CYAXARES (Si-aks'-ah-rez), king of Media, reigned, ac cording to Herodotus (i. 107), 40 years, about 624-584 B.C. That he was the real founder of the Median empire is proved by the fact that in Darius's time a Median usurper, Fravartish, pretended to be his offspring (Behistun inscr. 2. 43). Herodotus narrates (i. 503 et seq.) that he renewed the war against the Assyrians and, while he besieged Nineveh, was attacked by a great Scythian army under Madyas. The Scythians defeated Cyaxares and ruled 28 years, till at last they were made drunk and slain by him at a ban quet (cf. also Herod. i. 73). We know from Jeremiah and Zepha niah that Syria and Palestine were really invaded by northern barbarians in 626 B.C., and it is probable that this invasion was the principal cause of the downfall of the Assyrian empire. (See MEDIA and PERSIA: Ancient History.) Cyaxares now renewed his attack on Assyria, and in 6o6 B.C. destroyed Nineveh and the other capitals of the empire (Herod. i. 106) . The countries north and east of the Tigris, the northern part of Mesopotamia, Armenia and Cappadocia were likewise subdued. The attempt to advance farther into Asia Minor led to a war with Alyattes of Lydia, in which Syennesis of Cilicia and Nebuchadrezzar (in Herodotus "Labynetus") of Babylon interceded and effected a peace, where by the Halys was fixed as frontier between the two empires. Cyaxares died shortly afterwards.