Anonymous
Richard Farrant?

THE WARS OF CYRUS
The title continues, "King of Persia, against Antiochus King of Assyria, with the Tragicall End of Panthća. Played by the children of her Maiesties Chappell."

1576–1594

The play was published in 1594, but its modern editor, James Paul Brawner, was persuaded that it was performed in 1576-77, probably at Blackfriars, with songs and choruses that were dropped when the manuscript was prepared for publication in order to conform to changing tastes; traces of these remain in the text. A song lamenting Panthea's death and ascribed to Richard Farrant survives, and might well have come from the play. Farrant was acting or actual Master of the Children of the Chapel in 1576-77, and is, as Brawner says, the strongest candidate for authorship of the play in its original form. But there is nothing in or outside the published text to confirm the possibility.

a synoptic, alphabetical character list

ABRADATES
King of Susa and husband of Panthea, Abradates is absent on an embassy while most of the play unfolds. Summoned by his wife, he joins Cyrus in the final assault on Antiochus with his band of 2000 horsemen, and wins the lottery that decides who will be in the van of the attack. There he is killed, and his body brought back in honor to Cyrus's camp.

ALEXANDRA
Alexandra is the only surviving child of the Assyrian general, Gobrias. Captured by Antiochus in a surprise attack on her father's castle, she changes clothing with her page Libanio, and, so disguised, bears to her father a letter from Antiochus offering to exchange her life for Gobrias' return to Antiochus' service. She arrives safely, but is anxious about Libanio and asks Cyrus to rescue him. Libanio, however, escapes on his own and they are reunited. By a kind of lottery, she is married to Histaspis.

ANTIOCHUS
Made King of Assyria by his father's death in the war against Cyrus, Antiochus offers Ctesiphon a thousand talents to insinuate himself into Cyrus's service as Gobrias has and then to kill the Persian king as he walks unguarded through his camp. He surprises Gobrias' castle, and is persuaded by Libanio dressed as Alexandra to send a message to Gobrias offering to spare her life if Gobrias will return to Antiochus' service. He calls up his armies to confront Cyrus in the field, receives the information from Cyrus about Ctesiphon's treachery and condemns him to a traitor's death, and accepts the equally treacherous Arastus into his camp. Apparently but not clearly, he is defeated in the final battle.

ARASPAS
One of Cyrus's captains, he participates in dividing the spoils of the victory over the Assyrians, and having praised Panthea's beauty to Cyrus, is assigned to care for her. Inflamed by love, he tries pleading, threats, and magic, but she remains steadfastly faithful to her husband. When she reveals his behavior to Cyrus, Araspas pleads for mercy, and agrees as penance to go as a spy into the Assyrian camp. He is received by Antiochus, then returns to Cyrus with a detailed account of the enemy's forces.

ARISTOBOLUS
An Assyrian warrior, he participates in the trial and death of Ctesiphon.

ARMUCHUS
A Persian warrior.

CAPTAIN
This Persian soldier gives a detailed report of the death of Abradates.

CARMELA
A "ghost character", daughter of the old King of Assyria, she was promised to Gobrias' son.

CHRYSANDUS
One of Cyrus's noble warriors, Chrysandus or Chrysantus shares in the spoils of the victory over the Assyrians, and, as he does in Xenophon, serves along with Hispaspis as a mouthpiece for the play's discussion of the arts of governance.

CRESUS
A "ghost character". King of Lydia. At the beginning of the play Cresus (Croesus) has fled the battlefield to save his life, his behavior contrasting sharply with Cyrus's.

CRITOBULUS
A mute character, one of Antiochus' soldiers.

CTESIPHON
Ctesiphon (sometimes Ctesifon) undertakes to earn a thousand talents from Antiochus by taking service with Cyrus and then killing the Persian king. He tells Cyrus that Antiochus raped his daughter and made her his concubine. Gobrias finds the tale credible, and Cyrus welcomes Ctesiphon to his camp. The would-be assassin is so moved by Cyrus's virtues, however, that he confesses Antiochus' plot, and offers instead to bear overtures of peace between Persia and Assyria to Babylon, and under cover of this embassy to murder Antiochus. The message Cyrus sends, however, reveals Ctesiphon's double-dealing; he confesses, and asks for mercy, but is condemned by Antiochus to die.

CYRUS
King of Persia, Cyrus has defeated Cresus of Lydia and the Prince of Arabia, and slain the old King of Assyria, and seems poised to rule all Asia. He accepts Gobrias as an honored member of his court. When Araspas tells him of Panthea and praises her beauty, the King declines to see her, but assigns her to Araspas' care. Though initially suspicious of Ctesiphon, he is persuaded by Gobrias to admit a second Babylonian to his service. His virtues so impress Ctesiphon that he confesses Antiochus' plot. Cyrus pretends to agree to his plan to murder Antiochus instead. Cyrus receives the escaped Alexandra into his protection, and swears either to rescue or to avenge her faithful page Libanio. The boy escapes on his own, however, and Cyrus rewards his heroism, before giving Alexandra to be Histaspis' bride by means of the lottery of the thrown turf. Learning of Arastus' dishonorable suit of Panthea, he forgives him and sends him as a spy to Antiochus, receiving Abradates in his place. When this hero dies, and his wife and her servant after him, he honors all. Presumably he is victorious over the Assyrians, although the focus on Panthea at the end means that the fact is not made clear in the text.

DINON
Dinon, a great Assyrian lord, is put in charge of Libanio disguised as Alexandra, and falls in love with his ward. He takes the cross-dressed boy to the bank of the Euphrates, expresses his love, falls asleep, and is killed by Libanio, who then escapes to rejoin Alexandra.

GOBRIAS
A proud Assyrian general, Gobrias surrenders to Cyrus. He tells the Persian of the murder of his son by Prince, now King, Antiochus, and offers his services in order to gain revenge. When his daughter, Alexandra, escapes Antiochus' clutches in disguise and rejoins her father, he sets forth with Cyrus to punish the insolent tyrant.

GOBRIAS' SON
A "ghost character", this unnamed youth went to the court of the old King of Assyria, planning to marry his daughter. While hunting, however, he embarrassed the old king's son, by twice succeeding where the prince had failed; enraged, the Prince Antiochus killed him, and left his body lying where it fell.

HIRCANUS
One of Antiochus' generals, Hircanus is present for Ctesiphon's embassy, and reads out the letter in which Cyrus reveals Ctesiphon's treachery.

HISTASPIS
One of Cyrus's captains, he enjoys a share of the Assyrian spoils. When Araspus' unwelcome love for Panthea is revealed to Cyrus, Histaspis is made her keeper, and soon thereafter is awarded Alexandra as his wife by the lottery of the thrown turf.

LIBANIO
Alexandra's page, he persuades her to change clothes with him to beguile Antiochus. His keeper, Dinon, falls in love with him; Libanio kills him while he sleeps beside the river and makes his escape to rejoin Alexandra and Gobrias, where Cyrus honors him.

MAGICIAN
The Magician assures Araspus that his charm will break down Panthea's chastity, but her virtue is too strong.

NICASIA
Nicasia is Panthea's companion; her singing brings comfort to her lady. In sympathy, when Panthea kills herself Nicasia leaps into the river Euphrates.

NOBLE
One of Antiochus' courtiers urges the young king to stop mourning his father's death. He is promised the lieutenancy over Gobrias' castle and lands. Later he participates in the discussion of Ctsiphon's actions.

PANTHEA
Wife of Abradates, King of Susa, who is absent on an embassy from Assyria to Bactria, she falls captive to Cyrus, is assigned to the honorable care of Araspas, and repeatedly rejects his overtures of love. She complains of her treatment to Cyrus, and is transferred to the care of Histaspis. Learning of Arastus' penance, she asks her husband to replace him in Cyrus's army. When he is killed in the assault, she stabs herself.

SELEUCUS
A mute character, one of Antiochus' courtiers.

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