Cyrus and Darius: justice and benevolence toward conquered peoples

Persians had such an extensive influence on the development of world history that most Westerners encounter stories of the Persian Empire as Greek historians told them, or alternatively, from Biblical sources. Persian rule enabled the dissemination of ideas related to Zoroastrian worldviews and political philosophy. The Persian Empire is during its peak is known as the Achaemenid Empire, because of the name of the family dynasty beginning with King Cyrus.

Cyrus would now be called a visionary and a transformational leader, because of his clear intent of expanding Persia's locus of influence throughout the Fertile Crescent and Middle East. Moreover, Cyrus understood the importance of actually empowering the peoples he conquered. Rather than rule with an iron fist or exert undue control over disparate regions of the empire, Cyrus implemented a policy that involved liberal politics and a social policy of tolerance. When Cyrus invaded Babylon, he liberated the Jews from Nebuchadnezzar's oppressive regime: a story that is told in the Hebrew Bible as an expression of gratitude for the Persia.

Cyrus earned the subtitle "the Great" in part because of his having founded the Persian Achaemenid Empire and expanded its territories well into Asia Minor. Yet Cyrus is also known as the Great because of the ways the king dealt with the populations living in lands that he acquired for the Persians. Cyrus "united the Medians and Persians and then expanded his Persian empire into Lydia in Asia Minor. He also took Babylon. It's possible he captured Bactria. He may have gone into India," (Gill, n.d.). When Cyrus first took the throne, in 559 BCE, Persia was smaller than modern-day Iran. The acquisition of territories under Cyrus was remarkable and historically unprecedented. It is highly likely that Cyrus's model for leadership had a strong bearing on how Alexander would later conquer and rule the lands acquired by the Macedon.

Alexander took advantages of fractures in the Persian Empire to kick-start his own. Although Alexander technically did not cause the downfall of the Persian Empire, he certainly facilitated it. Invading Persian territories in a strategic fashion ultimately enabled Alexander's troops to sweep through the entire region of Asia Minor, Babylon, Persia, and beyond -- taking what previously belonged to the Achaemenid Empire and placing a Greek stamp on it. The way in which Alexander operated suggests that he might have received a cue from King Cyrus. As Foster (2005) asserts, "pragmatism and foresight allowed Alexander to accept all of Persia's inhabitants as subjects, regardless of ethnicity, and meld them in a way that would ultimately contribute to a more stable empire," (iv). This was the very strategy used by Cyrus several centuries before, to create a stable Persian Empire.

The Persian Empire was by no means a completely peaceful place; there were periodic revolts. In fact, not even the succession of the throne in ancient Persia was a smooth event. Cyrus himself died in battle. Neither of Cyrus's two sons ascended to the throne, because they were killed before they could. One of their cousins, Darius, was behind the assassination plot. Darius's rule was exemplary, but for different reasons than his forebear's reign was. Like Cyrus, Darius did not forcibly convert newly conquered peoples to the Zoroastrian faith or impose any other type of cultural colonialism. However, Darius did ensure political cohesion so that he could execute grandiose and ambitious expansion campaigns. "Darius began his reign by quelling revolts in the eastern half of the empire, most notably in Persia, Babylon and Media," (Brondou, 2011). After quelling the revolts and establishing his reign, Darius began to systematically acquire new territories via conquering adjacent lands. Eventually, Darius's empire covered "2.9 million square miles and included approximately 10 million people," (Brondou, 2011). A centralized locus of governmental power was set in Persepolis, which Darius founded and built in 518 BCE. Darius's system of governance was highly organized, and he delegated authority to local governors. Transportation, communication, and irrigation infrastructures were highly advanced under the rule of Darius. Like Cyrus, Darius became a model for what great leaders could aspire to. Because he also made a mark on models of governance, Darius is also known as "the Great." Both Cyrus and Darius showed that it was possible to be imperialistic rulers, conquering vast and diverse territories, but without the use of cultural conquest as a means of gaining obedience. Ultimately, though, there were some flaws in the grandiose campaigns of the Persians. Frequent incursions by the Greeks resulted in the eventual breakdown of Persian rule in Western Anatolia.