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[[Jerome|St. Jerome's]] in his ''Commentary on Daniel'' asserts that this ''Darius the Mede'' was companion to [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus the Great]] and was not any of the other options concluding that the words 'the Mede' were deliberately added to avoid confusion with other Darius'.<ref>St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9, v.1<br>https://tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm</ref>  This assertion is most consistent with [[Xenophon]]'s highly detailed account below and [[Josephus|Josephus']] assertion that Darius was a war companion to [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus]].<ref>"Baltasar, 1 who by the Babylonians was called Naboandelus; against him did Cyrus, the king of Persia, and Darius, the king of Media, make war"<br>.[[Josephus]], Antiquities of the Jews, Book 10<br>https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0146:book=10:section=229</ref>.

[[Jerome|St. Jerome's]] in his ''Commentary on Daniel'' asserts that this ''Darius the Mede'' was companion to [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus the Great]] and was not any of the other options concluding that the words 'the Mede' were deliberately added to avoid confusion with other Darius'.<ref>St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9, v.1<br>https://tertullian.org/fathers/jerome_daniel_02_text.htm</ref>  This assertion is most consistent with [[Xenophon]]'s highly detailed account below and [[Josephus|Josephus']] assertion that Darius was a war companion to [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus]].<ref>"Baltasar, 1 who by the Babylonians was called Naboandelus; against him did Cyrus, the king of Persia, and Darius, the king of Media, make war"<br>.[[Josephus]], Antiquities of the Jews, Book 10<br>https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0146:book=10:section=229</ref>.

In [[Xenophon|Xenophon's]] historical narrative, some time after the natural death of [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus']] grandfather [[Astyages]], [[Cyrus II the Great]], while still a youth and not yet king of [[Persia]], entered into the employ of his uncle [[Cyaxares II]] as general of the army in a mutual defence pact against Assyria ([[Babylon]]).  In this capacity [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus]] campaigns with [[Cyaxares II]] at the first and then by himself until his eventual conquest of [[Babylon]].  This position that [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus]] began in the employ of the Medes is consistent with [[Megasthenes]]: for in [[Megasthenes]] retelling of an alleged prophetic utterance by [[Nebuchadnezzar II]] (that at least seemed true enough to [[Megasthenes]]), [[Nebuchadnezzar II]] asserted under divine inspiration that "A Persian mule shall come, [and] shall impose upon you [Babylonians] the yoke of slavery: the author of which shall be a Mede."<ref>[[Megasthenes]], from [[Abydenus]], of Nebuchadnezzar,<br /> I.P. Cory ''The Ancient Fragments'', London, UK, 1873</ref>

In [[Xenophon|Xenophon's]] historical [[narrative]], some time after the natural death of [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus']] grandfather [[Astyages]], [[Cyrus II the Great]], while still a youth and not yet king of [[Persia]], entered into the employ of his uncle [[Cyaxares II]] as general of the army in a mutual defence pact against Assyria ([[Babylon]]).  In this capacity [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus]] campaigns with [[Cyaxares II]] at the first and then by himself until his eventual conquest of [[Babylon]].  This position that [[Cyrus II the Great|Cyrus]] began in the employ of the Medes is consistent with [[Megasthenes]]: for in [[Megasthenes]] retelling of an alleged prophetic utterance by [[Nebuchadnezzar II]] (that at least seemed true enough to [[Megasthenes]]), [[Nebuchadnezzar II]] asserted under divine inspiration that "A Persian mule shall come, [and] shall impose upon you [Babylonians] the yoke of slavery: the author of which shall be a Mede."<ref>[[Megasthenes]], from [[Abydenus]], of Nebuchadnezzar,<br /> I.P. Cory ''The Ancient Fragments'', London, UK, 1873</ref>

In this narrative of [[Xenophon]] which harmonizes with [[Megasthenes]], it must be noted that all conquests were officially in the name of the Medo-Persian alliance which was ultimately at the expense and direction of the king of the Medes.  After which [[Cyrus the Great]] returned to the Median capital city of [[Ecbatana]] and presents [[Cyaxares II]] with a palace in [[Babylon]] as a token of victory.  In exchange [[Cyrus II the Great]] receives [[Cyaxares II]]'s daughter as his wife with the kingdom of Media as her dowry.  Xenophon's account then details Cyrus' trip home to Persia where he receives the title of ''King of Persia'' upon the death of his father [[Cambyses I]].

In this narrative of [[Xenophon]] which harmonizes with [[Megasthenes]], it must be noted that all conquests were officially in the name of the Medo-Persian alliance which was ultimately at the expense and direction of the king of the Medes.  After which [[Cyrus the Great]] returned to the Median capital city of [[Ecbatana]] and presents [[Cyaxares II]] with a palace in [[Babylon]] as a token of victory.  In exchange [[Cyrus II the Great]] receives [[Cyaxares II]]'s daughter as his wife with the kingdom of Media as her dowry.  Xenophon's account then details Cyrus' trip home to Persia where he receives the title of ''King of Persia'' upon the death of his father [[Cambyses I]].