What was Cyrus?

Answer 1

Cyrus the Great 590 BC or 576 — August 530 BC), also known as Cyrus II of Persia and Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty. As leader of the Persian people in Anshan, he conquered the Medes and unified the two separate Iranian kingdoms; as the king of Persia, he reigned over the new empire from 550 BC until his death. The empire expanded under his rule, eventually conquering most of Southwest Asia and much of Central Asia, from Egypt and the Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, to create the largest state the world had yet seen. During his twenty-nine year reign, Cyrus fought against some of the greatest states of its time, including the Median Empire, the Lydian Empire, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Cyrus did not venture into Egypt, as he himself died in battle, fighting the Massagetae along the Syr Darya in August 530 BC. [5] He was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II, who managed to conquer Egypt during his short rule. Beyond his nation, Cyrus left a lasting legacy on religion, politics, and military strategy, as well as on both Eastern and Western civilization. (Answer courtesy of Wikipedia and not R Harrison)