Cyaxares
Who was Cyaxares?
The third and greatest king of the Medes (625–585 BC)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Cyaxares (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Cyaxares was the third king of the Medes, ruling from around 625 to 585 BC. He was born in Ecbatana, the capital of Media in what is now the Zagros Mountains of Iran. His rise to power came during a chaotic time. His father, Phraortes, died in battle against the Assyrians, likely under the forces of Ashurbanipal. After this loss, the Scythians, allies of Assyria, controlled Media for about 28 years. Cyaxares eventually overthrew the Scythian rule, took over Median leadership, and began one of the most important reigns in the ancient Near East.
Before Fame
Cyaxares was born in Ecbatana into the Median royal family when the Assyrian Empire, a major military power of the time, dominated the ancient Near East. His early life was marked by Median subjugation, first under the Assyrians and then under the Scythians from the Eurasian steppes. Seeing his father Phraortes die in battle against the Assyrians likely had a deep impact on Cyaxares, giving him both a personal vendetta and a strategic insight into challenging the powerful empires of his time. To become king, he first had to remove Scythian control over Media, which he did before setting his sights on the Assyrians.
Key Achievements
- Overthrew Scythian domination over Media and consolidated the Median kingdom as a major regional power
- Reorganized the Median military into disciplined specialized units, greatly increasing its effectiveness
- Allied with Babylon to destroy the Assyrian Empire, culminating in the sack of Nineveh in 612 BC
- United the majority of Iranian peoples under Median rule, creating the first Iranian empire
- Expanded Median territory westward into Anatolia, establishing the Halys River as the boundary with Lydia
Did You Know?
- 01.Cyaxares reorganized the Median army by separating soldiers into specialized units of spearmen, archers, and cavalry, a significant departure from earlier undifferentiated tribal levies.
- 02.The Scythians controlled Media for approximately 28 years before Cyaxares managed to overthrow their domination and claim the Median throne.
- 03.Cyaxares formed a military alliance with Nabopolassar of Babylon, sealing it partly through the marriage of his granddaughter Amytis to Nebuchadnezzar II.
- 04.Under Cyaxares, the Medes participated in the sack of Nineveh in 612 BC, one of the great cities of antiquity and the Assyrian imperial capital.
- 05.Cyaxares extended Median territory westward into Anatolia, bringing the Medes into direct conflict with the Lydian kingdom, a war that ended with the famous Battle of the Halys in 585 BC, reportedly halted by a solar eclipse.