Kings and Tyrants
Book I of the series
Empire of the Medes
by
Duane A. March
The Main Characters
Fictional
characters are asterisked (*).
Alkmaionidai
Alkmaion, son of Megakles the arkhôn
epônymous (632/1 BCE) and victor of the tethrippon race at Olympia (592 BCE)
Megakles (II), son of Alkmaion
Alkmaionides, son of Alkmaion and
brother of Megakles (II)
Agaristê, daughter of Kleisthenes of
Sikyon and wife of Megakles (II)
Kleisthenes (II), son of Megakles
(II) and Agaristê
Hippokrates, son of Megakles (II)
and Agaristê
* Agaristê (II), daughter of
Megakles (II) and Agaristê
Philaidai
Hippokleides, son of Teisandros and
a suitor of Agaristê
Miltiades, son of Kypselos
Stesagoras, cousin of Miltiades
Kimon, son of Stesagoras
Peisistratidai
Peisistratos, son of Hippokrates
Hipparkhos, brother of Peisistratos
Hegesistratos, son of Peisistratos
and his first wife Timonassa
Iophon, son of Peisistratos and his
first wife Timonassa
Hippias, son of Peisistratos and his
second wife Myrsina
Hipparkhos, son of Peisistratos and
his second wife Myrsina
Kononidai
* Timotheos, son of Konon of
Anaphlystos
* Konon (II), son of Timotheos
Boutadai
Lykourgos, son of Aristolaïdes
* Boutades, his cousin
Medontidai
Solon, son of Exekestides, arkhôn
eponymous and lawgiver (594/3 BCE)
Othagoridai of Sikyon
Kleisthenes, son of Aristonymos, tyrannos
of Sikyon and father of Agaristê
Aiskhines, son
of Kleisthenes
Skopadai of Thessalia
Diaktorides of Krannon, a suitor of
Agaristê
Mermnadai of Lydia
Kroisos, son of Aluattu (Alyattes)
and king of Lydia
Atys (Atys), son of Kroisos
Sandanis, army chief
Gordiash of Phrygia, lord of Phrygia and commander of the citadel of Sardeis
Adrashtu (Adrastos), son of Gordiash
and friend of Atys
Paktua (Paktyes), an ambitious
Lydian nobleman
House of Daiaukka of Media
Arshtivaiga (Astyages), King of the
Madai
Harpag (Harpagos), kinsmen of
Arshtivaiga
* Mithradatesh, herdsman and foster
father of Kourvash
Akhaimenidai of Persia (House of
Haxamanish)
Kourvash (Kyros), son of Kambujiya
(Kambyses) of Anshan
Mandanê, mother of Kourvash and
daughter of Arshtivaiga
Kassandanê, wife of Kourvash
Kambujiya (II), son of Kourvash and
Kassandanê
Arshama (Arsames) of Parsa, cousin
of Kourvash
Vishtaspa (Hystaspes), son of
Arshama
In the 2nd year of the 51st Olympias
In
the reign of Arshtivaiga,
King of the Madai
King of the Madai
Six-hundred and eight years since the fall of Troia
Five-hundred and seventy-five years before the era of the Khristos
– 575 BCE –
Chapter One
Mithradatesh cuddled the infant in a
sling hung over his right shoulder as he steered his horse along a valley in
the Zagros Mountains. As the sun began to color the eastern sky, he glanced
down at the child and wrinkled his brow with concern. For hours now, he and his
wife had been on the move, ever since he had accepted the boy and fled with his
herd and household.
“Take him now,” the Lord Harpag had
urged him. “Leave immediately.”
Since then, Mithradatesh had been
constantly watching for spies, fearing discovery and arrest. His flight was an
act of disloyalty, and the king was not known for mercy.
The track wound along narrow dales
and over passes separating them. The going was slow and tested his patience;
the herd could not move more swiftly, and the footing was uncertain in the
dark. As soon as enough light had penetrated the valley, Mithradatesh spied a
swift stream and called for a brief halt for water and a quick rest. His wife
walked over to him.
“Give me the child. He will be
hungry soon.”
Mithradatesh carefully dismounted,
unslung his burden and handed it to his wife. She took the child with a loving
smile and devoted herself to the infant’s needs. He had never seen her so
happy. Yet he could not completely share her joy.
Why am I doing this? He had asked
himself over and over again, always knowing the answer, yet fearing the
consequences. If I am caught with this child, may the Wise Lord protect me!
The child’s name was Kourvash, the
son of Kambujiya, Lord of Anshan, and of Mandanê, a daughter of the Mada King
Arshtivaiga.
Arshtivaiga was determined to kill
the infant.
When Kourvash was born, his father
had sent a messenger northwest along the Zagros range to King Arshtivaiga at
his capital Hangmatana. The messenger reported the boy’s birth and received the
congratulations and gifts that the king typically sent to his vassal lords on
such occasions. Because he never regarded his daughter’s son as an heir to the
Mada kingship, Arshtivaiga promptly forgot the episode. Yet the gods take their
own counsel and care little for the plans of mortal men.
The very night after receiving word
of the boy’s birth, Arshtivaiga began to have disturbing dreams which occurred
repeatedly for the next several nights. In despair of a good night’s sleep, he
finally sent for the magush – priests of the god Ahuramazda and renowned
as interpreters.
When the magush of his household arrived, Arshtivaiga described his dream.
“I am sitting atop the Zagros and
gazing upon all the lands which acknowledge my lordship. I am filled with such
power and fertility that I spill my seed onto a plain to the south. From the
seed a woman sprouts, and it seems that from her womb a vine grows. This vine
winds itself around me. It drags me down from the mountaintop and holds me fast
so that I am helpless. Then comes a mule, and the mule climbs the mountain and
stands at its summit. The sun then rises from behind Zagros, and the mule seems
to become the sun. The sun blinds me, and then I awake.”
After hearing the dream, the magush
consulted with each other for several long moments. At length, the eldest among
them spoke.
“O Great King, we are in agreement.
The dream signifies that one of your grandsons will overthrow your rule.”
“But, I have many grandsons!” Arshtivaiga
responded. “Whom shall I kill, for kill him I must!”
“Lord, when did you begin having
these dreams?”
“Several days ago,” the king
responded. “I cannot think of what could have caused my nightmares.”
The eldest magush remained
silent for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed and he asked, “Has any male been
born to your household in the last several days?”
“In my household?” Arshtivaiga shook
his head. “You would know as well as I if one of my sons had sired a boy!”
“What about one of your daughters?”
The king thought for a moment. “A
messenger from Kambujiya came not long ago. He announced the birth of a son,”
he recalled.
“And who is the boy’s mother?”
Arshtivaiga’s eyes widened. “His
mother is Mandanê!”
“And the boy’s name, Great King?”
“Kourvash.”
The old magush nodded. “This
is our interpretation, Lord. Attend now and act as you deem wise.
“The woman sprung from your seed is
indeed your daughter. She bears a mighty vine which renders you helpless and
unseats you. The vine is her son’s power. The sun is Kourvash, as his name
suggests, ‘Sun-like’. The mule is Kourvash as well, for like a mule, his
lineage is mixed: Parsua on his father’s side, Mada on his mother’s.”
Arshtivaiga sat for long in silence.
He then dismissed everyone save a kinsman named Harpag. As soon as the two men
were alone, the king spoke:
“Go to Anshan and summon my daughter
to attend me in here. Tell her that her father wishes to see his grandson and
instruct her to bring him with her. On the way here, you will see to it that
the boy Kourvash is killed! Bring the body to me, kinsman, and your reward will
be great. Fail me, and the punishment will be even greater!”
Harpag was barely able to hide his
dismay. He knew Arshtivaiga well enough. As a distant cousin of the king, he
had spent most of his youth at court and knew how harsh his master could be.
Yet even as he departed the king’s presence, he wrestled with his fears and
conscience. If anyone ever found out, it would mean a blood-feud between his
family and all the Parsua. Would Arshtivaiga defend him, or deny having ordered
the killing? After all, there was no other witness to the king’s command. The
Madai and Parsua alike detested murder; it made one unclean in the sight of
Ahuramazda, the Wise Lord.
Harpag’s fears accompanied him to
Anshan where he relayed his lord’s invitation and set off for Hangmatana again
as escort for Mandanê and the infant Kourvash. He avoided the usual route
leading through the Zagros and chose a lesser-frequented series of valleys.
Only a day from Hangmatana, the company arrived in the small dale where Harpag’s
family lived. Like Arshtivaiga, he was a member of the Mada tribe of the
Arizanti, the noble tribe. As soon as he had arranged lodgings for his charges,
he summoned Mithradatesh.
Arshtivaiga personally owned
thousands of livestock animals: horses, cattle, sheep and goats. Only men of
his own tribe served him as herdsmen, and the most trusted and experienced
among them was Mithradatesh. The herdsman was a man in his late middle age.
Although his family was not particularly distinguished, he was a respected for
his honesty and devotion to the traditional values of the Madai.
The Madai, the Parsua and other Araiya tribes, drawn by rumors of
Mesopotamia’s wealth, had moved south and west into the passes of the Zagros
Mountains centuries ago, leaving the steppes for booty and conquest. The great
Zagros range proved to be a harsh home. The Araiya
could no longer live exclusively as nomads; many were compelled to turn to
agriculture, crafts and trade. On the steppes, every grown man had been
expected to become a skillful horseman and archer. Now, relatively few farmers,
husbandmen and artisans had the time or opportunity to train for war. And yet
over the generations since settling the mountains, the Araiya peoples learned organization and discipline. Despite the changes
to their culture, they still produced fearsome warriors whose sons learned
before anything else to ride, to draw the bow and to speak the truth.
Unlike most of his countrymen,
Mithradatesh lived much as his ancestors had. His only dwelling was a tent, and
he lived among his herds, moving with them from between summer and winter
pastures. Harpag had known him since he was a small boy growing up in that dale
and he knew that he could trust him.
When the herdsman arrived at his
house, Harpag bade him to sit, and then addressed him without preface, “Has any
infant here recently died?”
Mithradatesh was taken aback by the
question. Only after Harpag repeated the question was he able to think and
respond.
“Indeed, honored sir,” he nodded
sadly. “How did you know?”
“Know what?” Now it was Harpag who
was confused.
“Sir, I and my wife have had no
children and our tent has not known the laughter of children who are blessed in
the sight of the Wise Lord.”
“Yes, I know, my friend,” Harpag
nodded.
“Nine months ago, it seemed that the
Lord of Light had answered my prayers. Although my wife is nearly forty, she
became pregnant. Two weeks ago she bore a boy. I was so proud that I neglected
the herd to spend all my time with my son.
“Yet perhaps Ahuramazda decided to
punish my pride.” Mithradatesh paused, wrestling with his sorrow. “Two days
ago, my son suddenly died in his sleep. How did you know? I have told no one.”
Harpag remained silent while
Mithradatesh wrung with tears. As he gazed upon the herdsman, he received sudden
inspiration; a chance to soften the man’s loss and solve his own quandary.
“Good sir,” Harpag spoke softly.
“There is something I must discuss with you.”
Mithradatesh dried his eyes and
looked into Harpag’s eyes. “Forgive me, lord.”
“You must swear first not to betray
what we discuss to any other than your wife.”
“You have my word,” Mithradatesh
consented. “I swear by the spirit of my dead son.”
Harpag waited for the old man to
compose himself before he spoke.
“I am traveling with the wife and
son of the Parsua king Kambujiya. The boy’s name is Kourvash; he is about two
months old. Lord Arshtivaiga has commanded me to kill the boy before we reach
Hangmatana.”
“A defenseless child!” Mithradatesh exclaimed. “Ahuramazda punish
will him! Why does he wish to commit this offense?”
“An oracle says that he will
overthrow Arshtivaiga and rule us all.”
“Then he stands under the Wise
Lord’s protection, sir. To attempt harm on the child would be a godless act!”
“Believe me, my friend, I know,”
Harpag affirmed. “Therefore have I sent for you. I am depending on you to save
the child – and my soul.”
“You may rely on me, sir!”
That evening at dinner, Harpag
arranged for a soporific in Mandanê’s drink. Then, shortly before sunrise,
Mithradatesh arrived at the house on horse and carrying a small bundle. Harpag
took it and crept into Mandanê’s chamber while she soundly slept. He lifted the
boy from her side, replaced him with the bundle and stole himself out of the
house. Mithradatesh was waiting.
Mithradatesh took the boy and rode
with him to his wife. She was waiting with the herd. Their tent and supplies
were already packed and loaded on two asses. As soon as he arrived, he gave the
child to her. The boy cried as she placed him in a small sack fastened in front
of her, but soon quieted when she gave him her breast.
When Mandanê awoke, she discovered a
dead child at her side. The boy was cold and stiff, and did not look like her
son. She cried aloud in despair until Harpag appeared. After swearing her to
secrecy, he told her what he had done, and why.
“But I cannot continue to
Hangmatana!” She objected loudly. “I must return to Anshan and tell my
husband!”
“My queen! You must keep quiet!”
Harpag hissed. “If you speak of this, you will betray your son! Your father
will seek him out. And if you tell Kambujiya, he will doubtless seek vengeance
– and be destroyed!”
Mandanê sobbed, “But, my son…”
“…will live under the protection of
anonymity and in the care of Ahuramazda.” Harpag insisted. “God has plans for
him. He will be safe.”
So Mandanê and Harpag proceeded on
to Hangmatana, where they reported the tragic and sudden death of Arshtivaiga’s
grandson. The king hid his pleasure at the sight of the dead child. He made a
great show of consoling his daughter and ordered his household into mourning. A
month later, Mandanê returned to Anshan and told her husband that his son was
dead.
Just over a month later,
Mithradatesh, his wife and foster-son arrived at the foothills of the mountains
far to the northwest, among the Saspires and near a large, dark sea. There the
prince of the Parsua began his life as Daiaukka, a herdsman’s son.
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