2. The Median Empire. — (1.) Its Estahlishmenf.—Yrom the foregoing notices we may conclude that the Medes migrated from beyond the Indus to the country on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea not later than the 9th century B.C. ; that they settled there as a number of distinct tribes (probably six, as Herodotus states, I. c), and so remained during a period of three or four centu- ries; that some Scythian tribes either occupied the country with them or invaded it at a later date ; and that (about B.C. 633) Cyaxares rose suddenly to power, united the Medes under his sway, drove out the Scyth- ians, and established the monarchy. Before this time the Medes are only once mentioned in Scripture, and then, as has been seen, their couiUry was subject to As-^ Syria (2 Kings xvii, 6).
A few years after the establishment of his empire Cyaxares made a league with the Babylonian monarch, and invaded Assyria. Nineveh was captured and de- stroyed, B.C. 625. The incidents of the siege and cap- ture, as related by Diodorus Siculus (ii, 27, 28), contain a remarkable fulfilment of the prophecies uttered by Nahum (i, 8 ; ii, 5, G ; iii, 13, 14) nearly a century pre- viously; and recent excavations by Layard illustrate both (^Nineveh and Babylon, p. 71, 103, etc.). See Nin- eveh. The Assyrian monarchy was then overthrown (Rawlinson, Ancient Monarchies, ii, 521).
Abydenus (probably following Berosus) informs us that in his Assyrian war Cyaxares was assisted by the Babylonians under Nabopolassar, between whom and Cyaxares an intimate alliance was formed, cemented by a union of their-children; and that a result of their suc- cess was the establishment of Nabopolassar as indepen-
yi.— B
dent king on the throne of Babylon, an event which we know to belong to the above-mentioned year. It was undoubtedly after this that Cyaxares endeavored to conquer Lydia. His conquest of Assyria had made him master of the whole country lying between Mount Za- gros and the river Halys, to which he now hoped to add the tract between the Halys and the JEgsBan Sea. It is surprising that he failed, more especially as he seems to have been accompanied b}' the forces of the Babyloni- ans, who were perhaps commancled by Nebuchadnezzar on the occasion. See Nebuchadnezzar. After a war which lasted six years he desisted from his attempt, and concluded the treaty with the Lydian monarch of which we have already spoken. The three great Oriental monarchies — Media, Lydia, and Babylon — were now united by mutual engagements and intermarriages, and continued at peace with one another during the j-emain- der of the reign of Cyaxares, and during that of Asty- ages, his son and successor.
(2.) Extent of the Empire The conquest of Assyria
produced a great change in the Median empire, and on the whole of Western Asia. Babylon then regained its independence, and formed a close alliance with Media. The Israelites, who had been led captive by the Assyr- ians, were placed under new rulers. Cyaxares led his victorious armies into Syria and Asia Minor (Herod, i, 103). When Pharaoh-necho marched to the banks of the Euphrates against Babylon, the Babylonians were aided by the Medes (Joseph. ^^J^ x, 5, 1). It was in at- tempting to oppose this expedition* of the Egyptian monarch that king Josiah was slain at Megiddo (Jer. xlvi, 2; 2 Chron. xxxv, 20; 2 Kings xxiii, 29). We also learn that Nebuchadnezzar was aided by the Medes in the conquest of the Jews and capture of Jerusalem (FAisehins,Pr.Efanff.; comp. 2 Kings xxiv, 1 ; 2 Chron. xxxvi, 5). Jledia was now the most powerful monarchy in Western Asia.
The litnits of the Median empire cannot be definitely fixed, but it is not difficult to give a general idea of its size and position. From north to south its extent was in no place great, since it was certainly confined between the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates on the one side, and the Black and Caspian seas on the other. From east to west it had, however, a wide expansion, since it reached from the Halys at least as far as the Caspian Gates, and possibly farther. It comprised Persia, Media iMagna, Northern Media, Matiene or Media Mattiana, Assyria, Armenia, Cappadocia, the tract between Armenia and the Caucasus, the low tract along the south-west and south of the Caspian, and possibly some portion of Hyr- cania, Parthia, and Sagartia. It was separated from Babylonia cither by the Tigris, or more probably by a line running about half-way between that river and the
]MEDIA
18
MEDIA
Euphrates, and thus did not include Syria. Phoenicia, or | given us by Xenophon of his vain, capricious, and fickle Judaea, which fell to Babylon on the destruction of the disposition jjerfectly accords with the idea suggested re- Assyrian empire. Its greatest length may be reckoned speeting him by the narrative in Dan. vi.
at lo^JO miles from north-west to south-east, and its av- erage breadth at 4WJ or 450 miles. Its area would thus be about »;<XJ,tXK) s<iuare miles, or somewhat greater than that of modem Persia.
.) Jt.i Charucttr. — With regard to the nature of the
Whether we suppose Cyrus himself to have been king of Persia at the period of the conquest of Babylon, or Cambyses his father tt) have still reigned there, the Da- rius of Daniel would properly b<? head only of the ^ledian kingdom ; and it was not until Cyrus came to the throne