Critical explanation and analysis of Ctesias’ narrative of Cyrus II’s ancestry

The Persian Empire was founded after the conquest of Cyrus II (559-529B.C). Cyrus II, the founder of Persian Empire, came to power in 559 BC. During 559 to 539 BC, by conquering Ecbatana, Sardis, Babylon and coasts of Asia Minor, Cyrus was able to be the heir of great civilizations such as Assyrian Empire, Elam, Median Kingdom, Lydia and Babylonia. However, there is little or no clear information about the early stages of his life and his coming to power. As sources tell of the early stages of his life, different images emerge. One of these sources that is of great importance is the narrative of Ctesias. Ctesias describes Cyrus as the son of a bandit and a maid of the tribe of Mard, who revolts against them by passing through the stages of power in the Median Valley, transferring power to his family. This image of Cyrus is in contrast to the image presented by other literary and material sources of the Near East and classical Greek texts. In those narratives, Cyrus' place is considered to be the continuation of a royal family. This article aims to analyze the different aspects of narrative of Ctesias and to study why this narrative and the various elements within it have been formed. In this regard, this research will address this issue in a descriptive-analytical and library method, by studying literary and material data of the Achaemenid period.