Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire and the king of Persia from 559 to 530 BC. He is best known for his role in ending the Babylonian captivity and allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. He is considered a hero in Jewish and persian history. His empire, at its height, was the largest empire the world had yet seen.

- He was the Persian king who founded the Achaemenid Empire.

- He allowed the various cultures within his empire to maintain their religions, laws, and customs.

- He freed the Jews that had been held in captivity by the Babylonians.

- He was a benevolent conqueror who honored and cared for his subjects.

- He was a skilled military leader who was able to move his armies quickly and strike before his enemies could prepare.

- He was a tolerant and ideal monarch who was called the father of his people.

- He was born between 590 and 580 BCE in either Media or Persis.

- He died in 529 BCE after being wounded in battle.

- He was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II, who expanded the empire even further.