Cyrus II the Great

Cyrus II the Great was the founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, the largest empire the world had yet seen at its time. He conquered the Median Empire of Astyages, the Lydian kingdom of Croesus, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire of Nabonidus through a combination of military genius and political pragmatism, famously allowing conquered peoples to maintain their customs and religions. He issued the Cyrus Cylinder after capturing Babylon in 539 BCE, allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Judah — an act celebrated in the Hebrew Bible.

• Nationality: persian
• Roles: ruler, general