Astyages King of Media

• Preferred Name: Astyages King of Media^{[1] [2] [3]}
  
• Gender: M
  
• Religion: Ancient Iranian religion with note: Wikiwand: Astyages
  
• MilitaryService: Battle of the Eclipse28 MAY 585 BC
  
• FSID: 9HB1-KMW
  
• Birth: ABT 635 BC in Ectabana, Median Empire, Asia at LATI: N0 LONG: E0
  
• Death: 550 BC in Ectabana, Persian Empire, Asia at LATI: N0 LONG: E0 with note: conquered by Cyrus the Great but remained in his court as governor of Parthia -He was brought down by a political opponent, Oebares circa 550.
  
• MilitaryService: Battle of Halys - a 5 year war between the Lydians and the Medes585 BC
  
• Dynasty:+Median+Dynasty: with note: Wikiwand: Astyages
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: King of MediaBET 585 BC AND 550 BC in Ectbana, Median Empire, Asia at LATI: N0 LONG: E0 with note: Wikiwand: "Astyages reigned 585–550 BC was the last king of the Median Empire."
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Astyages succeeded his father in 585 BCE, following the Battle of Halys, which ended a five-year war between the Lydians and the Medes. He inherited a large empire, ruled in alliance with his two brothers-in-law, Croesus of Lydia and Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whose wife, Amytis, Astyages' sister, was the queen for whom Nebuchadnezzar was said to have built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. However, due to recent evidence, the garden likely was built by the Assyrian King Sennacherib. Married to Aryenis, the sister of King Croesus of Lydia, to seal the treaty between the two empires, Astyages ascended to the Median throne upon his father's death later that year.
  
  The ancient sources report almost nothing about Astyages’ reign, and a final judgment on his character is not possible, since Herodotus’ negative account (Astyages is represented as a cruel and despotic ruler) and Ctesias’ favorable account both are biased. According to Cyropaedia of Xenophon, after 32 years of relative stability, Astyages lost the support of his nobles during the war against Cyrus, whom Xenophon understands as being Astyages' grandson. This resulted in the founding of the Persian empire by Cyrus.
  
  The account given by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus relates that Astyages had a dream in which his daughter, Mandane, gave birth to a son who would destroy his empire. Fearful of the dream's prophecy, Astyages married her off to Cambyses I of Anšan, who had a reputation for being a "quiet and thoughtful prince" and whom Astyages believed to be no threat.
  
  When a second dream warned Astyages of the dangers of Mandane's offspring, Astyages sent his general Harpagus to kill the child Cyrus. Herodotus correctly names Cyrus' parents, though he fails to mention that Cambyses was a king. Modern scholarship generally rejects his claim that Cyrus was the grandson of Astyages. Harpagus, unwilling to spill royal blood, gave the infant to a shepherd, Mitridates, whose wife had just given birth to a stillborn child.
  
  Cyrus was raised as Mitridates' own son, and Harpagus presented the stillborn child to Astyages as the dead Cyrus. When Cyrus was found alive at age ten, Astyages spared the boy on the advice of his Magi, returning him to his parents in Anshan. Harpagus, however, did not escape punishment, as Astyages is said to have fed him his own son at a banquet. Cyrus succeeded his father in 559, and in 553, on the advice of Harpagus, who was eager for revenge for being given the "abominable supper," Cyrus rebelled against Astyages. After three years of fighting, Astyages' troops mutinied during the battle of Pasargadae, and Cyrus conquered the Median's empire.
  
  Astyages was spared by Cyrus, and despite being taunted by Harpagus, Herodotus says he was treated well and remained in Cyrus' court until his death. Rather than giving the popular mythology that Cyrus was suckled by a dog, the dog was sacred to Persians. cf. also the legend of Sargon, or the similar legend of Romulus and Remus, suckled by a she-wolf. Herodotus explains that the herdsman Mitridates lived with another of Astyages' slaves, a woman named "Spaco," whose name he explains is Median for "dog."
  
  -- Wikiwand: Astyages
  
  === Kg. d.Meder 584-554 ===
  Kg. d.Meder 584-554
  
  === https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astyages ===
  
  Astyages, Encyclopædia Iranica.
  ^ Meyer 1911.
  ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-08-08. Retrieved 2013-08-02., The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
  ^ [1], Cyaxares (Livius.org)

1. Mandana bint Astyages of Media, b. 615 BC in Ecbatana, Median Kingdom     d. ABT 559 BC in Persis, Fars, Persian Empire

• m. AFT 25 MAY 585 BC in Kingdom of Lydia, Anatolia, Asia Minor

1. Title: Livius.org - Astyages
   Author: Author Jona Lendering
   Publication: Name: https://www.livius.org/articles/person/astyages/;
   Note: Two Medes Two Medes Most information on Astyages can be found in the second part of the first book of the Histories by Herodotus of Halicarnassus, who lived in the fifth century, hundred years after Astyages' reign. However, the Greek researcher is almost our only source, and it is inevitable to follow Herodotus' lead and trying to check him where possible. There is no need to doubt Herodotus' statement that Astyages was the son of the Median king Cyaxares. We know from a cuneiform text that the latter was already king in 614, when he destroyed the Assyrian religious center Aššur. Cyaxares was still alive in the summer of 585, when - according to Herodotus - he signed a peace treaty with the Lydians, with whom he had been fighting for five years.note A diplomatic marriage was arranged to celebrate the treaty: Aryenis, a sister of the Lydian king Croesus, was married to the Median crown prince Astyages. Aryenis was not Astyages' first wife. His daughter Mandane was married to the Persian king Cambyses before 576 BCE - when the future king Cyrus the Great was born - and Mandane must have been born before, say, 590. It seems inevitable to assume that Astyages had another wife.note (There is some doubt about the truth of the marriage between Mandane and Cambyses. According to Ctesias of Cnidus, their son Cyrus married to a daughter of Astyages. That would be his aunt, which is most unusual.) There is another argument why Aryenis cannot have been Astyages' first wife. His father Cyaxares had started to reign before 614. If we assume that he had become king at the age of thirty - which is not improbable - and his son was born when he was twenty-five - which is possible -, we must assume that Astyages married Mandane at the age of at least thirty-four. In ancient society, this would have been very improbable. The Babylonian historian Berossus (third century BCE) tells us that after the fall of Aššur in 614, an alliance between the Medes and the Babylonians was cemented by another royal wedding: the Babylonian crown prince Nebuchadnezzar married Amytis, the daughter of Astyages. This is impossible, because it would suggest that Astyages was almost hundred years old when he was dethroned. It is unclear when Astyages was elected king of the Medes (if he was elected at all). Herodotus tells us that Astyages had reigned for thirty-five years when he was taken captive by the Persian king Cyrus.note From the cuneiform text that is known as the Chronicle of Nabonidus, we know that this happened in the sixth year of the Babylonian king Nabonidus, which is the period between 10 March 550 and 28 March 549 (a leap year with thirteen lunar months). Counting backwards, we arrive at 585/584 as the year of Astyages' accession. This is not impossible, although we must assume that Astyages' father Cyaxares was still alive in 585, when he concluded a peace treaty with the Lydians. However, the regnal years of the Median kings mentioned by Herodotus are a bit suspect: the four kings reign exactly hundred and fifty years, in two pairs of each seventy-five years. It is obvious that we must be cautious, but up till now, there is nothing to contradict his statement that Astyages reigned from 585/584 to 550/549 and his father Cyaxares from 625/624 to 585/585. (Although it should be noted that there is one inscription that says that Astyages was dethroned in 554/553.) According to Herodotus, Astyages had a dream about the son of his daughter Mandane and her husband Cambyses, Cyrus, which he took as an evil omen.note Therefore, Astyages ordered his courtier Harpagus to kill the young boy, but Harpagus secretly gave it to a herdsman, who was to do the dreadful deed. Fortunately, the herdsman and his wife decided not to kill the baby, but to accept him as their own son. When the boy was ten years old, it became obvious that he was not a herdsman's son. His behavior was too noble, according to Herodotus. Astyages started to suspect what had happened when he interviewed the boy and noticed that his face resembled his own. He ordered Harpagus to explain what he had done with the baby, and when the courtier confessed that he had not killed Astyages' daughter's child, the king forced him to eat his own son. Cyrus received a favorable treatment and was allowed to go to his own parents, Cambyses and Mandane. According to Herodotus, Harpagus was looking for an opportunity to avenge himself. When Cyrus had come of age, Harpagus managed to convince the young man that the Medes were ready to revolt against their king, who had become a despot. Cyrus organized a federation of ten Persian tribes and revolted, and Astyages "armed all the Medes, and blinded by divine providence he appointed Harpagus to be the leader of the army". Of course, Harpagus did not hesitate to switch allegiance. The united army of Medes and Persians marched to the Median capital and seized Astyages, who was kept captive by Cyrus. Nabonidus Chronicle. British Museum, London (Britain) Nabonidus Chronicle. British Museum, London (Britain) The first part of Herodotus' story is, of course, an oriental fairy tale. However, the last part of it is confirmed by the Chronicle of Nabonidus, where we read that in the sixth year of the Babylonian king Nabonidus, king Astyages called up his troops and marched against Cyrus, king of Anšan [i.e., Persia], in order to meet him in battle. The army of Astyages revolted against him and in fetters they delivered him to Cyrus. Cyrus marched against the country Ecbatana; the royal residence he seized; silver, gold, other valuables of the country Ecbatana he took as booty and brought to Anšan. It is possible that the deepest cause of the rebellion of Harpagus was dissatisfaction with Astyages' policy. In the sixth century, the Iranian tribes became more and more settled, and their kings were no longer the first among equal tribal chiefs, but started to behave as real kings. When Astyages started to punish one of the other tribal chiefs, revolt was inevitable. The fall of Astyages was not the end of the war, however, because Astyages' allies were prepared to help him. According to Herodotus, the destruction of the kingdom of Astyages [...] and the increasing power of the Persians forced [the king of Lydia] Croesus to cut short the power of the Persians, if this were still possible, while it was too late.note Most historians still state that in 547 BCE (although in fact it must have been later), Croesus launched an expedition against the Persians to avenge his brother-in-law. However, he was defeated; Cyrus added Lydia to his dominions. The Greek historian Ctesias (c.400 BCE), as quoted by the Byzantine scholar Photius,note calls Astyages "Astuïgas", which is closer to the Babylonian rendering of his Iranian name Ištumegu. The variant "Astyages" means "sacker of cities" in Greek.
   
2. Title: Wikiwand: Battle of the Eclipse
   Author: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Battle_of_the_Eclipse;
   Note: The Battle of the Eclipse or Battle of Halys was fought between the Medes and the Lydians in the early 6th century BC. The result was a draw which led to both parties negotiating a peace treaty and ending a six-year war. According to Herodotus, the appearance of a solar eclipse at the time of battle was interpreted as an omen, and interrupted the battle. Herodotus writes that in the sixth year of the war, the Lydians under King Alyattes and the Medes under Cyaxares were engaged in an indecisive battle when suddenly day turned into night, leading to both parties halting the fighting and negotiating a peace agreement. Herodotus also mentions that the loss of daylight had been predicted by Thales of Miletus. He does not, however, mention the location of the battle. "Afterwards, on the refusal of Alyattes to give up his suppliants when Cyaxares sent to demand them of him, war broke out between the Lydians and the Medes, and continued for five years, with various success. In the course of it the Medes gained many victories over the Lydians, and the Lydians also gained many victories over the Medes. Among their other battles there was one night engagement. As, however, the balance had not inclined in favour of either nation, another combat took place in the sixth year, in the course of which, just as the battle was growing warm, day was on a sudden changed into night. This event had been foretold by Thales, the Milesian, who forewarned the Ionians of it, fixing for it the very year in which it actually took place. The Medes and Lydians, when they observed the change, ceased fighting, and were alike anxious to have terms of peace agreed on." As part of the terms of the peace agreement, Alyattes's daughter Aryenis was married to Cyaxares's son Astyages, and the Halys River (now known as the Kızılırmak River) was declared to be the border of the two warring nations. Cicero mentions that Thales was the first man to successfully predict a solar eclipse during the reign of Astyages. He was the son and successor of Cyaxares and his reign began at the end of the war after Cyaxares' death. Pliny the Elder mentions as well that Thales had predicted a solar eclipse during the reign of Alyattes. If one reads the description by Herodotus of the event as a solar eclipse, then based on modern astronomical calculations it can be identified with the solar eclipse of May 28, 585 BC (the Eclipse of Thales), hence yielding the exact date of the battle. For the location of the battle, some scholars assume the Halys River (today "Kızılırmak River") as it was located in the border region between both kingdoms. As Isaac Asimov noted, this would be the earliest recorded eclipse the date of which was accurately determined in advance of its occurrence. However, such a reading is for a variety of reasons rather problematic and hence disputed by various scholars. For example, the known astronomical knowledge available of that time was not sufficient for Thales to predict the eclipse. Also, the eclipse would have occurred shortly before sunset at any plausible site of the battle, and it was very uncommon for battles to take place at that time of day. Furthermore, based on the list of Medean kings and their regnal lengths reported elsewhere by Herodotus, Cyaxares died 10 years before the eclipse.
   
3. Title: Wikiwand: Astyages
   Author: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Astyages;
   Note: Astyages (spelled by Herodotus as "Ἀστυάγης" "Astyages"; by Ctesias as "Astyigas"; by Diodorus as "Aspadas"; Babylonian: "Ištumegu") was the last king of the Median Empire, r. 585–550 BCE, the son of Cyaxares; he was dethroned in 550 BCE by Cyrus the Great. His name derives from the Old Iranian "Rishti Vaiga," which means "swinging the spear, lance-hurler." In the inscriptions of Nabonidus, the name is written "Ishtuvegu." Reign Astyages succeeded his father in 585 BCE, following the Battle of Halys, which ended a five-year war between the Lydians and the Medes. He inherited a large empire, ruled in alliance with his two brothers-in-law, Croesus of Lydia and Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whose wife, Amytis, Astyages' sister, was the queen for whom Nebuchadnezzar was said to have built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. However, due to recent evidence, the garden was likely built by the Assyrian King Sennacherib. Married to Aryenis, the sister of King Croesus of Lydia, to seal the treaty between the two empires, Astyages ascended to the Median throne upon his father's death later that year. The ancient sources report almost nothing about Astyages’ reign, and a final judgment on his character is not possible, since Herodotus’ negative account (Astyages is represented as a cruel and despotic ruler) and Ctesias’ favorable one, are both biased. According to "Cyropaedia" of Xenophon, after thirty-two years of relative stability, Astyages lost the support of his nobles during the war against Cyrus, whom Xenophon understands as being Astyages' grandson. This resulted in the founding of the Persian empire by Cyrus. In Herodotus The account given by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus relates that Astyages had a dream in which his daughter, Mandane, gave birth to a son who would destroy his empire. Fearful of the dream's prophecy, Astyages married her off to Cambyses I of Anšan, who had a reputation for being a "quiet and thoughtful prince" and whom Astyages believed to be no threat. When a second dream warned Astyages of the dangers of Mandane's offspring, Astyages sent his general Harpagus to kill the child Cyrus. Herodotus correctly names Cyrus' parents, though he fails to mention that Cambyses was a king. Modern scholarship generally rejects his claim that Cyrus was the grandson of Astyages. Harpagus, unwilling to spill royal blood, gave the infant to a shepherd, Mitridates, whose wife had just given birth to a stillborn child. Cyrus was raised as Mitridates' own son, and Harpagus presented the stillborn child to Astyages as the dead Cyrus. When Cyrus was found alive at age ten, Astyages spared the boy on the advice of his Magi, returning him to his parents in Anshan. Harpagus, however, did not escape punishment, as Astyages is said to have fed him his own son at a banquet. Cyrus succeeded his father in 559, and in 553, on the advice of Harpagus, who was eager for revenge for being given the "abominable supper," Cyrus rebelled against Astyages. After three years of fighting, Astyages' troops mutinied during the battle of Pasargadae, and Cyrus conquered the Median's empire. Astyages was spared by Cyrus, and despite being taunted by Harpagus, Herodotus says he was treated well and remained in Cyrus' court until his death. Rather than giving the popular mythology that Cyrus was suckled by a dog, the dog was sacred to Persians. cf. also the legend of Sargon, or the similar legend of Romulus and Remus, suckled by a she-wolf. (Latin: Lupa) Herodotus explains that the herdsman Mitridates lived with another of Astyages' slaves, a woman named 'Spaco,' which he explains is Median for "dog," gives both the legend and Herodotus' rationalized version. Defeat The contemporaneous "Chronicle of Nabonidus" refers to the mutiny on the battlefield as the cause for Astyages' overthrow, but does not mention Harpagus by name. However, since Harpagus was Astyages' general at the battle of Pasargadae and his family were granted high positions in Cyrus' empire after the war, and since Harpagus went on to become Cyrus' most successful general, it is possible he had something to do with the mutiny against Astyages. Cyrus then went on to capture Astyages' capital of Ecbatana. Ancient sources agree that after Astyages was taken by Cyrus he was treated with clemency, though the accounts differ. Herodotus says that Cyrus kept Astyages at his court during the remainder of his life, while according to Ctesias, he was made a governor of a region of Parthia and was later murdered by a political opponent, Oebares. The circumstances of Astyages' death are not known. After Astyages' overthrow, Croesus marched on Cyrus to avenge Astyages. Cyrus, with Harpagus at his side, defeated Croesus and conquered Lydia in or after 547 BCE.