The swift rise of the Persian Empire is one of the most remarkable developments of Antiquity. Within mere decades this new superpower subdued all the lands between the Aegean Sea and the steppes of Central Asia, including world powers like Lydia and Babylon. Most of these conquests were carried out by one man: Cyrus the Great. How did he bring such a vast area under his rule in such a short time?

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The Histories of Herodotus are the best known historiographical work from Antiquity. Other Greek and Roman historians have written longer and more accurate histories, but none of them has become as popular. The Histories were copied over and over again for nearly 2500 years and have survived almost intact. Why do the Histories of Herodotus fascinate us so much?

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