Cyrus the Young person

Cyrus the Young person , in Greek old Κῦρος / Kyros , in old Persian Kurach , born in 424, died in 401, Persian prince of the dynasty achéménide and general.

Wire of Darius II and Parysatis, it is born shortly after the accession with the throne from his/her father. In 408, it receives the satrapies Lydie, of Phrygie and Cappadoce, as well as the command of the Persian armies of Asia Mineure. It follows a policy pro Spartan, with the detriment of Athens.

Preferred by his/her mother with her brother, the future Artaxerxès II, it very early plans to protest the throne for itself with died of his/her father. For this purpose, it hopes to rest on Sparte. Allured by the character of Lysandre, named Navarque at the beginning of 407, it brings its support in the to him Peloponnesian War, increasing the assistance of 500 talents offered on behalf of Darius II. This sum, carrying balances it sailors Spartans from three to four mites, makes it possible to discharge the enemy crews, paid chichement. When Lysandre is replaced in -406 by Callicratidas, Cyrus expresses its dissatisfaction. After the demolished islands Arginuses where Callicratidas finds death, Cyrus made send Lysandre as secretary of new navarque, but having the effective command. It gains the naval victory of Aigos Potamos in 405.

In 404, Darius II falls ill and dies. Artaxerxès II goes up on the throne. Tissapherne, satrap of Decay, then denounces the plans of Cyrus against his/her brother, but thanks to the intercession of his mother Parysatis, he is forgiven. He does not stop with this fallen through attempt, however: he gathers troops under cover of a quarrel with Tissapherne, and a forwarding against a mountain tribe of the Taurus. In spite of the fall of Lysandre in 403, it is constant in writing pad by Sparte. Cléarque, in favor of Lysandre, condemned to died for atrocities made during its governorship of Byzance, gains the Chersonèse of Thrace and gathers an army of mercenaries. On its side, Ménon de Pharsale makes in the same way in Thessalie.

In spring 401, Cyrus joins together its armies and leaves Sardes. Prevented at the last time by Tissapherne, Artaxerxès II gathers to him also its troops, and in front of Babylon, in October, the takes place battles of Counaxa. Cyrus aligns 10 400 Hoplite S and 2 500 Peltaste S, plus its Asian troops, evaluated by Xénophon with 100 000, well exaggerated figure. One can rather estimate at 30 000 the full number of men for Cyrus, and 40 000 for Artaxerxès. Cyrus is killed in the battle and the Persian troops involve the Greeks in a trap by bringing them to the center of the country, beyond the Tigre. Cléarque is captured and killed, leaving Greek forwarding without chiefs, with the right in the middle of an enemy country. They succeed nevertheless, by electing chiefs again, to reprocess towards the Euxine Sea. It is celebrates it retirement of the Ten Thousand, told by Xénophon, one of the chiefs, in his Anabase .

The life of Cyrus is described by Xénophon in the Cyropédie (fictionalized account of the education of Cyrus) and the Anabase , like by Plutarque in its parallel Vies . Cyrus was well considered by the old ones. It is certain that it was more energetic, voluntary and qualified, at the same time like statesman and general, that his Artaxerxès brother.

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