Conclusion

Cyrus is said to have upward of 70 years old when he died. By the time of his death, Cyrus controlled more land and people than anyone before him. Under his dominion were countless principalities, nationalities, ethnicities, and religions of all kinds. But what made Cyrus so great was not the fact that he lorded it over this diverse empire—his greatness is often cited in his enlightened sense of tolerance. His tolerance was not merely empty talk; it was set down within the legal code of the Achaemenid Empire. This fact was verified with the discovery of the so-called Cyrus Cylinder in the late nineteenth century.

The Cylinder itself is not too impressive, just an old piece of worn-out clay, but the cuneiform writing that covers the object is very interesting indeed. Here, in ancient Akkadian lettering, Cyrus explains his intention not to be an imperial dictator ruling the masses but a benevolent leader doing his utmost to protect the diverse citizens of the Persian Empire. Some even go so far as to describe the Cyrus Cylinder as the first charter of human rights. Most world rulers before and after Cyrus were rather narrowminded in comparison. The Romans were tolerant of diversity to an extent, for example, but at the end of the day, when in Rome you were expected to do as the Romans.

Cyrus saw it differently; his empire was a patchwork of peoples, with none of the patches greater or lesser than the rest. It is for this reason that, as great as his temporal conquests may have been, the benevolence of Cyrus the Great’s leadership stands as his greatest attribute of all.