Did Cyrus the Great Conquer Greece?

No. Cyrus the Great (r. 559–530 BCE) never conquered mainland Greece.

⚔️ What Actually Happened

• 546 BCE: Cyrus conquered Lydia (King Croesus), bringing Persian rule to the Aegean coast of Asia Minor (Ionia). Greek cities there (Miletus, Ephesus, etc.) became Persian subjects.
• Mainland Greece: Never invaded by Cyrus. He died campaigning against the Massagetae (Central Asia).
• Persian Wars (490–479 BCE): His successors—Darius I (Marathon) and Xerxes I (Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea)—attempted mainland conquest. Greeks repelled both invasions.

🎯 Key Distinction

Cyrus created the Achaemenid Empire that later threatened Greece. But the clash of Persian imperialism vs. Greek polis autonomy was his heirs' war, not his.