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MEDIA
Online EncyclopediaOriginally appearing in Volume
V18,
Page 22
of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MEDIA , the See also:
See also: Sargon in 715 and 713 subjected them " to the far See also:mountain Bikni," i.e. the Elburz (Demavend) and the See also:borders of the desert. They were divided into many districts and towns, under See also:petty See also:local chieftains; from the names which the Assyrian See also:inscriptions mention, we learn that they were an Iranian tribe and that they had already adopted the See also:religion. of Zoroaster. In spite of different attempts of some chieftains to shake off the Assyrian yoke (cf. the See also:information obtained from prayers to the See also:Sun-See also:god for oracles against these rebels: Knudtzon, Assyrische Gebete an den Sonnengott), Media remained tributary to Assyria under Sargon's successors, See also:Sennacherib, Esar-haddon and See also:Assur-banipal. See also:Herodotus, i. 101, gives a See also:list of six Median tribes (y v a), among them the Paraetaceni, the inhabitants of the mountainous highland of Paraetacene, the district of See also:Isfahan, and the Magoi, i.e. the Magians, the hereditary See also:caste of the priests, who in Media took the See also:place of the " See also:fire-kindlers " (athravan) of the Zoroastrian religion, and who spread from Media to See also:Persia and to the west. But the Iranian Medes were not the only inhabitants of the country. The names in the Assyrian inscriptions prove that the tribes in the Zagros and the northern parts of Media were not Iranians nor Indo-Europeans, but an aboriginal See also:population, like the See also:early inhabitants of Armenia, perhaps connected with the numerous tribes of the See also:Caucasus. ' Anc. Mantiane, See also:Strabo xi. 529; Martiane, Ptol. vi. 2, 5, probably identical with the name Matiane, Matiene, by which Herodotus i.'89, 202, iii. 94, V.49, 52 (in i. 72 and vii. 72 they seem to be a different people in See also: Asia See also:Minor) ; Polyb. v. 44, 9; Strabo i. 49, ii. 73, xi. 509, 514, 523, 525; Plin vi. 48, designate the northern part of Media. We can see how the Iranian See also:element gradually became dominant: to be of the See also:race of See also:Cyaxares, tried to restore the Median princes with Iranian names occasionally occur as rulers of these See also:kingdom, but was defeated by the See also:Persian generals and executed tribes. But the Gelae, Tapuri, Cadusii, Amardi, Utii and other in See also:Ecbatana (See also:Darius in the See also:Behistun inscr.). Another See also:rebellion, tribes in northern Media and on the shores of the Caspian were in 409, against Darius II. (See also:Xenophon, Hellen. i.2, 19) was of not Iranians. With them See also: Polybius v. 44, 9, Strabo xi. 507, .short duration. But the non-See also:Aryan tribes of the north, especially 5o8, 514, and See also:Pliny vi. 46, mention the Anariaci, whom they the Cadusians, were always troublesome; many abortive expeconsider as a particular. tribe; but in reality their name, the ditions of the later See also:kings against them are mentioned. " Not-Arians," is the comprehensive designation of all these Under the Persian See also:rule the country was divided into two small tribes. satrapies. The south, with Ecbatana and Rhagae (Rai), In the second See also:half of the 7th See also:century the Medians gained their Media proper, or " Great Media," as it is often called, formed See also:independence and were See also:united by a See also:dynasty, which, if we may in Darius' organization the See also:eleventh satrapy (Herodotus iii. See also:trust Herodotus, derived its origin from See also:Deioces (q.v.), a Median 92), together with the Paricanians and Orthocorybantians; the chieftain in the Zagros, who was, with his kinsmen, transported north, the district of Matiane (see above), together with the by Sargon to Hamath (Harrah) in See also:Syria in 715 B.C. The mountainous districts of the Zagros and Assyria proper (east kings, who created the Median See also:Empire, were See also:Phraortes and his of the Tigris) was united with the Alarodians and Saspirians in son Cyaxares. Probably they were chieftains of a nomadic eastern Armenia, and formed the eighteenth satrapy (See also:Herod. Median tribe in the desert, the Manda, mentioned by See also:Saigon; iii. 94; cf. v.49, 52, 72). When the empire decayed and for the Babylonian See also:
32 sqq. and copied by many for the generals who fought for the See also: inheritance of Alexander, later 'authors) has no historical value whatever, although some was See also:left to Atropates. While southern Media with Ecbatana of his names may be derived from local traditions. According passed to the rule of Antigonus, and afterwards (about 31o) to to, Herodotus, the conquests of Cyaxares were interrupted Seleucus I.; Atropates maintained himself in his satrapy and by an invasion of the Scythians, who founded an empire succeeded in See also:founding an independent kingdom. Thus. the in western Asia, which lasted twenty-eight years. From partition of the country, which the Persian had introduced, the Assyrian prayers to the Sun-god, mentioned above, we became lasting; the north was named Atropatene (in Plin. learn that the Median dynasts; who tried rebellions against vi. 42, Atrapatene; in Ptolem. vi. 2, 5, Tropatene; in Polyb, the Assyrians in the time of Esar-haddon and Assur-bani-See also:pal, v. 44 and 55 corrupted in ra rarpaareZa Ka).obueva), after the were allied with chieftains of the Cimmerians (who had come founder of the dynasty, a name which is preserved in the from the northern See also:shore of the See also:Black Sea and invaded Armenia modern Azerbaijan; cf. See also:Noldeke, " Atropatene," in Zeitschrift and As:a Minor), of the Saparda, Ashguza and other tribes; and der deutschen morgenl. Gesellschaft, 34, 692 sqq. and Marquart, from See also:Jeremiah and. See also:Zephaniah we know that a great invasion Eranshahr, p. rob sqq. The See also:capital was Gazaca in the central of Syria and See also:Palestine by northern barbarians really took place See also:plain, and the strong See also:castle Phraaspa (Dio See also:Cass. xlix.26; Plut. in 626 B.C. With these facts the traditions of Herodotus must Anton. 38; Ptol. vi. 2, 10) or See also: Vera (Strabo xi. 523), probably in some way be connected; but at See also:present it is impossible to identical with the great ruin Takhti See also:Suleiman, with remains regain the history of these times. The only certain facts are that of See also:Sassanid fire-altars and of a later See also:palace. The kings had a in 606 Cyaxares succeeded in destroying Nineveh and the other strong and warlike See also:army, especially See also:cavalry (Polyb. v. 55; cities of Assyria (see PHRAORTES and DEiocES). Strabo xi. 253). Nevertheless, King Artabazanes was forced From then the Median king ruled over the greatest part of by See also:Antiochus the Great in 220 to conclude a disadvantageous Iran, Assyria and northern See also:Mesopotamia, Armenia and Cappa- treaty (Polyb. v. 55), and in later times the rulers became docia.His See also: power was very dangerous to their neighbours, in turn dependent on the Parthians, on See also:Tigranes of Armenia, and the exiled See also:Jews expected the destruction of Babylonia by and in the time of See also:Pompey who defeated their king Darius the Medes (Isa. xiii., xiv., xxi.; Jerem. 1. li.). When, Cyaxares (See also:Appian, Mithr. ro8), on See also:Antonius (who invaded Atropatene) attacked See also:Lydia, the kings of See also:Cilicia and See also:Babylon intervened and and on See also:Augustus of See also:Rome. In the time of Strabo (A.D. 17), negotiated a See also:peace in 585, by which the Halys was established the dynasty existed still (p. 523); in later times the country as the boundary. See also:Nebuchadrezzar married a daughter of Cya- seems to have become a See also:Parthian See also:province. xares, and an See also:equilibrium of the great See also:powers was maintained Atropatene is that country of western Asia which was least of till the rise of See also:Cyrus. all influenced by See also:Hellenism; there exists not even a single See also:coin About the See also:internal organization of the Median Empire we of its rulers. But the See also:opinion of modern authors—that it had know only that the Greeks derive a great part of the ceremonial been a special See also:refuge of Zoroastrianism—is based upon a wrong of the Persian See also:court, the See also:costume of the king, &c., from Media. See also:etymology of the name (which is falsely explained as " country But it is certain that the See also:national See also:union of the Median clans of fire-See also:worship "), and has no See also:foundation whatever. There,can was the See also:work of their kings; and probably the capital Ecbatana be no doubt that the kings adhered to the Persian religion; (q.v.) was created by them. but it is not probable that it was deeply rooted among their By the rebellion of Cyrus, king of Persia, against his suzerain subjects, especially among the non-Aryan tribes. See also:Astyages, the son of Cyaxares, in 553, and his victory in 550, Southern Media remained a province of the Seleucid Empire the Medes were subjected to the Persians. In the new empire for a century and a half, and Hellenism was introduced every-they retained a prominent position; in See also:honour and See also:war they where."Media is surrounded everywhere by. Greek towns, in stood next to the Persians; the ceremonial of their court was pursuance of the See also: plan of Alexander, which protect it against the adopted by the new sovereigns who in the summer months neighbouring barbarians," says Polybius (x. 27). Only Ecbatana resided in Ecbatana, and many See also:noble Medes were employed retained its old See also:character. But Rhagae became a Greek See also:town, as officials, satraps and generals. After the assassination of the Europus; and with it Strabo (xi. 524) names See also:Laodicea, See also:Apamea, usurper See also:Smerdis, a Mede Fravartish (Phraortes), who pretended See also:Heraclea or Achais (cf. Plin. vi. 48). Most of them were founded by Seleucus I. and his son Antiochus I. In 221, the satrap Molon tried to make himself independent (there exist See also:bronze coins with his name and the royal See also:title), together with his See also:brother Alexander, satrap of See also:Persis, but they were defeated and killed by Antiochus the Great. In the same way, in 16r, the Median, satrap Timarchus took the diadem and conquered Babylonia; on his coins he calls himself " the great king Timarchus"; but this time again the legitimate king, See also:Demetrius I., succeeded in subduing the rebellion, and Timarchus was slain.But with Demetrius I. the See also: dissolution of the Seleucid Empire begins, which was prought on chiefly by the intrigues of the See also:Romans, and shortly afterwards, about 15o, the Parthian king, See also:Mithradates I. (q.v.), conquered Media (See also:Justin xli. 6). From this time Media remained subject to the Arsacids, who changed the name of Rhagae, or Europus, into Arsacia (Strabo xi. 524), and divided the country into five small provinces (Isidorus Charac.). From the Arsacids or Parthians, it passed in A.D. 226 to the Sassanids, together with Atropatene. By this time the old tribes of Aryan Iran had lost their character and had been amalgamated into the one nation of the Iranians. The revival of Zoroastrianism, which was enforced everywhere by the Sassanids, completed this development. It was only then that Atropatene became a principal seat of fire-worship, with many fire-altars. Rhagae now became the most sacred See also:city of the empire and the seat of the See also:head of the Zoroastrian See also:hierarchy; the Sassanid Avesta and the tradition of the Parsecs therefore consider Rhagae as the See also:home of the See also:family of the See also:Prophet. Henceforth the name of Media is used only as a See also:geographical See also:term and begins to disappear from the living See also:language; in Persian traditions it occurs under the modern form Mah (Armen.See also: Mai; in See also:Syriac the old name Marla is preserved; cf. Marquart, Eranshahr, r8 seq.).Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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