Two conquerors are bound together by one empire: Cyrus the Great founded the Persian Empire, the largest empire the ancient world had yet seen, and two centuries later Alexander the Great destroyed it1. One built, the other took. Here they are, side by side.
The Hellenistic age and the spread of Greek culture
Cyrus: the founder
Cyrus the Great united the Persians and Medes and, in a single generation, built1 the largest empire the world had yet seen, stretching from Asia Minor to the edge of Central Asia. He is remembered not only for conquest but for a relatively tolerant rule, allowing conquered peoples their own customs and faiths, an image preserved in the Cyrus Cylinder and in the biblical return of the Judean exiles2.
The Persian Empire about 500 BC, under Darius I, a generation after Cyrus founded it. From William R. Shepherd's Historical Atlas, 1923. Public domain
Alexander: the conqueror
Alexander the Great inherited a superb Macedonian army and, in little more than a decade, destroyed the very empire Cyrus had built, winning his decisive victory at Gaugamela in 331 BC. He never lost a pitched battle4 and carried Greek culture as far as India, but died at thirty-two with no settled succession, and his empire was torn apart by his generals.
The Alexander Mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii, a Roman floor mosaic after a Hellenistic painting, showing Alexander charging Darius III, the last Achaemenid king, at Issus. Naples National Archaeological Museum. Public domain
The verdict
Cyrus built; Alexander conquered. Cyrus created the template for the multi-ethnic world empire and a reputation for tolerance that outlived his dynasty by millennia. Alexander was the more dazzling soldier, undefeated and astonishingly young, but he destroyed more than he built, and what he won did not hold. As a founder Cyrus has few equals; as a conqueror Alexander stands almost alone.
The empire of Alexander the Great from 336 to 323 BC, with his route of conquest across the former Persian Empire. From William R. Shepherd's Historical Atlas, 1923. Public domain
Each commander above has a full biography on this site, with its own sources. Judgements of who was "greater" are ours and openly a matter of debate; the facts and dates follow established histories. See our editorial approach.
Frequently asked questions
Did Cyrus and Alexander ever meet?
No. Cyrus founded the Persian Empire in the 6th century BC; Alexander destroyed it in the 4th, more than two centuries later, so they never met.
Who built the greater empire?
Cyrus founded the Persian Empire, often called the first world empire; Alexander conquered it and pushed on to India. Cyrus's creation lasted two centuries1; Alexander's empire fragmented within a generation of his death.
Why is Cyrus called the Great?
For founding the Persian Empire and for a reputation, preserved in the Cyrus Cylinder, as a relatively tolerant ruler who respected the customs and religions of conquered peoples.
Did Alexander admire Cyrus?
Ancient sources say Alexander honoured Cyrus's memory and had his tomb at Pasargadae restored after his conquest of Persia5.
How did each die?
Cyrus is said to have died on campaign in the east around 530 BC6; Alexander died of illness at Babylon in 323 BC, aged thirty-two3.
Sources and notes
Numbered notes in the text point to the works below.
Pierre Briant, From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire (trans. Peter T. Daniels) (Eisenbrauns, 2002). ↩ abc
A. B. Bosworth, Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great (Cambridge University Press, 1988). ↩
Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander, Issus 2.6 to 11; Gaugamela 3.8 to 15; Alexander orders the restoration of Cyrus's tomb at Pasargadae 6.29; death at Babylon 7.25 to 28; tr. E. J. Chinnock. ↩
Herodotus, Histories, Book 1, 201 to 214: Cyrus's campaign against the Massagetae and his death. ↩
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