Changes

The son of [[Astyages]], [[Cyaxares II]] (not to be confused with [[Cyaxares I]], father of [[Astyages]]) does not exist in any surviving or currently available extant cuniform tablets or the likes.  The strongest 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 perpetual study; by extension it was obviously also recommended to him by his teacher [[Aristotle]].  This combined with a probable identity match with Josephus' [[Darius the Mede]] "who is known to the Greeks by another name" created a good case.  Compoundingly, two of the rebels listed in [[Darius I|Darius I's]] [[Behistun (inscription)|Behistun Inscription]] claimed "to be of Cyaxares" and "to be of the household of Cyaxares": which has naturally created debate if these are references to [[Cyaxares I]] or [[Cyaxares II]].

The son of [[Astyages]], [[Cyaxares II]] (not to be confused with [[Cyaxares I]], father of [[Astyages]]) does not exist in any surviving or currently available extant cuniform tablets or the likes.  The strongest 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 perpetual study; by extension it was obviously also recommended to him by his teacher [[Aristotle]].  This combined with a probable identity match with Josephus' [[Darius the Mede]] "who is known to the Greeks by another name" created a good case.  Compoundingly, two of the rebels listed in [[Darius I|Darius I's]] [[Behistun (inscription)|Behistun Inscription]] claimed "to be of Cyaxares" and "to be of the household of Cyaxares": which has naturally created debate if these are references to [[Cyaxares I]] or [[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 is 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> after the capture of Nabonidus outside the city [walls]<ref>Livius, ''ABC 7 (Nabonidus Chronicle)'', Colum 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 is 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> after the capture of Nabonidus outside the city [walls]<ref>Livius, ''ABC 7 (Nabonidus Chronicle)'', Column iii.16, https://www.livius.org/sources/content/mesopotamian-chronicles-content/abc-7-nabonidus-chronicle/</ref>. Meanwhile the Nabonidus Chronicle openly states that Cyrus attacked [[Astyges]] and that the army betrayed Astyages which is in harmony with Herodotus' narrative.<ref>Livius, ''ABC 7 (Nabonidus Chronicle)'', Column ii, https://www.livius.org/sources/content/mesopotamian-chronicles-content/abc-7-nabonidus-chronicle/</ref>

In the following sections we shall examine these sources in more detail.

In the following sections we shall examine these sources in more detail.