The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

SUPPLEMENTAL ENCYCLOPAEDIACyrus Surnamed The Great, was the founder of thePersian Empire. He was the son of Cambyses, king ofPersia, and Mandane, daughter of Astyages, king of theMedes. The habits and manners of the two peoples werealike, and the general motives of war were, for the mostpart, wantingbetween them. No doubt there was certaindependency political, and perhaps tributary of the Persianupon the Median kings. For the purpose of educatiorfand to learn refinement of manners, young Cyrus wasplaced in charge of his grandfather, Astyages, at the courtof the Medes. According to a tradition, Astyages wasalarmed by a dream which portended that the offspring ofMandane would become king, or conquer Media, and hecommanded an officer named Harpagus to kill Cyrus.Harpagus promised to obey the order, but privily committedthe boy to the care of a herdsman, who broughthim up with his own children. Cyrus, having discoveredthe secret of his birth and having inured himself to thehardy habits of the warlike Persians, incited the latter to revoltagainst the King of Media. With the encouragementand assistance of his father, who was killed during the greatbattle, he defeated Astyages, destroyed his army and tookhim prisoner. The victory was so complete and overwhelmingthat his chiefs and generals gathered around him on thebattlefield and proclaimed him King of Media and Persia.During his reign, among the many of his exploits was thecapture of Babylon in 538 B. C. In 536 B. C. he issuedthat famous edict whereby the Jewish captives who hadbeen deported to Babylon were permitted to return to Jerusalemand rebuild their temple.Herodotus states that Cyrus afterwards invaded the countryof the Scythians, who were ruled by Queen Tomyris,and that he gained several victories over her, but wasdrawn into an ambush and killed In 529 B. C. He wassucceeded by his son Cambyses.'74