necessary as the precursor of great military success; and to be hard-hearted, selfish, and cruel is the almost inevitable consequence of it. The exceptions to this rule, though some of them are very splendid, are yet very few."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781389646195
Publisher:	Blurb
Publication date:	06/26/2024
Pages:	142
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Jacob Abbott (1803-1879) was a native of the state of Maine who was a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy, a minister, and founder of two schools (the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies in Boston and the Mount Vernon School for Boys, in New York City).
He wrote more than 180 books and became famous for his easy-to-read style of historical storytelling, stripped of the dry dustiness which characterized other texts.

Read an Excerpt

Cyrus's defeust, Aetoaiehment of Astyages. way that you, a mere herdsman's boy, dare to treat the son of one of my nobles ?" The little prince looked up into his stern judge's face with an undaunted expression of countenance, which, considering the circumstances of the case, and the smallness of the scale on which this embryo heroism was represented, was partly ludicrous and partly sublime. " My lord," said he, " what I have done I am able to justify. I did punish this boy, and 1 had a right to do so. I was king, and he was my subject, and he would not obey me. If you think that for this I deserve punishment myself, here 1 am; I am ready to suffer it." If Astyages had been struck with the appearance and manner of Cyrus at the commencement of the interview, his admiration was awakened far more strongly now, at hearing such words, uttered, too, in so exalted a tone, from such a child. He remained a long time silent. At last he told Artembaris and his son that they might retire. He would take the affair, he said, into his own hands, and dispose of it in a just and proper manner. Astyages then took the herdsman aside, and asked him, in an earnest tone, whose boy that was, and where he had obtained him. The discovery. Mingled feelings of Astyage Mitridates was terrified. He replied, however, that the boy was his own son, and that his mother was still living at home, in the but where they all resided. There seems to have been something, however, in his appearance and manner, while making these assertions, which led Astyages not to believe what he said. He was convinced that there was some unexplained mystery in respect to the orfgin of the boy, which the herdsman was wilifullywithholding. He assumed a displeased and threatening air, and ordered in his guards to take Mitr...