Mandane of Media (c. 584 BCE–unknown) was a Princess of Media and, later, the Queen consort of Persia's Achaemenid Dynasty. Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 620s BC - 610s BC - 600s BC - 590s BC - 588s 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 - Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon... Princess is the feminine form of prince (Latin princeps, meaning principal citizen). ... King George V of the United Kingdom and his consort, Queen Mary A queen consort is the wife and consort of a reigning king. ... The term Persian Empire refers to a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau. ... Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Dynasty was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire, including Cyrus II the Great, Darius I and Xerxes I. At the height of their power, the Achaemenid rulers of Persia ruled over territories roughly emcompassing some parts of todays Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon...

Mandane in Herodotus' Histories

According to Herodotus, Mandane was born to Astyages, King of Media and son of Cyaxares the Great, and Princess Aryenis of Lydia, daughter of Alyattes II, the father of Croesus of Lydia. Bust of Herodotus at Naples Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: , Herodotos) was a historian who lived in the 5th century BC (484 BC-ca. ... 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. ... Hvakhshathra or Cyaxares (r. ... Princess Aryenis of Lydia was one of the two wives of Cambyses, the father of Cyrus the Great of Persia. ... Alyattes II, king of Lydia (619_560 BC), the real founder of the Lydian empire, was the son of Sadyattes, of the house of the Mermnadae. ... Croesus Croesus (pronounced CREE-sus, IPA , the Latin transliteration of the Greek Κροίσος, in Persian قارون Qârun), who was legendary for his enormous wealth, was king of Lydia from 560/561 BC until his defeat by the Persians in about 547 BC. Born in 626 BC, he was the son of... Lydia (disambiguation) Lydia is a historic region of western Anatolia, congruent with Turkeys modern provinces of İzmir and Manisa. ...

Shortly after her birth, Herodotus reports that Astyages had a strange dream where his daughter urinated so much that Asia would flood. He consulted the magi who interpreted the dream as a warning that Mandane's son would overthrow his rule. World map showing the location of Asia. ... The Three Wise Men are given the names Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar in this Romanesque mosaic from the Basilica of St Apollinarius in Ravenna, Italy. ...

To forestall that outcome, Astyages betrothed Mandane to the vassal Achaemenid prince, Cambyses I of Anshan, "a man of good family and quiet habits", whome Astyages considered no threat to the Median throne. A vassal or liege, in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of medieval Europe, is one who enters into mutual obligations with a lord, usually of military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain guarantees, which came to include the terrain held as a fief. ... Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Dynasty was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire, including Cyrus II the Great, Darius I and Xerxes I. At the height of their power, the Achaemenid rulers of Persia ruled over territories roughly emcompassing some parts of todays Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon... Cambyses I the Elder (c. ...

Astyages had a second dream when Mandane became pregnant where a vine grew from her womb and overtook the world. Terrified, he sent his most loyal court retainer, Harpagus, to kill the child. However, Harpagus was loathe to spill royal blood and hid the child, Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great). 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, (ca. ... Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia, also known as Cyrus the Great or Cyrus the Elder, (ca. ...

Years later, Cyrus would defy his grandfather, Astyages, leading to war between them; a war that Cyrus would have lost, but for Harpagus' defection on the battlefield of Pasargadae, leading to the overthrow of Astyages, as the dream had forecasted. Tomb of Cyrus II Reconstruction of the Tomb of Cyrus II Pasargadae was a city in ancient Persia, and is today an archeological site. ...

Mandane in Xenophon's Cyropedia

Xenophon also gives reference to Mandane in his biography of Cyrus the Great, "Cyropedia." In his version, Mandane and her son travel to Astyages court (most likely as hostages), when Cyrus is in his early teens. Cyrus charms his grandfather, whom includes the boy in royal hunts, while Mandane returns to her husband in Anshan. It is when Cyrus concocts a story that his father, Cambyses I is ill and returns to visit him, that Astyages comes after him and the battle is joined. Xenophon (In Greek , c. ... Anshan (Chinese: 鞍山; pinyin: ; lit. ... Cambyses I the Elder (c. ...

Historical Analysis

Some modern scholars think that Herodotus' stories about the dynastic links between Cyrus the Great and the kingdoms he later conquered (Media, Lydia and Babylonia) are propaganda to legitimate his invasion and they lack of historical reality. In particular, it would have been to Cyrus' advantage to claim kinship to Media, as that would have made his usurption of the empire more acceptable to the Median people. Lydia (disambiguation) Lydia is a historic region of western Anatolia, congruent with Turkeys modern provinces of Ä°zmir and Manisa. ... Babylonia, named for its capital city, Babylon, was an ancient state in the south part of Mesopotamia (in modern Iraq), combining the territories of Sumer and Akkad. ... U.S. propaganda poster, depicting a Nazi stabbing a Bible. ...

This doubt is furthered by that fact that, for Mandane to have been the daughter of Aryenis of Lydia, she would have had to been born after the Battle of the Eclipse in 585 BCE, when Aryenis was given to Astyages as part of a treaty between Media and Lydia. That would mean that Mandane was well below the age of marriage when she was given to Cambyses I. That is not unheard of in royal alliances, so it is possible, but it would also indicate that she was just at the age of puberty when Cyrus was born and that Cyrus himself was a relatively young man when he died. Princess Aryenis of Lydia was one of the two wives of Cambyses, the father of Cyrus the Great of Persia. ... 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... Lydia (disambiguation) Lydia is a historic region of western Anatolia, congruent with Turkeys modern provinces of Ä°zmir and Manisa. ... Cambyses I the Elder (c. ...

At this point, there is not enough historical references to confirm either theory.

This is no dilemma. According to the section above on Herodotus' historical accounts of Mandane of Media, she was betrothed to Cambyses 1 "shortly after her birth". So, quite obviously, yes in fact she was only perhaps 1 year old when she was formally given to Cambyses 1 in marriage. Thus, quite obviously, yes in fact she was "well below the age of marriage when she was given to Cambyses 1". So there is absolutely, utterly, completely, totally, and unambiguously no contradiction in the historical accounts.

Death

There are references to Mandane's death as 559 BCE. However, as this is considered the date of her husband's death (Cambyses I), it is unknown if that is the actual date of her death or when she changed status from Queen Consort to Queen Mother. Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 600s BC - 590s BC - 580s BC - 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC Events and Trends Carthage conquers Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica 559 BC - King Cambyses I of Anshan dies... Cambyses I the Elder (c. ...

External links

• Reference to Mandane in Astyages' Life