Cyrus the Great · Confucius Were Cyrus the Great and Confucius alive at the same time? Yes. Cyrus the Great and Confucius were alive at the same time, from c. 551 BC to 530 BC. Cyrus the GreatFounder of the Achaemenid EmpireBorn c. 600 BC · died 530 BCConfucius5th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and politicianBorn c. 551 BC · died c. 479 BC SolonAesopAnaximanderCyrus the GreatConfuciusDarius IAeschylusSophoclesPericles Cyrus the Great and Confucius in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.