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Astyages was the last of the kings of the Manda (Media). An exceedingly shrewd man, Deioces by name, had founded the kingdom 150 years before (699-646). Phraortes was the second in line (646-624), and Cyaxares the third (624-584).
Astyages was the last king to rule the Median Empire, his tenure running from 585 to 550 BC. Not much information is presented about Astyages in the ancient texts; however, the Greek geographer and historian Herodotus described a legend that connects him to Cyrus the Great, his grandson and the founder of the Achaemenid empire.
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. He consulted the dream-experts among the magi, and was alarmed by the details which he heard from them.
ASTYAGES. as-ti'-a-jes (Astuages; or Astyigas (in Ktesias)), or Istuvigu, son of Cyaxares. I, king of the Medes 585-550 B.C., and predecessor of Cyrus (Bel and the Dragon verse 1): His wife was the daughter of Alyattes, king of Lydia. The daughter of Astyages (Mandane) married a Persian, Cambyses, and a son was born to them who later became ...
May 24, 2024 · This information comes from the Museum's collection database, and in some cases is incomplete or awaiting refinement. Researching the collection is a core component of our work, and we continue to improve object descriptions, document object histories, add bibliographic references, and update other data.
Astyages was the last of the kings of the Manda (Media). An exceedingly shrewd man, Deioces by name, had founded the kingdom 150 years before (699-646). Phraortes was the second in line (646-624), and Cyaxares the third (624-584).
Josephus names Astyages as the father of Darius the Mede, and the description of the latter as uncle and father-in-law of Cyrus by mediaeval Jewish commentators matches that of Cyaxares II, who is said to be the son of Astyages by Xenophon. Thus this Ahasuerus is commonly identified with Astyages.
