[Cyrus] the king is said to be the son of Cambyses the king of the Persians. This Cambyses [was] of the family of the Perseids, and the Perseids are named from Perseus;[1] his mother was Mandane. Mandane was the daughter of Astyages who became king of the Medes. Cyrus is reported and praised even now by the barbarians as having been very handsome in appearance, and in his character very loving of mankind and very devoted to learning [and very ambitious], so that he endured every kind of toil and every kind of danger for the sake of praise.[2]
He was called Kyros because when playing the game of kingship with the other boys he won the supremacy.[3]
This Cyrus was experienced, if any one was, in the philosophy in which he was educated by the magi; he was taught justice and truth, in accordance with some laws established for the Persian nobles.[4]
[Note] that Cyrus, the king of the Persians, was so called because in the game called basilinda he gained supremacy over his age-mates.[5]