Cyropaedia

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “First book to read” – Thomas Jefferson, United States Founding Father
“When you start learning Greek, the first book you should read is Cyropaedia.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Best Leadership book” – Peter Drucker, Father of Modern Management
“The first book on Leadership, Cyropaedia, is still the best.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wise Leadership Principles” – Navi Radjou, Author and TED Speaker
“Cyrus triumphed not just through conquest but also by showing singular tolerance and mercy to those he defeated. Discover the wise leadership principles of the Persian King Cyrus the Great in Darius Lahoutifard’s great new book.”

The Cyropaedia is among the most remarkable books ever written in human history due to its multifaceted roles throughout time. It can be characterized in several ways. Firstly, it is a biography of Cyrus the Great, the founder of Persia’s Achaemenid Empire. Secondly, it serves as a historical account, narrating the establishment of the Persian Empire and its expansion into the largest empire ever, presented in the form of a novel. Lastly, and most importantly for this edition, it functions as an educational manual on LEADERSHIP, strategy, and the art of war.

Origins and Titles

Written around 370 BC by Xenophon—an Athenian soldier, historian, and disciple of Socrates—the work’s Latinized title, Cyropaedia, is derived from the Greek Kúrou paideía (Κύρου παιδεία), meaning “The Education of Cyrus.” The Cyropaedia influenced medieval writers in the “mirrors for princes” genre and significantly impacted Machiavelli’s The Prince, which contributed to the transition from medieval to modern political thought. It was later embraced by America’s Founding Fathers, keen readers of the Cyropaedia. Leaders of any era can draw inspiration from this work, which sows seeds for future realization and manifestation. The Founding Fathers found resonance in Cyrus’s ideas and aspirations, aligning with their deepest beliefs, values, and convictions.

The Character and Leadership of Cyrus

The Cyropaedia portrays Cyrus’s character, showcasing the qualities that made him an exemplary ruler. It elucidates timeless principles of leadership. As a result, it has served as the world’s leadership manual, inspiring figures such as Alexander, Scipio, Cicero, Caesar, and Machiavelli, extending to contemporary times. Peter Drucker, recognized as the father of modern management science, regarded this first book on leadership as the best. His biographer and student, William Cohen, noted: “Despite the plethora of books published on leadership by renowned academic researchers and successful CEOs, Drucker never wavered in his view. Xenophon remained the best.”

Xenophon’s Perspective and Historical Context

Although Xenophon (c. 431 – 355 BC) was not a contemporary of Cyrus (c. 580 – 530 BC), and some of his knowledge about Persia likely derived from later Achaemenid court events, he had visited Persia as one of the “Ten Thousand” Greek soldiers involved in a Persian civil war, an experience he recounted in his Anabasis.

Twenty-four Centuries of Influence

The Cyropaedia continued to be widely read in the early modern period and during the Enlightenment. Machiavelli’s The Prince, which marked a shift towards modern political thought, was particularly influenced by the Cyropaedia and represents a different reading of Xenophon. Many early modern writers after Machiavelli, including Montaigne, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Bacon, Jonathan Swift, Bolingbroke, Shaftesbury, Edward Gibbon, and Benjamin Franklin, also esteemed Xenophon as a philosopher and historian. The Cyropaedia was often used to model correct prose in classical Attic Greek, mastery of which was part of the education of European and American gentlemen in the eighteenth century. Thomas Jefferson owned two copies of the book, likely for this reason.

Decline and Resurgence in Popularity

In the nineteenth century, Xenophon and the Cyropaedia declined in popularity compared to other classical authors and works, partly due to its endorsement of monarchy becoming less favorable. Yet, in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Xenophon’s work experienced a resurgence in study and esteem. Some contemporary scholars argue that the basic historical events in the Cyropaedia are more credible than those described in Herodotus’s Histories, and debate continues over the work’s relevance and historical accuracy, which is not the focus of this edition.