Book 1 · Chapter 9

So died Cyrus - a seriously awesome and worthy king, the best of all the Persians who’s ever lived, according to everyone who really knew him. Let’s rewind a bit, to when he was just a kid, growing up with his brother and the other guys. Even then, everyone recognized he was something special.

The sons of the most important Persians, you see, all get raised at the king’s place. It’s a place where they learn about self-control and being responsible, and they’re never exposed to anything gross or ugly.

They’d constantly see people getting honored by the king, and others getting called out - they heard all about it, so from a young age, they learned how to lead and how to follow.

Cyrus stood out - he was known for his incredible modesty and always listened to his elders, more than most of the other guys. He was also the best at riding horses and loved animals. People also noticed how good he was at war, using a bow and javelin, always quick to learn and eager to practice.

As soon as he was old enough, he showed the same talent for hunting, and he loved a good, risky adventure facing wild animals. One time, a bear charged him, and without even flinching, he wrestled it, even though he got knocked off his horse and got hurt - the scars were with him for life.

But he ended up killing the bear, and he made sure to reward the guy who helped him, making him super popular. Later, his dad sent him to rule Lydia, Great Phrygia, and Cappadocia, and he became the general in charge of gathering troops in the Castolus plain.

What people noticed most about him was how seriously he took his promises and agreements. He never lied to anyone. That’s how he earned the trust of people and communities under his care - if you made a deal with Cyrus, you knew he’d stick to it.

So, during the war with Tissaphernes, all the states chose Cyrus instead, except for the people of Miletus, who were just scared of him because he wouldn’t give up on their exiled citizens.

His actions and words showed that he always kept his word - even if he was outnumbered or struggling, he’d never ditch his friends.

He didn’t hide the fact that he wanted to one-up both his friends and his enemies - to be fair to everyone. A prayer is even said to be his: "God, let me live long enough to pay back my friends and deal with my enemies with strength."

Whether that’s true or not, no one, at least in our time, ever gathered such a huge group of friends, eager to offer him their money, their cities, even their lives. But that doesn’t mean he let criminals and wrongdoers walk all over him; he punished them without hesitation.

It was common to see people on the main roads missing a hand, a foot, or an eye. Because of this, anyone - Greek or not - in Cyrus’s region could travel anywhere safely, taking whatever they wanted. Still, everyone agreed he really honored the brave warriors.

Take, for example, his war with the Pisidians and Mysians. Leading an expedition into their territory, he could spot those who were willing to take risks. He made them rulers of the conquered land and later gave them even more gifts.

So, the good and brave were lifted up, while cowards were basically their slaves. This meant Cyrus always had volunteers for any dangerous mission, knowing he’d be watching.

Again, whenever he found someone ready to show their skills in doing what’s right, he loved making that person richer than those trying to get ahead by cheating. He ran his own administration fairly, and he gathered a truly impressive army.

Generals and officers alike came to him from across the sea, not just for money, but because they saw that being loyal to Cyrus was a better investment than a big paycheck. Anyone who served him well could count on being rewarded.

That's how Cyrus always had the best people helping him, no matter the task. And if he found a skilled and honest manager who brought in money for the region, he wouldn't take anything from them. Instead, he’d give them even more.

Working hard became enjoyable, and people could build wealth with confidence. They definitely wouldn’t hide how much they had, since he wasn’t jealous of anyone’s wealth, but instead tried to use the riches of those who kept them secret.

He was equally skilled in being courteous to his friends - those he knew were kind or who he could trust to work with him. He’d help them in return, just as much as he needed their help, giving them whatever they wanted.

Dude, he got so many gifts, for all sorts of reasons. Seriously, I don't think anyone ever got more, and he was always ready to give them out, totally knowing what each person would like.

A lot of these presents were for looking good or for fighting, and he's like, "How am I supposed to wear all this stuff? Honestly, the best way to accessorize is by having awesome, supportive friends."

It’s not surprising he’d win out over his friends when it came to doing good deeds, since he was way more powerful. But the fact that he’d go above and beyond with small gestures and just wanting to make people happy? That's what I really admired.

He’d often send a half-flagon of seriously amazing wine to a friend with a message: "Cyrus says, this is the best wine he’s tasted in ages, so he wanted you to try it. Hope you drink it up today with your crew."

Or maybe he’d send the rest of a goose dish, some half-loaves of bread - you know, just stuff. The messenger would say, "This is Cyrus’s absolute fave, he wants you to taste it yourself."

Sometimes there was a shortage of food, but because he had so many helpers and was always thinking ahead, he could get supplies for himself. Then he’d send his friends around, telling them to feed their horses on his hay, because he didn’t want his friends’ horses going hungry.

During long marches or expeditions with tons of people around, he’d gather his friends and have serious conversations, basically saying, "I’m stoked to show you guys some love. Honestly, from what I'm hearing, nobody - Greek or barbarian - was ever so loved. Proof?

Even though Cyrus was technically the king’s servant, nobody ditched him to join the king. The only exception was Orontas, but that didn’t work out. That guy learned that Cyrus was closer to the heart of the person he relied on than he was.

On the flip side, a bunch of people rebelled from the king and went to Cyrus when they started fighting. And these weren't random people; they were close to the king. But they believed their skills would get them a better reward from Cyrus.

Another huge sign of his worth and his ability to spot true loyalty was something that happened at the very end of his life. He was killed, but all his faithful friends and table-companions fell with him - except for Ariaeus, who was in charge of the cavalry on the left.

As soon as he saw Cyrus fall, he bailed, taking all his troops with him.