History of the Parsis : including their manners, customs, religion and present position : with coloured and other illustrations : in two volumes

6 HISTORY OF THE PARSTS. [CHAP. I.

conquered many kingdoms, and who was the foremost figure of his times, dreaded and admired throughout the whole of the then known world. He overthrew and destroyed the Median power, which before he ascended the throne possessed the rights of suzerainty over his country, and established a Persian empire in its stead. He also became the possessor of the accumulated stores of ages, the riches of the Ninevite kings. His intrepid spirit was not satisfied with these early triumphs. After subjugating Media he engaged in a war with Chreesus, the richest monarch of his age, and thus brought the kingdom of Lydia under the Persian sway. He compelled Asiatic Greece to acknowledge his power. He conquered the once great and glorious kingdom of Bactria, and followed up his successes with an attack upon the Sace tribe, then occupying the districts now known as Kashgar and Yarkand. ‘The Sacz were considered excellent soldiers, and their women proved themselves as brave as their men in fighting against the army of the invader. Cyrus also conquered the mighty and glorious empire of Babylon, and added about 250,000 square miles of territory to his empire. On making himself master of Palestine he freed the Jews from captivity and allowed them to establish themselves at Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple. In his comprehensive scheme of conquests were included Egypt and Phoenicia, but death