Cyrus
King Cyrus the Great is an ancient man of great historical importance. This ancient history details his life from youth to elderly age. It covers first his education by his maternal grandfather, Astyages, in the Spartan style of education, and then explores the ways his identity unfolded. Through time, Cyrus's rise to power proved to be a great catalyst in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean worlds. His rise to power helps the Medes to become powerful in Babylon.
Astyages
Cyrus's maternal grandfather educated the king in the style of Spartan warriors. This meant first and foremost that Cyrus's education was somewhat extreme. The idea of Spartan education at the time is that a person has an ethical obligation to maximize the potential of their body, their mind, and their ability to communicate and lead. Cyrus is educated in the philosophies of ancient Greece, and he is trained in formal logic and rhetoric which help him as a politician. He is also trained in combat.
The Babylonians
The book turns from a portrait of Cyrus's life and education to show the major effects of his political and military career. His rise to power began when he made full use of a relationship his estate enjoyed with the Medes. That ancient Iranian kingdom was already blending with other local kingdoms in a resistance movement against the Babylonian empire. Cyrus helps the Medes to undermine the Babylonians and then conquer them at home.
