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This is the story of the birth and upbringing of Cyrus, and of how he became king; and afterwards, as I have already related, he subjugated Croesus in punishment for the unprovoked wrong done him; and after this victory he became sovereign of all Asia. (1.130)
HERODOTUS, HISTORIES, 1.130; A. D. GODLEY TRANSLATION
Summary
Astyages became ruler of the Median empire after his father Cyaxares died. It was this Astyages who was the brother-in-law to Croesus and his deposition by Cyrus was the reason Croesus attacked the Persians.1
One night, Astyages had a dream that his daughter urinated so much it flooded his city and all of Asia. The Magi, wisemen and interpreters of dreams, told Astyages the dream meant that his daughter would give birth to a son who would rule in his place. Terrified by the interpretation, he married her off to a Persian, who were slaves to the Medians, and sent her to live with him.
After Astyages did this, he had another dream where a vine grew out of his daughter’s genitals which covered all of Asia. The Magi told Astyages the second dream was like the first, meaning that Astyages hadn’t adverted his overthrow. Worse, his daughter was with child, a half-Persian no less, and about to give birth.
Astyages sent for his daughter, locked her in his house, and posted guards around her room. After she gave birth to a son, Astyages charged his most faithful servant Harpagus to take the baby, kill him, and bury him.
Harpagus took the baby home, but he was distraught with the order. He didn’t want to be a murderer—especially the murderer of the king’s daughter’s son. He summoned one of the king’s cowherds and ordered him to take the baby to the mountains and leave it to die of exposure. Harpagus threatened the cowherd with execution if he didn’t obey.
The cowherd took the baby home and told his wife what he was ordered to do. He wasn’t sure what he should do especially after finding out who the baby was. His wife, who that day had just given birth to a stillborn son, told him to take the stillborn to the mountains instead and they would raise the baby as their own. The cowherd did this and told Harpagus a few days later he exposed the baby. Harpagus’ servants went to the spot, saw the dead baby, and it was subsequently buried.
Ten years later, Cyrus2 was playing with his friends one day and they started a game where Cyrus was king and they were his subjects. He began delegating all of them tasks and did it so well that it was like he was an actual king. When one of the boys, a son of a notable Mede, refused to carry out his tasks, Cyrus ordered the other boys to seize him and Cyrus whipped him.
They boy complained to his father about what happened, and in turn, the father brought it before the king, thinking it was an outrage that the son of a lowly cowherd would do that to his son. Astyages summoned Cyrus and his father and asked Cyrus if he had whipped the boy. Cyrus told him he did because his friends had made him king and the boy refused to carry out his tasks. If Cyrus deserved punishment for whipping the boy, then so be it.
Astyages immediately began suspecting that Cyrus was his grandson who was supposed to be dead. Not only did he kind of look like Astyages, he carried himself like royalty and he was about the age his grandson would have been. Astyages sent out everyone except Cyrus and his father and, under threat of punishment, got the cowherd to tell him the truth about what happened ten years prior.
Astyages, angry, summoned Harpagus, and asked him about what happened ten years ago. Harpagus told him he didn’t want to be guilty of murder and so delegated the task to the cowherd. Concealing his anger, Astyages told Harpagus what the cowherd told him, but said he was glad Harpagus did what he did. He regretted ordering the death of his grandson because it had caused a rift between him and his daughter. He then told Harpagus to send his son over so he could be with Cyrus and then come over later to dine with the royal family.
Harpagus, happy at the turn of events, went home and sent his son. When his son showed up, Astyages slit his throat, cut him up, and cooked his flesh. Harpagus showed up for the feast and unknowingly dined on his son’s flesh while everyone else ate lamb. Harpagus was given a basket and told to continue dining. When Harpagus opened the basket, he saw the head, feet, and hands of his son. When Astyages asked Harpagus what beast he dined on, Harpagus kept his composure, affirmed the correctness of the king’s actions, took his sons’ remains home, and buried them.
Astyages inquired the Magi again about what to do with Cyrus. They assured him that the game Cyrus played was the fulfillment of his dreams and that Cyrus would not become king again. Furthermore, they assured him that they are just as invested in keeping Astyages in power in order to keep Median domination over the Persians. Astyages, satisfied, sent Cyrus to the Persians to live with his birth parents. When his birth parents heard how Cyrus lived, they began circulating the story that he had been nursed by a dog after being exposed so as to bolster his reputation with the Persians.
After Cyrus grew up, Harpagus began trying to court his favor. After Astyages had murdered his son, he began to set out for revenge. He worked to get the chief Medes on his side who had all been mistreated by Astyages. Next, he cut open a rabbit, put a message inside it, sewed it up, and sent it with a messenger to Persia. The only message he had was: cut open the rabbit when Cyrus was alone.
Cyrus did so. Harpagus’ message urged Cyrus to gather up the Persians and rebel again Astyages and reassured Cyrus that whoever would lead the Median army will have them revolt against the king as well. After thinking about how to carry out his task, Cyrus wrote down a message on paper, summoned the Persians, and told them the king appointed him commander of the Persian army. He then ordered the Persians to get sickles and clear out a tract of land filled with thorns in one day. The Persians did so. The next day, Cyrus gathered all of them together and held a grand feast for them. After the feast was over, Cyrus asked the Persians which day they liked more. When the Persians said they liked the feast day more, Cyrus told them if they followed him they would have more days like the feast day and urged them to revolt against Astyages. The Persians, who had long been discontent with Median rule, were glad to obey Cyrus.
When Asytages heard what Cyrus was doing, he raised up his army. However, he made the fatal mistake of making Harpagus the commander, having forgotten what he had done to him and his son. When the Persian and Median armies clashed, most the Median army deserted. Astyages, seeing what had happened, had the Magi executed and then cobbled together an army consisting of the very old and the very young and attacked Cyrus. Astyages lost and was taken prisoner. Harpagus exulted over Astyages, his revenge complete. Astyages called him a fool because now him and his fellow Medians would be slaves to the Persians.
After 35 years, Asytages’ reign as king ended. Cyrus let him live and he spent his days in Cyrus’ house until he died. After 128 years, the Median empire was no more and the Persian empire took its place.
Why a Mule?
Referring to Cyrus as a mule goes back to the prophecy made about him to Croesus:
“When the Medes have a mule as king,
Just then, tender-footed Lydian, by the stone-strewn Hermus
Flee and do not stay, and do not be ashamed to be a coward.”
Herodotus, Histories, Book 1.55; A. D. Godley translation
As a mule is the offspring of a horse and a donkey, it is mixed. In the same way, Cyrus was the offspring of a Median and a Persian.
Astyages’ Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Greek mythology is full of stories of people trying to avert a disaster, or some other bad circumstance, only to fulfill the prophecy in the end precisely because of their actions. Astyages is no different. If Astyages, after having those dreams about his daughter, had just left her alone, her son may have been just another member of the royal family. Even if her son somehow got the throne, there at least would have been a Median in charge still. Instead, he forced her to marry a Persian, and their son became the nightmare of Astyages’ own making.
It didn’t help that Astyages was a selfish and brutal ruler. If he had been a ruler the people loved, the army and the chief Medes wouldn’t have revolted against him and Cyrus might have failed in his coup.
Propaganda
I found it interesting that Cyrus’ parents spread the fake story about him surviving his exposure as an infant because he was nursed by a wild dog. They wanted to make his origins appear miraculous—like he was chosen by the gods. I guess it wasn’t miraculous enough that a lowly cowherd and his wife had compassion on him and raised him as their own—at the risk of their own lives if the truth ever came out.
This is, of course, nothing new. Leaders, or those who would most benefit from their legacy, spread similar stories in order to bolster their credibility. Constantine seeing the cross in the sky. George Washington and the cherry tree. Modern man is not immune to it either. Remember Brian Williams claiming to have been in a helicopter that had to land after it was hit? Or, all the stories that are classified as “stolen valor” (when someone claims to have served in the armed forces, but didn’t; or, exaggerate about their time in the armed forces)?
There may also be a psychological element in Cyrus’ case. His parents wanted a larger-than-life child, a child they could be proud of, a child they could live vicariously through. It’s the moment when the inclination to want the best for your child goes too far. Or, the moment when you use your child to make up for your own failures. Or, perhaps worse of all, using your child to chase clout and fads. Fortunately for Cyrus’ parents, it turned out alright (for the most part). Most other parents are not so lucky.
Cyrus Believed in His Own Destiny
One statement by Cyrus stood out. After he convinced the Persians to revolt against Asytages, he says to himself:
“For I think that I myself was born by a divine chance to undertake this work”
Herodotus, Histories, Book 1.126; A. D. Godley translation
I’m pretty sure Cyrus was saying this as he reflected on his life (not the invention his parents made): he was spared as an infant, spared as a child, was able to reunite with his birth parents and learn about his royal lineage, and had all the talent necessary to be one of the greatest political and military leaders in history.
Cyrus became driven by this reality. He truly believed the divine directly worked in his life and brought him to where he was at—and he carried himself accordingly. He knew, or believed he knew, what his position in the universe was, and he walked it unashamed.
Without going into any details, my own birth could be seen as a bit on the miraculous side. Yet, it has never driven me to make the most of my life, it has never pushed me to become successful, it has never made me feel like I stand apart. I actually forget about it except when it pops up in my mind once every few years. I work a dead end job, I have no family, I have only a few friends, and I couldn’t be bothered to spend my free time productively nine times out of ten.
What is it that I’m missing? What keeps me from not taking full advantage of the opportunity given to me?
What did Cyrus have that most of us don’t?
That's all for the Histories, Book 1.107-30.
May your days be filled with grace.
-Andronikos
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Thumbnail: Cyrus and Astyages by Jean-Charles Nicaise Perrin, second half of the 18th century. Public domain.
1See Book 1.73
2He wasn’t known as Cyrus until much later, but Herodotus never mentions what name the cowherd and his wife gave him. I’m using the name Cyrus for convenience.