The Old and the Restless - The Egyptians and the Scythians in Herodotus' Histories by Robert J. Hagan

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7. Cyrus and Median Origins
As the first Persian king, Cyrus is the model by which all later kings measure themselves.
He sets a precedent for rapid and substantial territorial expansion, and so we see his successors
attempt to live up to his legacy and make their own mark by conquering new lands. In order to
determine Persian identity in Herodotus’ narrative, it is instinctual to look to their first king.
Cyrus’ origin story in the Histories show that he is born to be royalty. In Book One, we see how
Cyrus as a child stands out from his peers by his kingly demeanor; he delegates tasks to his
playmates and even doles out corporal punishment (1.114). However, the core of Persian
identity, their imperialism, lies earlier than Cyrus’ ascension. It is not only his innate royal nature
that brings about the nascent Persian identity, but rather the actions of his Median predecessors
that set forth the norms of the Persian royalty.
Herodotus posits that the source of the ubiquitous Persian imperialism in the Histories lay
in Median practice, which is then passed on to Persians once they are conquered. Herodotus’
narrative on Cyrus’ origins begins farther back with the story of Deioces, a man chosen by the
Medes to govern them. His achievements in establishing a strong monarchy are later seen
incorporated into Persian imperial culture; the establishment of a grand royal space (the palace at
Ecbatana) and the difficult privilege of seeing the king are mirrored in Darius’ construction of
Persepolis and his closing off his residence to Intaphrenes and his old comrades (1.98-9; 3.118).
The Median association with empire is strong enough that Tomyris, queen of the Massagetae
addresses Cyrus as “king of the Medes” (1.206). When Greeks submit to the Persians demands
for earth and water, they are said to “medize” (mêdizein).