7 moments

1. Accession at Pasargadae

   0559-01-01 BC · Pasargadae, Fars Province, Iran

   

   Following Cambyses I's death, Cyrus inherited the Persian throne at Pasargadae, then a vassal polity under Median overlordship. The source dates his succession to 559 BC; the quoted sentence directly places the inherited throne at Pasargadae.

2. Battle near Pasargadae

   0550-01-01 BC · Pasargadae, Fars Province, Iran

   In the final phase of the Medo-Persian conflict, Cyrus commanded Persian forces in fighting near Pasargadae against the Median king Astyages. The precise battle location and narrative depend on later classical accounts; the coordinate represents Pasargadae.

3. Capture of Ecbatana

   0550-01-01 BC · Ecbatana (Hamadan), Hamadan Province, Iran

   

   Cyrus marched to and took Ecbatana, the Median capital, completing the overthrow of Astyages and gaining the Median royal treasury. The date follows the conventional dating of the decisive Median defeat; some scholarly chronological uncertainty remains.

4. Battle of Pteria

   0547-01-01 BC · Pteria (Kerkenes), Yozgat Province, Turkey

   

   Cyrus led Persian forces against Croesus of Lydia at Pteria in Cappadocia. The battle was indecisive but marked his westward campaign against Lydia. The location is conventionally identified with Kerkenes, and the chronology of the Lydian campaign is debated.

5. Occupation of Sardis

   0546-01-01 BC · Sardis, Manisa Province, Turkey

   

   Cyrus captured and occupied Sardis, Croesus's capital, bringing the Lydian kingdom under Persian control. The broader dating of the Lydian conquest is disputed, but the source dates the occupation to 546 BC.

6. Crossing of the Hindu Kush

   0533-01-01 BC · Hindu Kush, Afghanistan

   

   During his eastern campaigns, Cyrus crossed the Hindu Kush and received tribute from Indus cities, extending Persian influence toward northwestern South Asia. The coordinate is a representative central point in the mountain range; the crossing route is not specified.

7. Campaign against the Massagetae

   0529-01-01 BC · Amu Darya (Oxus) frontier, Central Asia

   

   According to Herodotus's account, Cyrus began an armed attempt to take Massagetae territory, constructing bridges and towered war boats on the Oxus frontier. The account and precise location are disputed. The coordinate is a representative point on the lower Amu Darya, not a claimed exact camp or bridge site.