Cyrus Younger

Cyrus (Younger), commonly called the Younger, was the son of King Darius Nothus and of Parysatis. His father made him satrap of Lydia and Asia Minor, and here Cyrus gained the friendship of the Spartan Lysander, and aided the Spartans in their struggle for the supremacy in Greece. In this he went counter to what was the traditional Persian policy, which had for its object the fomenting of Greek divisions so as to make union impossible. At a later period he conspired against his brother, Artaxerxes, but failing in his object, was forgiven and reinstated in his government. He again meditated designs against his brother, and with a large army, increased by 10,000 Greek mercenaries, he set out from Sardis, but in 401 was defeated and slain at the battle of Cunaxa, The famous retreat of the 10,000 Greeks has been immortalised by its leader and chronicler, Xenophon.