Astyages (so-called by Herodotos; called Astyigas by Ctesias, and Aspadas by Diodorus; Akkadian: Ishtumegu) (reigned 585 BCE-550 BCE) was the son of King Cyaxares, and the last king of the Median Empire. In 585 BCE, the last year of his father's reign, he was married to Aryenis, a sister of King Croesus of Lydia to cement a peace treaty between the Medes and Lydians and end a five-year war. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Ctesias of Cnidus (in Caria), was a Greek physician and historian, who flourished in the 5th century BC. In early life he was physician to Artaxerxes Mnemon, whom he accompanied in 401 BC on his expedition against his brother Cyrus the Younger. ... Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian, born at Agyrium in Sicily (now called Agira, in the province of Enna). ... Akkadian (lišānum akkadÄ«tum) was a Semitic language (part of the greater Afro-Asiatic language famaily) spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly by the Assyrians and Babylonians. ... Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 620s BC - 610s BC - 600s BC - 590s BC - 580s BC - 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC Events and trends 589 BC - Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as king of Egypt 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon... Hvakhshathra or Cyaxares (625 - 585 BC) was the most capable king of Media (Iran). ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. ... Aryenis of Lydia was the daughter of King Alyattes of Lydia, the sister of King Croesus of Lydia, the wife of King Astyages of Media, the mother of Mandane of Media, and grandmother of Cyrus II. She was given in marriage to Astyages to seal a treaty between Cyaraxes of... Croesus (the traditional transliteration of the Greek Kροισος), who was legendary for his enormous wealth, was king of Lydia from 560 BC until his defeat by the Persians in about 547 BC. He was the son of Alyattes and continued his fathers policy of conquering the Ionian cities of... The Medes were an Iranian stock, who lived in the western and north-western portion of present-day Iran. ... See 110 Lydia for the asteroid. ...

In 553 BCE, King Cyrus the Great made war on Astyages. After three years of fighting, the Median troops mutinied, and Astyages was handed over to the enemy. Cyrus then went on to pillage Astyage's capital of Ecbatana. Herodotus relates that the mutiny was instigated by one of Astyages' courtiers (and general), named Harpagus, as revenge for the king forcing him to eat his own son. Whether or not this is true, Harpagus and his family were granted high positions in the Persian empire after the war. Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia, widely known as Cyrus the Great or Cyrus the Elder, (ca. ... In probability theory and statistics, the median is a number that separates the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution from the lower half. ... Ecbatana (Hañgmatana in Old Persian, Agbatana in Aeschylus, written Agamtanu by Nabonidos, and Agamatanu at Behistun) was the capital of Astyages (Istuvegü), which was taken by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great in the sixth year of Nabonidos (549 BC). ... Harpagus was a Median general in the 6th century BC. A courtier to Astyages, he is called the kingmaker for his defection to Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great), and, as such, is credited with having put Cyrus II on the throne. ... Harpagus was a Median general in the 6th century BC. A courtier to Astyages, he is called the kingmaker for his defection to Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great), and, as such, is credited with having put Cyrus II on the throne. ...

Ancient sources agree that Astyages was treated with clemency after his capture, but differ in details. Herodotus says that he was imprisoned for the rest 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, Oebaras. Bust of Herodotus Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: Ἡροδοτος, Herodotos) was an ancient historian who lived in the 5th century BC (484 BC-ca. ... Ctesias of Cnidus (in Caria), was a Greek physician and historian, who flourished in the 5th century BC. In early life he was physician to Artaxerxes Mnemon, whom he accompanied in 401 BC on his expedition against his brother Cyrus the Younger. ... Parthian Empire at its greatest extent, c60 BC. The Parthian Empire was the dominating force on the Iranian plateau beginning in the late 3rd century BCE, and intermittently controlled Mesopotamia between ca 190 BCE and 224 CE. Parthia was the arch-enemy of the Roman Empire in the east and...

As part of the story of Harpagus, Herotodus records that Cyrus the Great was actually Astyages' grandson (from his daughter Mandane). Harpagus was a Median general in the 6th century BC. A courtier to Astyages, he is called the kingmaker for his defection to Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great), and, as such, is credited with having put Cyrus II on the throne. ... Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia, widely known as Cyrus the Great or Cyrus the Elder, (ca. ...

External link

• The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)