Cyrus the Great

About Cyrus the Great

Cyrus the Great, who lived from approximately 600 to 530 BCE, was a pivotal ancient politician and founder of the Achaemenid Empire. His historical importance stems from his unprecedented success in uniting diverse peoples under a single rule, establishing the largest empire the world had yet seen, stretching from the Balkans to the Indus Valley. This massive geopolitical achievement earns him a high placement at #263 in MIT's Historical Popularity Index, reflecting enduring global cultural influence over millennia.

Despite this high historical rank, Cyrus currently receives 1.4 million annualized Wikipedia views in 2025. This places him in a position of attention paradox: he is overattended relative to his importance, showing a +3x "Attention Gap" toward overattention. For context, this level of digital interest is significantly less than contemporary politicians like John F. Kennedy (#328 importance) who drew 7.1 million views, suggesting the gravity of his ancient political legacy is somewhat diluted in the modern search landscape.

Encouragingly, online interest is not stagnant; his 2025 momentum shows a +9% increase in attention when comparing Q1 to Q3, indicating a recent, albeit modest, uptick in modern relevance.