Cyrus next waged war against Lydia, defeating it and capturing its king, Croesus, in 546 b. c. After a successful campaign against the Ionian [eye-OH-nee-uhn] city-states of Greece, he turned his attention to Babylonia, and in 539 his armies captured Babylon. This was one of the most important events of ancient history, because now Persia controlled the largest empire that had existed up to that time. In ancient times, only the empire of the Greeks under Alexander, and later the Roman Empire, would be larger.
Equally important was the nature of Persian rule under Cyrus. Most conquerors before and since have attempted to impose their way of life on others, but Cyrus was willing to let conquered peoples maintain their religions and customs. Perhaps this was because the Persians, before they won their vast empire, possessed little in the way of culture, having been forced to live a hard existence in the rugged southern Iranian highlands. Therefore they were willing to adapt and borrow, and they allowed their new subjects to go on with their lives much as before. Thus the Assyrians and Babylonians continued to worship their gods. Cyrus even restored the Babylonians' temples. He also permitted the Jews to return to Israel and begin rebuilding their temple and their holy city, Jerusalem.
Cyrus met his end in battle in 529 b. c. and was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II (kam-BEE-sis). The latter managed to defeat the Egyptians in 525 b. c., adding that powerful nation to the growing empire. In 522 b. c. he learned that forces back home were plotting against him. On his way back
To Persia, Cambyses died—possibly by suicide—and a general named Darius (DARE-ee-us) took the throne.
Darius I, walking in a procession with his attendants.
Library of Congress.
World History
