Astyages facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Astyages |
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| King of the Medes | |
King Astyages in chains submitting to Cyrus the Great (18th century tapestry).
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| King of Media | |
| Reign | 585 – 550 BCE (according to Herodotus) |
| Predecessor | Cyaxares |
| Successor | Cyrus the Great |
| Born | 7th century BCE Media |
| Died | 550 BCE Achaemenid Empire |
| Spouse | Aryenis |
| Issue | Mandane Amytis Cyaxares II (disputed) |
| Dynasty | Median dynasty |
| Father | Cyaxares |
| Religion | Ancient Iranian religion |
Astyages was the last king of the Median kingdom, an ancient empire. He ruled from 585 to 550 BCE (Before Common Era). Astyages was the son of King Cyaxares. He was eventually removed from power by the famous Persian king, Cyrus the Great.
Astyages' Time as King
Astyages became king in 585 BCE. This was right after the Battle of Halys, which ended a five-year war between the Lydians and the Medes. He took over a very large empire. This empire was allied with his two brothers-in-law: Croesus, the king of Lydia, and Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar's wife, Amytis of Babylon, was Astyages' sister. Some stories say Nebuchadnezzar built the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon for her. Astyages himself married Aryenis, who was Croesus's sister. This marriage helped to make the peace treaty between their empires stronger.
Ancient records don't say much about Astyages' rule. It's hard to know exactly what kind of person he was. Some old writers, like Herodotus, described him as a harsh ruler. Others, like Ctesias, wrote more kindly about him. Another writer, Xenophon, even showed him as a nice old man who loved his grandson, Cyrus. However, Xenophon's story is often seen as fiction, so it might not be completely true.
The Story of Cyrus
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus tells an interesting story about Astyages. He says Astyages had a dream that his daughter, Mandane, would have a son who would destroy his empire. To stop this from happening, Astyages married Mandane to Cambyses I, a prince from Anshan. Astyages thought Cambyses was a quiet prince and wouldn't be a threat.
But then, Astyages had a second dream that warned him again about Mandane's son. So, he sent his general, Harpagus, to kill the baby, Cyrus. Harpagus didn't want to kill a royal child himself. Instead, he gave the baby to a shepherd named Mitridates. The shepherd's wife had just had a baby who was stillborn. Harpagus then showed the stillborn baby to Astyages, pretending it was Cyrus.
Cyrus grew up with the shepherd's family. When he was ten years old, Astyages found out that Cyrus was still alive. On the advice of his wise men, Astyages decided to spare the boy. He sent Cyrus back to his real parents in Anshan. However, Harpagus was punished very severely by Astyages for not following his orders.
Cyrus became king after his father in 559 BCE. In 553 BCE, Harpagus encouraged Cyrus to rebel against Astyages. Harpagus was still angry about his terrible punishment. After three years of fighting, Astyages' soldiers turned against him during a battle near Pasargadae. Cyrus then took over the Median empire. Astyages was spared by Cyrus and was treated well, staying at Cyrus's court until his death.
Astyages' Downfall
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Records from that time, like the Nabonidus Chronicle, confirm that Astyages was overthrown because his own soldiers rebelled during a battle. Harpagus was Astyages' general at this battle. Since Harpagus and his family later received important positions in Cyrus's empire, it's very likely he played a part in the soldiers' rebellion.
After this, Cyrus captured Astyages' capital city, Ecbatana. Most ancient sources agree that Cyrus treated Astyages kindly after taking him prisoner. Herodotus says Cyrus kept Astyages at his court for the rest of his life. Another writer, Ctesias, says Astyages was made a governor in a region called Parthia but was later killed by an enemy. The exact details of Astyages' death are not fully known.
After Astyages was overthrown, his brother-in-law, King Croesus of Lydia, marched against Cyrus to get revenge for Astyages. But Cyrus, with Harpagus helping him, defeated Croesus and conquered Lydia around 547 BCE.
