Cyrus's Rule of Persia

the persians who ruled yaman did not come directly under the authority of the persian emperor, particularly after cyrus had killed his father chosroes and succeeded to his throne. the new emperor seemed to think that the whole world ran according to his wishes and that the kingdoms of the world existed only to fill his treasury and to increase his affluence and luxury. because he was a young man, he neglected most of the affairs of state in order to devote himself to his pleasures and pastimes. the pageantry of his hunting trips was greater than any imagination could possibly conceive. he used to go out surrounded by a whole troop of youthful princes clad in red, yellow, and violet; carriers of falcons and servants held back their muzzled panthers, perfume carrying slaves, fly fighters and musicians. in order to give himself a feeling of spring in the midst of winter, he used to sit surrounded by the members of his house on an immense carpet on which were drawn the roads and highways of the kingdom, the orchards, and gardens full of flowers, the forests and greenwoods and the silvery rivers all in a state of blossoming spring. despite cyrus's extravagance and addiction to pleasure, persia maintained its glory and strong resistance to byzantium and prevented the spread of christianity further east. it was clear, however, that the accession of cyrus to the throne was the beginning of the decline of this empire and a preparation for its conquest by the muslims and the spread of islam therein.