Cyaxares II

From Conservapedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Latent (talk | contribs) at 01:18, January 12, 2021. It may differ significantly from current revision.
Jump to navigation Jump to search

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[1]. The generally accepted narrative is that the throne passed straight from Astyages to Cyrus the Great.

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 absolutely monumental bas-relief Behistun Inscription (see below).

Meanwhile the strongest specific literary evidence for his existence lies within the pages Xenohon's crowning work, the Cyropaedia, who as a Greek military commander served in Cyrus' army. This work was so highly prized by Alexander the Great, that he made it his perpetual study[2]; by extension it was obviously also recommended to him by his mentor and tutor Aristotle[3]. Likewise did Julius Caesar[4]. Meanwhile Scipio Africanus is reported to have carried it with him everywhere[5]. This combined with a possible identity match with Josephus' Darius, King of Media[6], "the son of Astyages, [who] had another name among the Greeks"[7] creates a good case. Compoundingly, two of the rebels listed in Darius I's 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. Finally those who accept the Book of Daniel to be true, note that it was Darius the Mede who officially seized the kingdom[8], which happily correlates all three of these literary sources to their reasoning.

Alternitively, Cyaxares II does not appear in Ptolemy's Canon[9] or the Uruk King List[10]. 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)[11][12]. Similarly Ptolemy does not list Nerglissar's son Labasi-Marduk while the Uruk does.

Meanwhile Cyaxares II existence is further called into question when the Nabonidus Chronicle openly states that: 1. Cyrus the Great attacked Astyages and that the army betrayed Astyages[13] thereby 2. denying Astyages throne passed to Cyaxares II at all. This account is in harmony with Herodotus' narrative which may be derived from the Chronicle or another common source.

Clearly, legitimate debate over these sources does exist. Therefore in the following sections we shall examine these sources in more detail.

In the works of Xenophon

According to Xenophon, Cyaxares II ruled as king after the natural death of Astyages and sought to defended Media from Assyrian/Babylonian aggression, promoting his yet unascended nephew Cyrus as General/leader of the allied forces. Furthermore, Xenophon in great detail records the history of Cyrus' pre-emptive strike and campaigns with Cyaxares II, the first battle of which the king of Babylon (probably Neriglissar) was decisively defeated and slain. During the plunder of this battle Cyaxares II and Cyrus were separated and Cyrus continued to campaign alone with Cyaxares II eventually returning to Ecbatana. The volume records how Cyrus fused the alliance of nations under his banner until after several years Cyrus stands at the very gates of Babylon itself. Xenophon then very significantly records how after the conquest of Babylon, Cyrus travelled to Ecbatana wherein he met Cyaxares II, gifting him a palace in Babylon and accepted the hand of his daughter with the Kingdom of Media as her dowry. Xenophon then records how Cyrus travelled to Persia after the death of his father Cambyses I to receive his father's office.

This record stands in direct contrast regarding the existence of Cyaxares II with the Nabonidus Chronicle[14], Herodotus and Ctesias accounts, Ptolemy's Canon[15] and the Uruk King List[16] on the one side. But on the other, it alone offers a satisfactory reason as to why the authoritative Behistun Inscription twice has rebels claiming to be "of the family of Cyaxares"[17][18] and not "of the family of Astyages" (being the last monarch of Media if the likes of the Nabonidus Chronicle are true); while it must also be noted that if these rebels were referring to Astyages father Cyaxares I, then claims to the throne that are over a hundred years old does not make for a strong case! It must also be noted that this inscription is the dictate of Darius I himself, who in turn is the son of one Cyrus' right hand men who lived these events. Now when one considers the Book of Daniel's claim that Darius the Mede "received the kingdom" (rather than the Cyrus) despite known physical history, this claim is harmonized when Josephus records that "Darius the Mede" "was the son of Astyages" but "known to the Greeks by another name".

Herein, historians are forced to make a choice between the account of Xenophon's Cyropaedia, backed by the immensely authoritative Behistun Inscription, or these contrary works.

In the works of Josephus

Josephus does not use the title of "Cyaxares", but rather names Darius the Mede as the son of Astyages, simply acknowledging that Darius the Mede is known by another name among the Greeks. Considering the possible candidates at the time, this has led many to comment on this convergence and conclude that Josephus' Darius the Mede, son of Astyages is Cyaxares II.

In the Behistun Inscription

The Behistun Inscription details the nine self-proclaimed kings who rebelled in Darius Hystspes' first year of power whom he subdued. Two of those rebels claimed to be "of the family Cyaxares"[19][20], of whom the former claimed a false identity while the later may well have been legitimate (but a rebel none the less). Regardless, this gives rise to the debate if they are referring to Cyaxares I, father of Astyages or to Astyages' possible son and successor Cyaxares II.

It must be noted that Phraortes claimed "I am Khshathrita, of the family of Cyaxares"[21]as did Tritantaechmes[22] claimed to be of "Cyaxares": if they refer to Cyaxares I over a hundred years prior, then their legitimate claim to the throne would be extremely small, if they refer to a potential Cyaxares II two generations later, then a much more legitimate claim could be substantiated.

The Achaemid Family Tree showing the merging of the royal houses of the Medes and the Persians to create the Medo-Persian Empire.

Resources

  • [1]Steven D. Anderson, Darius the Mede: A Reappraisal (Steven D. Anderson: Grand Rapids, 2014).
  • [2]Translation of the Cyrus Cylinder.
  • [3]Xenophon, Cyropaedia: the education of Cyrus, translated by Henry Graham Dakyns and revised by F.M. Stawell.

References

  1. ↑ Barnes' Notes on the Bible, Daniel 9:1. [4]
  2. ↑ Xenophon, 'Cyropaedia, Introduction, Delphi Classics, 2013, Hastings, UK
  3. ↑ Quintus Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander, 1.9
  4. ↑ Xenophon, 'Cyropaedia, Introduction, Delphi Classics, 2013, Hastings, UK
  5. ↑ Xenophon, 'Cyropaedia, Introduction, Delphi Classics, 2013, Hastings, UK
  6. ↑ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 10.11.2.[5]
  7. ↑ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 10.11.4.[6]
  8. ↑ Daniel 5:31
  9. ↑ Livius, Ptolemy's Canon. [7]
  10. ↑ Livius, Uruk King List.[8]
  11. ↑ Livius, Nabonidus Cylinder from Ur.[9]
  12. ↑ Livius, ABC 7 (Nabonidus Chronicle), Column iii.16.[10]
  13. ↑ Livius, ABC 7 (Nabonidus Chronicle), Column ii. [11]
  14. ↑ Nabonidus Chronicle, Column ii.1-4, [12]
  15. ↑ Ptolemy's Canon, [13]
  16. ↑ Uruk King List.[14]
  17. ↑ Darius I, Behistun Inscription, Rebellion of Phraortes.[15]
  18. ↑ Darius I, Behistun Inscription, Rebellion of Tritantaechmes. [16]
  19. ↑ Darius I, Behistun Inscription. [17]
  20. ↑ Darius I, Behistun Inscription.[18]
  21. ↑ Darius I, Behistun Inscription.[19]
  22. ↑ Darius I, Behistun Inscription. [20]
Retrieved from "https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Cyaxares_II&oldid=1720775"