government established by the Medes over the con- ^ that the great empire was united under one head. Cy- quered nations, we possess but little trustworthy evi- rus was consequently the first king of the Medo-Persian dence. Herodotus in one place compares, somewhat l dominions, without any discredit to Daniel's statement vaguely, the Median with the Persian system (i, 134), that Darius, the head of the older kingdom of ^kdia, and Ctesias appears to have asserted the positive intro- and the uncle and father-in-law, atiording to Xeno- duction of the satrapial organization into the empire at phon, of Cyrus, received during his brief reign tlie rank it3 first foundation by his Arbaces (Diod. Sic. ii, 28j ; that gratified his excessive vanity. In regard to the but. on the whole, it is perhaps most probable that the position and character of Cyrus, this is not the place for Assyrian organization was continue<l by the Medes, the any detailed account. He was the real founder of the subject nations retaining their native monarchs, and vast empire which ruled Abia and threatened Europe merely acknowledging s&bjection by the paj-ment of an until the time of Alexander. He is the hero whom the annual tribute. This seems certainly to have been the poets and historians of Persia delighted to celel)rale, and case in Persia, where Cyrus and his father Cambyses whose real character doubtless was of the grand and were monarchs, holding their crown of the Median king heroic cast. The praises of Xenophon had been antici- before the revolt of the former ; and there Ls no reason pated in that sublime address in which Jehovah, nearly to suppose that the remainder of the empire was organ- 200 years before, calls upon Cyrus his shepherd to ad- ized in a different manner. The satrapial organiza- vance on his career of conquest (Isa. xlv. 1-0). The tion was apparently a Persian invention, begun by Cy- , statement of Xenophon that the Medes voluntarily sub- rus, continued by Cambyses, his son, but first adopted as mitted to Cyrus {Cyrop. i, 1; seems much more agreea- the regular governmental system by Darius Hysta.spis. j ble to the scriptural accounts of tilings after tlie con-
(4.) Its Duration. — Of all the ancient Oriental mon- quest of Babylon, and to the manner in which foreign archies the Median was the shortest in duration. It j nations regarded the newly-risen emfiire, than is the commenced, as we have seen, after the middle of the 7th narrative of Herodotus, who relates that iledia was con- centurj- B.C., and it terminated B.C. 5.08. The period quered by Cyrus, and held in subjection by force (He- of thrt'e quarters of a c(;ntury, which Herodotus assigns rodotus, i, 125, 130> The accession of Darius the Mede to the reigns of Cyaxares and Astyages, may be taken TDan. v, 31; seems inconsistent with this latter view. as fairly indicating its probable length, thnugh we can- Throughout hLs reign we always find the Medes men- not feel sure that the years are correctly apportioned tioned first in rank, which they would scarcely be if they between the monarchs. ' Its rise was rapid, and appears , were a conquered people (Dan. v, 28; vi, 8, 12, 15> At to have been chiefly owing to the genius of one man— a subsequent period, when the Persian line of kings had Cyaxares. The power of Media was short-lived. With succeeded to the throne, while we find the Medes ever Cyaxares it rose, and with him it passed away. At his ranked side by side with the Persians, we find, as was death he left his throne to Astyages, of whom little is natural, that the language of the court placed Persia, known except the stories told by Herodotus (i, 110-129; the country of the reigning king, first in rank (Esth. i, and Xicolaus of Damascas (Friui. Hut. dr. iii, 404-0;, ' 3, 18, 19. etc.). We have, however, in the conclusion of who probably Ixjrrowed from Ctesias; and on these little , this Ijook an indication that while the language of the reliance canbe placed. They are founded on fact, and , court gave the preference to Persia, the state chronicles we may infer from them that during the reign of As- still ran under their ancient title, " the chronicles of the tyages'a war broke out between the Medes and Persians, kings of Media and Persia"— jK.inting idainly to the in which the latter were victorious, and Cyrus, the Per- original superiority of rank of Media over Persia, quite Bian king, who was himself closely related to Astyages, inconsistent with the idea of a con(|iiered race (Esth. x, united the two nations under one sceptre CB.C. .5.08). 2). With this view of Scripture the notions enter- The life of Astyages was spared, and even the title of I tained Ly foreign nations of the nfw empire agree. So king continued with him. far from Iwiking on the Medes as a conquered depend-
This Ls as far as the authorities we have followed ency of Persia, both the Oreeks of Eurojie and the bar- carrj- us. But Xenophon, in his Cynqiadia, gives us a barians of Asia l(K)k on the ]^Iedian as the preponderant verj' different account of the relationship of C>tus to element, quite oliscuring the more recent jiower of Per- the' Median king, at the time of the capture of Babylon sia The queen of the ilassagelic addresses Cyrus as by their allifd arms. See DAUifs thk Mei>k. ' \ the " wn-ereign of the Medes," ignoring the Per-ian na-