Search results
People also ask
What did Astyages dream about?
Why was Astyages afraid of a son?
Why did Astyages give his daughter a hand?
Why did Astyages have a child with Mandane?
Astyages's dream (France, 15th century) The account given by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus relates that Astyages had a dream in which his daughter, Mandane, gave birth to a son who would destroy his empire.
When Astyages was king of the Medes, he dreamed that he saw a river flowing through the principal street of his capital, where he knew that there had never been any water before, nor could he imagine how it had come there.
According to Herodotus, Astyages had a dream about the son of his daughter Mandane and her husband Cambyses, Cyrus, which he took as an evil omen. note Therefore, Astyages ordered his courtier Harpagus to kill the young boy, but Harpagus secretly gave it to a herdsman, who was to do the dreadful deed.
Astyages, son of Cyaxares, now inherited the throne. A daughter was born to him, whom he called Mandane; and Astyages dreamed that she urinated so much that the urine filled his city, then went on to flood all of Asia.
According to Herodotus, the old man, Astyages was afraid of any son which would be born to Mandane by reason of a terrifying dream he had had (ibid., I, 108). After another dream, Astyages plotted to take away any son that might be born, and he did this when his grandson Cyrus was born.
In his writings, Herodotus chronicled a dream that Astyages, whose daughter named Mandane, birthed a son that would be the fall of his empire. To prevent this prophecy from taking place, Astyages gave his daughter’s hand to the reserved prince, Cambyses I of Anšan, whom the Median king believed to be harmless.
The Dream of Astyages. Artist/Maker: Unknown. Date: about 1475. Medium: Tempera colors, gold leaf, and gold paint. Dimensions: Leaf: 43.8 × 30.5 cm (17 1/4 × 12 in.) Place: Ghent, Belgium (Place Created) Culture: Flemish. Object Number: Ms. Ludwig XIII 5, v1 (83.MP.148.1), fol. 146v. Alternate Titles: Miroir Historial (Group Title) Department:
