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[[File:Medo-Persia - Achaemid Family Tree - inc Otanes & Cyaxares II.PNG|250px|thumb|right|The Achaemid Family Tree showing the merging or the royal houses of the Medes and the Persians to create the Medo-Persian Empire; also known to many as simply the Persian Empire.]]

[[File:Medo-Persia - Achaemid Family Tree - inc Otanes & Cyaxares II.PNG|250px|thumb|right|The Achaemid Family Tree showing the merging or the royal houses of the Medes and the Persians to create the Medo-Persian Empire; also known to many as simply the Persian Empire.]]

'''Cyaxares II''', is the alleged son and successor of the legendary [[Astyages]], King of the [[Medes|Mede]] in [[Ecbatana]] who allegedly reigned from 561 to 536 BC<ref>Barnes' Notes on the Bible, Danirl 9:1; https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/daniel/9.htm</ref>.  The generally accepted narrative is that the throne passed straight from [[Astyages]] to [[Cyrus the Great]].

'''Cyaxares II''', is the alleged son and successor of the legendary [[Astyages]], King of the [[Medes]] in [[Ecbatana]] who allegedly reigned from 561 to 536 BC<ref>Barnes' Notes on the Bible, Daniel 9:1; https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/daniel/9.htm</ref>.  The generally accepted narrative is that the throne passed straight from [[Astyages]] to [[Cyrus the Great]].

== Original Sources ==

== Original Sources ==

The son of [[Astyages]], [[Cyaxares II]] (not to be confused with [[Cyaxares I]], father of [[Astyages]]) does not ''specifically'' exist in any surviving or currently available extant cuniform tablets or the likes; but he does possibly exist with a potential dual reference in the monumental [[Behistun (inscription)|Behistun Inscription]].  Meanwhile the strongest ''specific'' literary evidence for his existence lies within the pages [[Xenophon|Xenohon's]] ''[[Cyropaedia]]'', who as a Greek military commander served in [[Cyrus the Younger|Cyrus']] army.  This work was so highly prized by [[Alexander the Great]], that he made it his perpetual study<ref>Xenophon, 'Cyropaedia'', Introduction, Delphi Classics, 2013, Hastings, UK</ref>; by extension it was obviously also recommended to him by his mentor and tutor [[Aristotle]]. Likewise did [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Scipio Africanus]] is reported to have carried it with him everywhere<ref>Xenophon, 'Cyropaedia'', Introduction, Delphi Classics, 2013, Hastings, UK</ref>.  This combined with a possible identity match with Josephus' [[Darius the Mede]] "who is known to the Greeks by another name" creates a good case.  Compoundingly, two of the rebels listed in [[Darius I|Darius I's]] [[Behistun (inscription)|Behistun Inscription]] claimed "to be of the family of Cyaxares": which has naturally created debate if these are references to [[Cyaxares I]] or to the possible [[Cyaxares II]].

The son of [[Astyages]], [[Cyaxares II]] (not to be confused with [[Cyaxares I]], father of [[Astyages]]) does not ''specifically'' exist in any surviving or currently available extant cuniform tablets or the likes; but he does possibly exist with a potential dual reference in the absolutely monumental [[bas-relief]] [[Behistun (inscription)|Behistun Inscription]] (''see below'').  Meanwhile the strongest ''specific'' literary evidence for his existence lies within the pages [[Xenophon|Xenohon's]] ''[[Cyropaedia]]'', who as a Greek military commander served in [[Cyrus the Younger|Cyrus']] army.  This work was so highly prized by [[Alexander the Great]], that he made it his perpetual study<ref>Xenophon, 'Cyropaedia'', Introduction, Delphi Classics, 2013, Hastings, UK</ref>; by extension it was obviously also recommended to him by his mentor and tutor [[Aristotle]]. Likewise did [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Scipio Africanus]] is reported to have carried it with him everywhere<ref>Xenophon, 'Cyropaedia'', Introduction, Delphi Classics, 2013, Hastings, UK</ref>.  This combined with a possible identity match with Josephus' [[Darius the Mede]], "son of Astyages" "who is known to the Greeks by another name" creates a good case.  Compoundingly, two of the rebels listed in [[Darius I|Darius I's]] [[Behistun (inscription)|Behistun Inscription]] claimed "to be of the family of Cyaxares": which has naturally created debate if these are references to [[Cyaxares I]] or to the possible [[Cyaxares II]].

Alternitively, [[Cyaxares II]] does not appear in Ptolemy's Canon<ref>Livius, Ptolemy's Canon; https://www.livius.org/articles/concept/ptolemys-canon/</ref> or the Uruk King List<ref>Livius, Uruk King List;https://www.livius.org/sources/content/uruk-king-list/</ref>, but neither of these feature [[Belshazzar]] who became effective king of Babylon after his father [[Nabonidas]] capture: now confirmed to us by the Nabonidus Cylinder (from Ur)<ref>Livius, ''Nabonidus Cylinder from Ur'',https://www.livius.org/sources/content/nabonidus-cylinder-from-ur/</ref><ref>Livius, ''ABC 7 (Nabonidus Chronicle)'', Column iii.16, https://www.livius.org/sources/content/mesopotamian-chronicles-content/abc-7-nabonidus-chronicle/</ref>.

Alternitively, [[Cyaxares II]] does not appear in Ptolemy's Canon<ref>Livius, Ptolemy's Canon; https://www.livius.org/articles/concept/ptolemys-canon/</ref> or the Uruk King List<ref>Livius, Uruk King List;https://www.livius.org/sources/content/uruk-king-list/</ref>, but neither of these feature [[Belshazzar]] who became effective king of Babylon after his father [[Nabonidas]] capture: now confirmed to us by the Nabonidus Cylinder (from Ur)<ref>Livius, ''Nabonidus Cylinder from Ur'',https://www.livius.org/sources/content/nabonidus-cylinder-from-ur/</ref><ref>Livius, ''ABC 7 (Nabonidus Chronicle)'', Column iii.16, https://www.livius.org/sources/content/mesopotamian-chronicles-content/abc-7-nabonidus-chronicle/</ref>.