Cyrus the Great

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cyrus-the-great

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Cyrus the Great born?Circa 600 BC
2. When did Cyrus the Great die?Circa 530 BC
3. Where was Cyrus the Great born?Persis (ancient region, modern-day Iran)
4. What is the final battle?Allegedly died in battle with the Massagetae along the Syr Darya river
5. Who was Cyrus the Great?He was a king from Persia who started the Achaemenid Empire around 600 BC. He united many peoples and built a huge empire that stretched across West and Central Asia.
6. What big places did Cyrus conquer?He first beat the Median Empire, then won the rich kingdom of Lydia, and finally took over the Neo‑Babylonian Empire in 539 BC. These victories made his empire the largest of its time.

Achaemenid Empire: A vast ancient Persian empire founded by Cyrus the Great, renowned for its administrative sophistication and territorial reach across Western and Central Asia.
Neo-Babylonian Empire: The final empire of Mesopotamia, conquered by Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, marking a significant expansion of Achaemenid power.
Edict of Restoration: A decree issued by Cyrus the Great that authorized the return of exiled peoples, most notably the Jews, to their homelands and the rebuilding of their religious structures.
Satraps: Governors of provinces in the ancient Persian empires, responsible for administration, taxation, and maintaining order within their territories.