Preview

Cyrus The Great

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2472 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Cyrus The Great
11/12/2013 Business Ethics Cyrus The Great

Xenophon's “Cyrus The Great” is an excellent narrative on one of the most profound and inspirational leaders in history. Cyrus' philosophies and ideas on human rights and politics, are referred to by many leaders, still today. These philosophies and ideas can be applied directly to many aspects of business ethics. His perspective on leadership, morals, and governing can also be applied to everyday life, because of the overall benevolent message of his ideas. Cyrus also wrote, what is believed by many scholars to be the first declaration of human rights ever transcribed. Morally, the way Cyrus lived and ruled can serve as a model for the way people should strive to live; especially people in the business world.

“Cyrus The Great” was born around 580 BC in Anshan, Persia, which today, is Iran. He was the son of Cambsyes I, who also served as one of Cyrus' greatest mentors as he was growing up in the Achaemenid empire. Cyrus was actually named after Cambsyes' father, Cyrus I, hence Cyrus II. Cyrus had a rather catered life growing up, but was motivated to earn the respect of his peers. Almost as if he had a chip on his shoulder because he was born into royalty. He quickly learned that the way to transcend himself, was to expand his knowledge. He began to study vigorously and read many books that men of his father's court lent him. He became known by them as the “Well of Knowledge.” Cyrus' mental toughness became a huge part of his military successes because he was able to out-stratagize his enemies.

Cyrus obtained much of his character from his father. He often consulted with him before venturing out on his quests. Cyrus' uncle, Syazarees, first appealed to Cyrus to help lead an army to Media against the Assyrian forces that were threatening to the Achaemenid empire. Cyrus jumped at the opportunity and was chosen by the supreme council lead an expeditionary

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The Persian Empire ruled from 559 to 330 B.C.E. Around 2000 B.C.E. the Aryans conquered modern day Persia. The Achaemenid Empire began with Cyrus the Great and he became a king beneath Astyages in ancient Persia. In 550 B.C.E. Cyrus took complete control over the Median kingdom. By 539 B.C.E. Cyrus the Great had conquered both the Lydian and Babylonian kingdoms. After conquering a kingdom he would “decapitate” the leader (not by beheading them but by replacing the existing leader with one of his choosing). Cyrus interfered very little with those beneath the leader which kept them happy and prevented them from revolting. Cyrus almost always honored his subject’s religion by allowing them to worship in peace and not destroy their places of worship. Cyrus the Great ended his reign in 530 B.C.E. Darius the Great ruled from 522-486 B.C.E. Darius expanded the Persian Empire into India. When not occupied by military endeavors Darius was a great administrator, he built extravagant capitals, introduced a standard currency, and extended the road network. Darius also organized a navy comprised of the Greeks and the Egyptians. Alexander the Great took the throne in 336 B.C.E. immediately following his father’s assassination. Alexander continued to follow his predecessors and employ tolerance for tactical reasons. By 324 B.C.E. Greece was the most powerful empire in the world making Alexander the Great the most powerful man in the world at that time.…

    • 1755 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Cyrus (Kurush), the son of a Persian chieftain and a Median princess, united the various Persian tribes and overthrew the Median monarch around 550 B.C.E.…

    • 3342 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Chapter7Outline

    • 2616 Words
    • 8 Pages

    a. Cambyses, Cyrus’s son, ruled the Persian Empire from 530-522 B.C.E. and conquered all of Egypt by 525 B.C.E.…

    • 2616 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Achaemenids was the Great Persian Empire that was founded in 559 BC. The founder was Cyrus the Great and his empire lasted over two centuries. Cyrus was tolerant, especially through religion. This is how the Persians were able to survive. A strategy Cyrus used to gain the trust of people he conquered was going to honor the temple, cults, and local gods of their culture. The Persian world…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Persian King Cyrus was part of one of the most powerful kingdoms leading after the “Dark Age”(textbook, p.37). His great ruling was primarily in Babylon but his ruling emerged all around the world; “(as to…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Both Willie and Cyrus started their careers with a clear and focused goal in mind in order to fulfill their interests while benefiting the people. Throughout both of their careers, we see the change of character from both Cyrus and Willie. Due to the abandonment of their integrity and virtues, neither man was capable of leaving their legacy intact after passing away. Both Cyrus and Willies regime became subjectable to the corruption and softness such as they did towards the end of their careers. During the majority of their rule, both men managed to benefit and fight for the people. Because of this, they will always be respected and admired for their achievements despite the means they used to accomplish them. Although neither men can be determined…

    • 152 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ramses was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled over Egypt from 1290 B.C.E to 1224 B.C.E. He was born around 1303 B.C.E and died 1213 B.C.E. Pharaoh Ramses II was born to his father, Pharaoh Sethi I, and his mother, Queen Tuya. His grandfather was Ramses I. As a pharaoh, Ramses had about 100 wives and over 100 children. Ramses had an older brother who was supposed to be pharaoh before him but he died at age 14 so Ramses became heir to the throne.…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cyrus the Great ruled like no other leader in his time. He created tolerance for other people’s beliefs of religion, traditions and customs. This meant that he had more respect for people and more people respected his rule. With every city he conquered, he freed the enslaved people and allowed the people to worship and live as they please. For example, in Jerusalem…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cyrus first conquered Anatolia. Then, between 550 and 539 B.C. Cyrus conquered the Fertile Crescent. Instead of treating the conquered people badly, he treated them with toleration and created a policy of toleration. He let them have their same customs and let them worship their same god. The Hebrews liked Cyrus greatly because he freed them and let them rebuild their temple and city.…

    • 223 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    What is justice? Today, where it is common for people to only look out for themselves, justice is an extremely important tool. But what exactly is justice? What is right, what is wrong, and who decides that? To find an accurate definition, we as a society should not just focus on one opinion, but the views of many. Similar to how our society is today, the society in The Republic, lived the same, struggling to determine what the correct definition of justice was, and how to pursue the right answer. In the paper, I will be discussing all aspects of Plato’s Republic, including the Philosopher King and his nature, and justice in that time.…

    • 114 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cyrus the Great was a brilliant and powerful Persian King that created an empire “stretching from the Indus River to the Mediterranean and from the Caucasus to the Indian Ocean” under his conquests. His governing and policies were different from any other and it helped create one of the largest empires in the world. Cyrus was truly a ‘great’ leader.…

    • 1023 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The rise and fall of the Persian Empires The Achaemenid Empire Medes and Persians migrated from central Asia to Persia before 1000 B.C.E. Indo-European speakers, sharing cultural traits with Aryans Challenged the Assyrian and Babylonian empires Cyrus the Achaemenid (the Shepherd) (reigned 558-530 B.C.E.) Became king of Persian tribes in 558 B.C.E. All of Iran under his control by 548 B.C.E. Established a vast empire from India to borders of Egypt Cyrus's son, Cambyses (reigned 530-522 B.C.E.), conquered Egypt in 525 Darius (reigned 521-486 B.C.E.); largest extent of empire; population thirty-five million Diverse empire, seventy ethnic groups New capital at Persepolis, 520 B.C.E. Achaemenid administration Twenty-three satrapies (Persian…

    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Himself as the successor to the Persian king as the land's ruler rather than as an Egyptian…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He must do this regardless of the opinion of the majority or possible consequences for himself; he must act only in accordance to the opinion of the few wise, knowledgeable men who understand what is justice, and the laws of the State. Unfortunately, in all of the dialogues the author of this essay has read5, Socrates never clearly explains what ‘the laws’ really are — they remain a sort of abstraction, a divine essence of justice. However, this does not invalidate our definition of a champion of…

    • 698 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this letter, Petrarch offers advice on how to rule as an effective leader. He uses various examples and sources to support his theories of how a good ruler should rule by laying out a good model. Petrarch emphasizes the first quality of a good leader should be friendly to the good citizens. He believed that nothing was worse for the state than to use fear and cruelty to maintain power. He used the case of the barbaric emperor by the name of Maxminus, claiming that it is far better for a lord to be loved than to be feared. He also advised the ruler to love the subjects like one’s own children. Next, Petrarch emphasized justice so that each person gets what is due, and no one is punished without a good reason.…

    • 1017 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays