Astyages

In 553 BCE , King Cyrus The Great made war on Astyages' Media . After three years of fighting, his troops mutinied and Astyages was handed over to the enemy. Cyrus then went on to pillage Astyages's capital of Ecbatana . Ancient sources agree that Astyages was treated with clemency after his capture, but differ in details. Herodotus says that he was imprisoned for the rest of his life, while according to Ctesias , he was made a governor of a region of Parthia and was later murdered by a political opponent, Oebaras .

Herodotus relates that the mutiny was instigated by one of Astyages' courtiers and generals, Harpagus , as revenge for the king forcing him to eat his own son. Whether or not this is true, Harpagus and his family were granted high positions in Cyrus' empire after the war.

As part of the story of Harpagus , Herotodus records that Cyrus The Great was actually Astyages ' grandson (from his daughter Mandane Of Media ).

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The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)

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Astyages

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