MEDIA (me'dia), in ancient geog raphy, a country of Asia, which ex tended on the W. and S. of the Caspian Sea, from Armenia and Assyria on the N. and W., to Farsistan or Persia proper on the S.; and included the districts now called Shirvan, Azerbeijan, Ghilan, Ma zanderan, and Irak Adjemi. It had two grand divisions, of which the N. W. was called Atropatene, or Lesser Media, and the S., Greater Media. The former cor responds to the modern Azerbeijan, now, as formerly, a province of the Persian empire, on the W. of the Caspian, sur rounded by high mountains of the Tau ritic range, except toward the E., where the river Kur, or Cyrus, discharges its waters into the Caspian. The Greater Media corresponds principally to the modern Irak Adjemi, or Persian Irak. Ecbatana was the ancient capital. Media is one of the most ancient independent kingdoms of which history makes men tion. The Medians were in language, religion, and manners very nearly allied to the Persians. After they had shaken off the yoke of the Assyrians, their tribes united about 708 B. C., according to the
common account, and chose Dejoces (Kai Kobad) for their chief. His son Phra ortes, or Arphaxad, subdued the Persians. Cyaxares (Kai-Kaous), the son of Phra ortes, in alliance with Nabopolassar, King of Babylon, overthrew the Assyrian em pire about 604 B. C., and spread the ter ror of his arms as far as Egypt. He was succeeded by his son Astyages (As dehak), who was deposed (560 B. C.) by his own grandson Cyrus (Kai-Khfis ru), King of Persia; and from this time the two nations are spoken of as one people. Ecbatana, the capital of Media, became the summer residence of the Per sian kings. After the death of Alexander the Great (324 B. c.), the N. W. portion (Atropatene) became a separate king dom, and existed till the time of Augus tus; the other portion, under the name of Great Media, forming a part of the Syrian monarchy.