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During his time, Cyrus was proclaimed the greatest leader of his era and, perhaps, of the ancient world. Much of what we know about him comes from pieces of the Old Testament, the Babylonian Chronicle, and the writings of ancient historians Herodotus and Xenophon. Through these writings from his friends and foes, we gather a view of this extraordinary man. Though he can be compared to Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan for his military accomplishments, Cyrus was also a master at diplomacy and tact. He welded together groups of people as disparate as Afghani tribesmen and Turkish farmers, creating the first world empire known in the Western world. His legacy in the Middle East lives on, for he was the leader who initiated the Persians' and Iranians' national destinies more than 2,000 years ago.