Cyrus's Conquests: Lydia, Greece, Babylon, and the East

When the king had finished his business with Media, he marched his whole army straight toward Lydia. For the warlike Croesus, with all his forces, had pushed his army across to the border. His troops numbered more than a hundred thousand, yet he could not hold his ground against the king. He was taken alive on the battlefield, and then the king pardoned him. From that day on Croesus was always the king's companion, that chosen, renowned man. From there the king turned toward Sparta, which the storytellers have called Esparta. He seized all of Greece from end to end, entrusted each part to a worthy man, and moved on. There was no one but Piran, son of Viseh, who led the king's own elite army as its vanguard. At Babylon he fought a glorious battle, where every champion showed his mettle. The Jews who were held captive there, since Nebuchadnezzar had taken them prisoner, by the decree of that lofty king were all set free from their chains. He gave them abundant arms and money, and sent them off to Jerusalem. Once more he rebuilt the fortress of Ecbatana, and gladdened the souls of the great with his goodness. In the Torah the angel praises him; there too his name is called blessed Cyrus. The prophet Daniel became his minister, the same man Nebuchadnezzar had once held captive. After the conquest of Babylon, the war-seeking king marched his whole army toward the east. In all of India no great man was left who had not read the proclamation of his sword. From there toward Cathay and Khotan that army-shattering king kept on marching. India and China trembled at his might; the land of Turan shuddered in dread of him. For seven long years it went on, since Cyrus had set out from here toward the east. He never rested from war, battle, and strife, until a year of drought came upon all this. Once again he set his sights on Persia, meaning to march swiftly from there toward Egypt.