MEDIA, medi-a, Asia, an ancient king dom and country of considerable extent, now comprised in the provinces of northwest Persia. It was originally inhabited by a Turanian race, who are called Medes by ancient writers; but this name properly belongs to an Aryan race. who had spread themselves widely in the high regions of Western Asia and ultimately estab lished their ascendency in Media. They have been traced both by Persian and Indian tradi tions to the countries beyond the Indus. The history of Media is involved in considerable obscurity, but careful modern investigations have made the main outlines fairly clear. The Medes are first mentioned in connection with some of the kings of Assyria from the 9th century ac. Ramman-nirari II of Assyria, who reigned about 810 ac., led expeditions into Media and in 713 the great King Sargon con quered the country and made the Median princes tributary to the Assyrian monarchy. According to the Assyrian inscriptions, one of the Median rulers named Dajaukku was carried off as a prisoner in 715 ac.; this Dajaukku is the same as the Deioces who, according to Herodotus, founded the Median kingdom on an independent basis and fixed his capital at Ecbatana (now Hamadan). Deioces was fol lowed by three kings in succession, bearing the names (in Greek) of Phraortes, Cyaxares and Astyages. Phraortes, to whom the Greek his torian assigns a reign of 22 years (647-62.5 'Lc.), began the extension of the Median empire by the subjugation of the mountainous region of Perlis, to the southeast of Media. He then conquered other parts of Asia, and at length ventured to take the aggressive against the Assyrians and attack Nineveh. In this attempt he failed and lost his life. Cyaxares succeeded him on the Median throne, and during a reign of 40 years raised his kingdom to the greatest power and importance it was destined to achieve. He thoroughly reorganized the army and advanced against Nineveh. He gained
several successes, but before he could take the Assyrian capital he had to return to defend his kingdom against the inroads of Scythians. At first the Scythians carried all before them and became virtually masters of Media, but Cyaxares temporarily secured his position by negotiating with them, and finally slew all their chiefs when they were overpowered by wine at a feast. Thus rid of Scythian authority, Cyaxares again advanced against the Assyrians. In conjunction with Nabopolassar, founder of the Neo-Babylonian empire, he captured Nineveh about the year 606 B.C. After this event the Assyrian dominions were partitioned between the two conquerors, the northern parts falling to Media and the southern portions to Nabopolassar. Nebuchadnezzar, son and suc cessor of Nabopolassar, married a daughter of Cyaxares. Cyaxares carried his arms into Asia Minor and waged war for five years against Alyattes, king of Lydia. On 28 May 585, the Median and Lydian forces were engaged in battle when a total eclipse of the sun took place and struck terror into the soldiers on both sides. This event disposed both sides to enter into peace negotiations, which were successfully car ried through by the agency of Nebuchadnezzar and Syennesis, prince of Cilicia. Cyaxares probably died very shortly after this event, and left to his successor a greatly extended empire. Astyages was the last independent king of Media, and from 550 a when he was con quered by Cyrus the Persian, Media formed part of the Persian empire. See PERSIA and consult Delattre, A. L.,
peuple et l'empire des j mides usqu'a la fin du regne de Cyaxare' (Brussels 1883) • Oppert, Jules,
people et la langue des ificles) (Paris 1879); Praiek, (Medien und das Haus des Kyaxares) (Berlin 1890); id.,