In 575 b.c.e. a Persian royal child, Cyrus, was born (in what is modern-day Iran). Young Cyrus showed an early talent for leadership. In 559 he ascended to the Persian throne. A powerful Median kingdom had ruled the Persians for more than a century, but its influence was waning. The Median ruler challenged the young Persian king to battle in 549 and Cyrus defeated him. Cyrus took control of Media. Eventually his armies conquered the lands from Babylonia to the south and up into central Asia to the north. His defeat of Babylon freed the Jews, in bondage there to the Babylonian king. Cyrus was widely revered by the Jewish people for his wisdom and generosity. Zoroastrianism is widely believed to have mingled with Judaism at this time, influencing the Jewish religion. This was the era of the great Hebrew prophet Isaiah, who preached of a savior yet to be born into the world, an idea that previously had been Zoroastrian alone. It is not possible to say with certainty that Cyrus was a follower of the Zarathustrian religion, although he may have been. Except for some official decrees, no written records of his reign survive, and Zoroastrianism is not mentioned by name in the Greek trading records of the time. However Zoroastrians point to his rule of justice and truth and the fact that he never tried to convert the peoples he conquered as signs that he was following the path laid down by Zarathustra.
The imperial line Cyrus began is called the Achaemenid Empire, after his ancestor Achaemenes. After Cyrus’s death in 529 b.c.e. a century of fighting and warfare under a succession of Achaemenid rulers expanded Persian rule still further, from the Mediterranean Sea and into Africa on the west and to the Indus River on the east. The Achaemenids were not only fierce warriors. They were excellent managers, diplomatic in their approach to government, who administered their far-fl ung holdings with uncommon wisdom and foresight. Within the Persian domain was a well-developed communications system so that royal decrees could reach the farthest outposts in a matter of days. The Achaemenids traded widely within and outside their empire, particularly with the Greeks. Importantly, conquered tribes were allowed to keep their own religions and customs, a practice that helped keep the peace. For example the Magi, priests of the defeated Medes, gained favor with the Achaemenid court and became the chief priests of Zoroastrianism.
Zoroastrianism the Religion and Its History
