Sykes' History of Persia - Heritage Institute

XI MEDIA, BABYLONIA, AND LYDIA 139
these wild horsemen but within a few years played the
leading part in the overthrow of Assyria and afterwards
built up a great empire, it is impossible not to feel that
he was one of the great figures on the stage of the world.
At the beginning of his reign the paramount power of
the East was Semitic, but when he died it was Iranian.
Cyaxares is thus the leader in one of the great movements
in history.
AstyageSy the Last King of Media.— Ishtuvegu, generally
known to us by the classical name of Astyages,
succeeded to a splendid inheritance at a time when its
prospects seemed altogether bright. But, so far as can be
gleaned from the scanty available information, he was a
degenerate and unworthy son of a noble sire, and spent
his time in voluptuous idleness, immersed in semi-barbarous
luxury and indulging in excesses of every kind.
The Luxury of the Median Court,—The account of the
Median Court, with its elaborate ceremonies and myriads
of officials, the red and purple robes of the courtiers,
their chains and collars of gold and all their luxury, shows
that it was modelled on the Court of Assyria. At both
alike the chief pastime was sport. Sometimes great
drives
of game were organized in the open country, but, more
frequently, it was shot in a " "
paradise or park near the
capital.
The Defeat of Astyages by Cyrus the Great.—The long
reign of Astyages was peaceful until just
before its close.
This fact probably caused rapid deterioration in his soldiers,
who shared in, and suffered from, the general surfeit of
prosperity. The king had no son, and this must have
weakened his
position. So unpopular did his rule become
that when he was attacked by an army of Persians under
Cyrus, his own subjects, instead of rallying round him,
surrendered him to the foe. Thus in 550 B.C. the empire
of Media passed into the hands of the kindred Aryan
people of Persia. The Greeks did not regard Media as
having fallen, and, indeed, it is more correct to look
internal transformation. A
upon it as having undergone
century later the wars against Persia were referred to by
the writers of Hellas as " The Median Events," although