Two titans of ancient conquest go head-to-head! Join us as we compare Cyrus the Great and Alexander the Great across five crucial categories: rise to power, military accomplishments, impact, wealth, and legacy. Who truly deserves the title of "Greatest Great"? One built the first global empire with tolerance and diplomacy, while the other never lost a battle and spread Greek culture across three continents.
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00:00But this dynasty thrived and flourished under one guy, a guy I would have liked to have met, named Cyrus the Great.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and in today's installment of Versus, we're pitting Cyrus and Alexander,
00:11two of history's greatest conquerors, against each other to determine who the greatest great is.
00:16Here, right here, we cut the throat of the Persian army.
00:23Round one, rise to power.
00:25Alexander was a man who had a mission, and he knew that mission entailed risk.
00:34Ready the troops. Be quick.
00:36Alexander the Great and Cyrus the Great had distinct but equally remarkable a sense to power.
00:42Alexander, born in 356 BCE to King Philip II of Macedonia,
00:46benefited from his father's military conquests and his mother Olympia's political maneuvering.
00:51His rise was inevitable, securing the throne after Philip's assassination and swiftly consolidating power.
00:57What would it look like if the first time we engaged with the enemy, we withdrew, we ran away from it?
01:07The second pressing reason is logistical.
01:10If Alexander does not fight and win a victory early on,
01:14he is going to be shut out of the cities that he needs to provide supplies.
01:18Cyrus, born around 600 BCE, had a more legendary origin, shrouded in myth and mystery.
01:24As the son of Cambyses, king of Persia, and grandson of Astyages, king of Media,
01:29his birth was marked by prophecy.
01:32According to legend, Astyages was warned in a series of prophetic dreams that Cyrus would one day supplant and kill him.
01:38I equate Persia with luxury, with rich tapestries and beautiful rugs and my mother's fat, fuzzy Persian cat named Otis.
01:47But I also think of a fantastic Persian king named Cyrus the Great,
01:51who believed in religious and cultural tolerance, and who freed the Jews from Babylon to return to Israel.
01:57He later united the Medes and Persians,
01:59founding the Achaemenid Empire and expanding it into the first global empire.
02:04Given the mythical qualities of Cyrus' journey, we're handing the first round to him.
02:08Cyrus the Great is one of the few who deserves to be called the Great.
02:16The Persian Empire created some of the most astonishing feats of engineering the world has ever seen.
02:23Magnificent palaces that rose up from barren desert.
02:28Winner, Cyrus.
02:29Round 2. Military Accomplishments
02:32Alexander conquered the entire Persian Empire and extended Greek influence across Egypt, Persia, and India,
02:39and never once lost a battle.
02:41Despite commanding a relatively small army, he was renowned for his military genius,
02:45innovative tactics, and effective use of combined arms, especially in battles like Gagamila.
02:51His father's phalanx strategy was a key element in his success,
02:55making him one of history's most formidable commanders.
02:57There, in the crack of the Persian line, he'll go for the head.
03:04Kill Darius?
03:06The gods have brought him to us at last.
03:09If I die, it's one Macedonian, but the Persians, they cannot move without Darius' command.
03:16As the founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus achieved significant victories,
03:20including the conquest of Babylon and the unification of the Persian tribes.
03:24He's famous for his strategic use of psychological warfare, diplomacy, and alliances,
03:29along with conventional military tactics.
03:32Notably, he conquered Babylon without destruction and freed the Jewish people from captivity,
03:37demonstrating his ability to combine military might with diplomacy.
03:40The Jews had been living in Babylon in captivity ever since Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and
03:45their temple, and Cyrus freed them.
03:48Now, it could be said in hindsight or political history that Cyrus was looking for a buffer state
03:53between a hostile Egypt and his own empire.
03:57But so what?
03:59The point is that no one had ever done anything like this,
04:02and hardly anyone has ever done anything like it since.
04:05Ultimately, no one comes close to Alexander.
04:08Even Genghis Khan, seen by some as the most effective military conqueror who ever lived,
04:13didn't have Alexander's combination of planning, courage, and might, among other traits.
04:18Alexander's undefeated record and expansive conquests set him apart as one of history's
04:23greatest military leaders.
04:25The Battle of the Granicus shows us Alexander's qualities as a leader in many ways.
04:30He builds his confidence.
04:34He becomes more and more assured.
04:36His troops become more loyal.
04:39They strengthen everything follows and cementing his purpose and mission.
04:45Winner, Alexander.
04:47Round three, Impact.
04:49He refused to enslave his new subjects, a revolutionary concept in the ancient world.
04:56He recognized the local validity, if you will, of different religions and beliefs,
05:01and allowed those things to persist.
05:05Let's start with the obvious when it comes to Impact.
05:07Cyrus built an empire, the first of its kind.
05:11Yes, empire building was then built by the sword, but Cyrus was more effective with his word.
05:17He's often celebrated for his wisdom, fairness, and diplomatic approach.
05:21Cyrus respected the traditions of the peoples he conquered, which earned him their loyalty.
05:25The Persian Empire is the first empire to have to run in different languages and to
05:30accommodate different faiths.
05:32So it's always been a point of reference.
05:34Cyrus has always been a point of reference to people wondering how you rule a society
05:42with different religions, different traditions, without people fighting.
05:46His empire, built on tolerance and effective governance, set the foundation for future rulers.
05:51To this end, Cyrus issued the Cyrus Cylinder, often considered the first declaration of human rights,
05:58which promoted religious freedom and cultural respect.
06:01He liberated the Jews, let them return to what is now Israel, and helped rebuild their temples,
06:06earning him a shout-out in the Torah.
06:08Alexander himself was supremely influenced by Cyrus, as were the Romans.
06:13Thomas Jefferson, the Enlightenment.
06:15You could say that Cyrus was the OG Tony Robbins.
06:19If we take control of how we present things to ourselves, how we picture, what we picture,
06:23how we talk to ourselves, what we listen to, then obviously we can change the way we feel
06:27and the way we behave.
06:28In comparison, Alexander, though a brilliant military strategist, was more focused on conquest
06:34than governance.
06:35While he spread Greek culture and philosophy through his empire, his leadership was marked by
06:39ambition, vision, and sometimes ruthlessness.
06:42Look at those we've conquered.
06:45They leave their dead unburied.
06:47They smash their enemy's skulls and drink them as dust.
06:50They made him public.
06:53What can they think or sing or write when none can read?
06:58But as Alexander's army, they can go where they never thought possible.
07:02While spreading Greek culture, he also attempted to merge Greek and Persian traditions, including
07:07religious practices.
07:08However, his approach to governance was more focused on Greek ideals than cultural preservation.
07:14Ultimately, his empire crumbled shortly after his death, cutting short his rule's long-term
07:19impact.
07:19In the end, Cyrus stands out as the more enduring figure, owing largely to his foundational impact
07:25on human rights, religious tolerance, and governance.
07:28When the founding fathers are thinking, how will we make a country where different faiths
07:35are all respected, but there's no state religion, they look to Cyrus.
07:40And Thomas Jefferson studies Cyrus.
07:44He tells his grandson to study Cyrus.
07:46And the U.S. Constitution is, in some ways, the direct descendant of this cylinder.
07:53Winner, Cyrus.
07:55Round four, wealth.
07:57The empire over which Cyrus ruled was the largest the ancient world had ever seen, and may be
08:05to this day, the largest empire ever.
08:10Cyrus' vast wealth came from the sheer size of his Achaemenid empire.
08:14Its size meant that it controlled vast resources.
08:17These included agricultural land, mines, and trade routes, making the empire immensely wealthy.
08:24This was in addition to the sophisticated system of tribute that Cyrus trailblazed, in which
08:28the conquered regions had to pay taxes in the form of goods, services, or precious metals.
08:33Furthermore, his conquering of wealthy kingdoms contributed to his empire's prosperity.
08:38Cyrus was a very innovative builder, and I might add that his standards were particularly high.
08:46We can also say that his building projects reflected, in some ways, the technologies that
08:53he found in the course of his various conquests.
08:56In comparison, Alexander's riches were largely accumulated through the spoils of war.
09:02His conquests, which included Persia, Egypt, and parts of India, yielded immense amounts of
09:07treasure, including gold, silver, and precious stones.
09:10Through the spread of Greek culture, Alexander increased trade between East and West, which
09:15in turn enriched the regions under his control.
09:17On this glorious occasion, I toast this great army that has given so much, and in honor of
09:25them, those of you who set out with us seven long years ago, I pronounce all your debts
09:31paid forthwith from the royal treasury.
09:34Most importantly of all, though, Alexander's fortune was more personal than Cyrus's, as
09:39he directly benefited from the plunder and gifts.
09:41He received vast treasures, particularly from Persia.
09:45While both men were incredibly wealthy, Alexander's personal wealth, derived from his military conquests,
09:51was likely more immediate and spectacular, whereas Cyrus's wealth came from a more stable, long-term
09:57empire-building approach.
09:58As one distinguished Oxford scholar once said to me, Cyrus always had a very good press.
10:05It's a very true statement.
10:09Winner, Alexander.
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10:24Round 5.
10:27Legacy
10:28Cyrus the Great built the first true world empire, uniting diverse territories under the
10:34Achaemenid rule and consolidating a vast number of subterritories while devising and implementing
10:39systems to administer it all.
10:41These included taxation, irrigation, postal services, and even early forms of human rights, as demonstrated
10:47by his respect of local customs.
10:49His policies of cultural respect and religious freedom, allowing subjects to practice their
10:54own faiths, left a lasting imprint on governance and empire management.
10:58Subsequently, he is the only Gentile in the Bible to be referred to as Mashiach or Messiah.
11:07Alexander the Great, though a brilliant military strategist, left behind an empire that quickly
11:11fragmented after his death in 323 BCE.
11:14Known for his ambition, vision, and sometimes ruthless approach to achieving his goals,
11:19his conquests spread Greek culture across Asia, influencing art, philosophy, and governance
11:25for centuries through a process now known as Hellenization.
11:29His military achievements influenced future leaders, but the short-lived nature of his
11:33empire and its eventual fragmentation after his death somewhat diminished the lasting impact
11:37of his reign.
11:38While Alexander's legacy reshaped the cultural world, Cyrus' administrative innovations
11:43ensured the Persian Empire's stability long after his passing.
11:47Winner, Cyrus.
11:49So, between Alexander and Cyrus, who was the greater great?
11:53Well, it depends on the factors you take into account.
11:56If you're looking at military accomplishments and sheer wealth, then Alexander is hard to
12:00match.
12:00However, if you consider resume, cultural impact, and legacy, then Cyrus is the one to beat.
12:06Ultimately, we have to award Cyrus the title of the greatest great.
12:09Given his administrative innovations, benevolent style of ruling, and the fact that his achievements
12:15have stood the test of time.
12:16Cyrus created and maintained an empire thanks, no doubt, to his military savvy, but he was
12:21also a political genius.
12:23He was an excellent, benevolent manager of men.
12:26Who's your favorite ancient conqueror?
12:28Are there any other historical figures we should pit against each other?
12:31Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
12:33Babylon, with its deep water harbor, will be the center of the world.
12:38Alexandries will grow.
12:41Populations will mix and travel freely.
12:43Asia and Europe will come together.
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