Cyrus The Great And Socrates - 1687 Words

Despite the fact that Cyrus the Great and Socrates led exceedingly different lives in different areas of the world, both of these men were very much free thinkers and prospered in their respective endeavors as a result of the extraordinary knowledge they possessed. In particular, to better understand Cyrus’s ascension to and maintaining of the throne, it’s useful to draw parallels between his knowledge and the knowledge of Socrates presented via Plato’s Gorgias. I will argue that Cyrus’s success as leader of the world’s most powerful empire could not have come to fruition without his utilization of the Socratic method of thought and questioning throughout his development as a boy, youth, and mature man. Specifically, I will connect†¦show more content†¦For example, as a young boy about to embark on his first hunt Cyrus proceeds to inquire enthusiastically of the older guards concerning, â€Å"...which animals one should not approach and which one should pursue boldly† (35). After perceiving the advice of his â€Å"attendants†, Cyrus almost immediately goes against the counsel of the more experienced guards and leads chase to multiple animals including a deer and boar. Now, in doing so the first instinct of the reader is to assume naivety and immaturity on the part of Cyrus; however, inspecting this occurrence through the text of Gorgias, a much different conclusion can be reached. Recall that in the same way that Socrates asks questions of his peers and considers their respective answers with thoughtful skepticism, so too does Cyrus take the answers he receives with a grain of salt and instead treats them as yet another route he may take if he chooses to do so. This Socratic questioning period that Cyrus undergoes during his boyhood is crucial in understanding the development of Cyrus as a tremendously successful king as it illustrates the fact that he will not be commanded by another human being nor will he fall victim to his own ignorance in being close-minded. Second, as a young man we can see Cyrus’ gradual accrual of wisdom as he begins to use fewer words and is more interested in learning than to always emerge victorious, â€Å"He did not run fromShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Strong Willed Queen Tomyris of the Massagetea689 Words   |  3 Pagesmost important women in history. Her name was Queen Tomyris of the Massagetea. She stood in the way of the conquests of Cyrus the Great. She lost her son to Cyrus in the war. Despite that, she challenged him to another fight to keep her kingdom free. She got vengeance for her son and protected Greece from capture by Cyrus. In doing this she shaped the known world. Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Persian Empire who lived around 350 BC. He was an amazing conqueror who was never satisfied withRead MoreSemester Project : The Great And His Predetermined Destiny1325 Words   |  6 PagesProject Final Step Step One: My semester project topic is about Cyrus the Great and his predetermined destiny, his founding of his empire, how he was given the name the Great, and his use of power to establish basic human rights. Step Two: Cizek, Alexandru. From the historical truth to the literary convention: the life of Cyrus the great viewed by Herodotus, Ctesias and Xenophon. L Antiquità © classique (1975): 531-552. â€Å"Cyrus the Great: Asiatic Supremacy.† Beacon Lights of History 4 (2006): n. pagRead MoreThe Civilians Of Ancient Greece851 Words   |  4 Pagescreated an open society that was free to open expression and questioning authority. (Acrobatic, 2014) The â€Å"love of wisdom†, or study of philosophy was possible in the open society of Greece. 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