CYRUS, the founder of the Persian monarchy, whose original name appears to have been Agradatos, was the son of Cambyses, a Persian, and Mandane, daughter of Astyages, king of Media. Astyages, in consequence of a dream which portended that the offspring of his daughter would take the throne of the Medes, ordered Cyrus to be destroyed as soon as he was born; but he was preserved by a herdsman's wife, who brought him up as her own son. As he grew up, he evinced towards his playmates a spirit of independence and authority. Later in life he encouraged the Persians to revolt against the Medes, and dethroned Astyages B.C. 560. He next attacked and took Sardis, and made Croesus prisoner B.C. 546. He besieged and took the city of Babylon B.c. 538, which he entered by diverting the course of the Euphrates, and leading his army into the city by the dry bed of the river. At last he carried his arms against the Massagetæ, and was defeated and slain by Tomyris, their queen, after he had reigned twenty-nine years, B.c. 529. It was soon after his capture of Babylon that Cyrus performed the action which has given most celebrity to his name, the issuing of an edict permitting the Jewish captives to return and rebuild their temple.

CYRUS, the Younger, second son of Darius Nothus, king of Persia, by Parysatis, was born about B.C. 423. His father sent him, at the age of sixteen, to govern the western provinces of Asia Minor, and at his death bequeathed to him the government of those provinces. He was soon found to have engaged in a conspiracy against the life of his elder brother, Artaxerxes, who condemned him to death; but, on his mother's intercession, was contented with banishing him to his provinces. It was not long before he resumed his ambitious projects, and he secretly employed Clearchus, a Lacedemonian general, to engage a body of Greek mercenaries in his service. A quarrel with Tissaphernes, a neighbouring satrap, enabled him to conceal his design, and he pretended that his levies of troops were meant only to act against that governor. Having at length collected a force of 13,000 Greeks, and 100,000 soldiers of other nations, with a considerable fleet, he proceeded eastward, and he had arrived at Tarsus, in Cilicia, before his army knew whither he was marching them. The Greeks then suspected his real intentions, and refused to advance

further. Through the influence of Clearchus, and the promise of half as much pay again, they were at last persuaded to proceed against Artaxerxes, who was now alarmed and prepared for resistance. On the plains of Cunaxa he came in sight of his royal brother's numerous host. Cyrus, contrary to the advice of Clearchus, posted himself in the van. The Greeks soon routed all that opposed them, and their success appeared so decisive, that Cyrus was saluted king by those around him. But, perceiving the horse guards of Artaxerxes wheeling about to attack him, he made a furious charge upon them with 600 chosen cavalry, and with his own hand killed Artagerses, their captain. His brother's person was now exposed to view; and Cyrus, exclaiming, "I see him," rushed on to the encounter with all the fury of fraternal rivalry. He unhorsed the king, twice wounded him, and was about to repeat the stroke, when he fell under a shower of darts, B.c. 400. The record of this memorable transaction is made imperishable by the pen of Xenophon.

CZERNI GEORGE, (George the Black,) was the son of a Servian peasant named Petroni, and was born near Kragujewatz, about A.D. 1765. At the commencement of the Servian revolt against the Porte, in the first years of the present century, he was a chief of klephts, or freebooters; but his prowess and military genius soon placed him at the head of the insurgents. In 1804 he took Belgrade, and in 1806, assisted by the Russians, who were then at war with the Porte, he succeeded in expelling the Turks entirely from Servia. Czerni George was now recognised as hospodar, or prince of the country, and maintained himself, by the aid of the Russians, till the peace of Bucharest in 1812. The Porte now demanded the unconditional submission of the Servians, in whose favour only a few nugatory stipulations had been inserted by the Russians in the treaty; and in 1813 the country was invaded by the neighbouring pashas. The internal disputes of the Servian chiefs paralysed their efforts at resistance; and after a struggle of four months, Czerni George was compelled to fly, having previously shot his father with his own hand to prevent his falling into the power of the Turks. He now fled into Austria, and afterwards repaired to Russia, where he was received with high distinction (1816) by the emperor Alexander; but his restless spirit led him to return, the follow

ing year, into Servia, in the hope of exciting a fresh revolt. He was imme diately seized, however, by the contrivance, as it is said, of Milosch Obrenowich, afterwards prince of Servia; and being surrendered to the Turkish authorities, was decapitated at Belgrade, July

1817. It has frequently been reported. that he was by birth a Frenchman, who had fled in youth to the East; but this tale, which is inserted in the Supplement to the Biographie Universelle, tom. Ixi., does not appear to rest on any foundation.