A literary history of Persia

THE MEDES 21and disclosed by Mordecai " was written in the book of thechronicles before the King." Whether because Ctesias imperfectlyunderstood or deliberately misrepresented theserecords,or because the records themselves were falsified(a thing which modern analogies render conceivable), theprevailing view is that little reliance can be placed on hisnarrative, which, moreover, is only preserved to us in afragmentary condition by much later writers,such as Photius (A.D. 820-891). Berosus was aChaldsean priest who lived in the time of Alexander theGreat and his immediate successors, and translated into Greek,for his patron Antiochus of Syria, the records of his country.Of his work also fragments only are preserved to us by laterwriters, Polyhistor and Apollodorus (first century beforeChrist), who are cited by Eusebius and Syncellus.The Medes, according to Herodotus, were the first of thepeoples subject to Assyria who succeeded in securing theirindependence, after they had borne the yoke for 520 years.This took place about B.C. 700, and a yearor two later Deioces (At?toKfje)j the first ofthe four Medic kings mentioned by Herodotus, establishedhimself on the throne. An Assyrian record of B.C. 715Persiansmentions a Dayaukku (= Deioces) who had been led awayPhraorte*.captive; and in B.C. 71? King Sargon of'Assyria subdued the Bit Dayaukku, or " Land ofDeioces." Phraortes (Fravartish in the Old Persian inscriptions)succeeded in B.C. 647, and extended his rule over theas well as his own countrymen, the Medes.Cyaxares.He in turn was succeeded in B.C. 025 byCyaxares (Huvakhshatara), who, in conjunction with theBabylonian king, destroyed Nineveh in B.C. 607, and concludedpeace with the Lydians in B.C. 585, in consequenceof a total eclipse of the sun which took place on May 28thof that year, and which was regarded by both sides as anindication of Divine displeasure.In the same year, probably,