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Secondary sourcePaintingc. 1700

Tomyris Dips the Head of Cyrus in Blood

Peter Paul Rubens (composition); Paulus Pontius (engraving) · c. 1700

A print after Rubens's painting showing the legendary death of Cyrus, whose severed head was said to be dipped in blood by Queen Tomyris.

Depicts the legendary death of Cyrus at the hands of Queen Tomyris, a famous story about his end.

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Black-and-white photograph of a painting showing a queen in a gown with attendants, while a kneeling, partly nude man dips a severed bearded head into a basin of blood. Bearded men in turbans and armor stand behind, and a sky is visible through an arch.
After Peter Paul Rubens, engraved by Paulus Pontius, Tomyris Dips the Head of Cyrus in Blood, c. 1700.

About this source

What it is

This print, made around 1700 by Paulus Pontius after a composition by Peter Paul Rubens, shows the legendary scene of Queen Tomyris dipping the severed head of Cyrus the Great into a basin of blood, fulfilling a vow of revenge.

Why it matters

This story, recorded by ancient historians, describes a dramatic and violent end to Cyrus's life after his defeat by the Massagetae led by Tomyris. Rubens's dramatic composition, copied here as a print, shows how later European artists were drawn to this grim legend centuries after it was first told.

Look closer

  • How does the artist use the figures' expressions and poses to show triumph and horror?
  • Why might this violent scene have appealed to artists and audiences in the 1600s and 1700s?
  • What parts of this story might be legend rather than historical fact?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Cyrus the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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