the Persian historians, as we have seen, unite the kings of both races, in their second, or Kaianian dynasty.

SECOND KAIANIAN DYNASTY. PART I.

MEDIAN DYNASTY. 159 YEARS.

Median revolt, and interregnum

1. Dejoces, or Artaus

2. Phraortes, or Artynes, or Arphaxad

3. Cyaxares I. or Astibaras, or Kai kobad,

--

or Ahasuerus

first siege of Niniveh, and Scythian invasion 28

- Scythian expulsion

Lydian war, and second siege of Niniceh

- Niniveh taken

Lydian war ended with Thales' eclipse

4. Astyages, Astyigas, or Aspadas, or Kai kaus

5. Cyaxares II. or Fraiborz, or Darius the Mede 137

succeeds Belshazzar at Babylon, and

nd}

2

appoints Nabonadius prefect there Accession of Kai kosru, or Cyrus the Persian

In this intricate and complicated period, so miserably embarrassed and perplexed hitherto, by the great variety of the names of the several kings, and of the duration and dates of their reigns, in sacred and profane history, I have endeavoured to harmonize the jarring and discordant accounts of Eschylus, Herodotus, Ctesias, Xenophon, Mirkhond, &c. with each other, and with HOLY WRIT; following the last principally, in the adjustment of the chronology, as our surest and safest guide.

Ctesias, immediately after Thonus Concolerus, interpolates four Median kings, Arbaces, Mandauces, Sosarmus, and Articas, as reigning in Assyria for 108 years in succession, from B. C. 821, until B. C. 713, (his incorrect date of the Median revolt). See Jackson, vol. i. p. 253. But

they

they are unnoticed by Herodotus, who was better informed in Assyrian history; and therefore, we may conclude, with Jackson, that they were no more than prefects of Media, governing it with kingly powers, under the four last kings of Assyria. That Media, indeed, was not independant during their time, we may collect from Holy Writ; for in B. C. 719, only nine years before the revolt, Shalmanassar, king of Assyria, transplanted the captive Israelites into various districts of Media, 2 Kings xvii. 6. He must, therefore, have been then, in full and undisturbed possession of that province.

Ctesias, however, in the ensuing Median dynasty, nearly agrees with Herodotus, and has given more correctly, the length of the dynasty, 159 years; as may appear from the following harmony.

Herodotus has not expressly given the length of the interregnum; but he has furnished the data: He reckons the Scythian dominion in Media, 28 years, and the whole length of the Median dynasty, 128 years more; or 156 years in all; but the reigns of the four kings, Dejoces, Phraortes, &c. amount to 150 years; which being subtracted from 156 years, leaves 6 years for the interregnum alone.

The difference of the names of those kings in Herodotus, Ctesias, and Mirkhond, might originate from the difference of their proper names before their accession, from their titles after. But the sameness of the persons may fairly be collected from the sameness of their reigns. Hence Phraortes and Artynes, &c. and the last, Astyages and Astyigas, are evidently

the

the same; we may supply therefore from the former, his reign of 35 years, which is wanting in the latter. See Diodorus Siculus, B. ii. ch. 2.

The only variation in the times, between Herodotus and Ctesias, lies in the two first articles, the interregnum and first reign; yet their amounts nearly agree, 59 and 62 years; differing only three years, and producing the same difference in the totals. Hence we may collect, that the interregnum, and the reign of Dejoces, from their discordance, are incorrect in both writers. But their respective errors in defect and excess, may be. rectified by comparison with Xenophon and Sacred Chronology.

Their common error lies in their joint omission of the reign of Cyaxares II. Nor is this error peculiar to them; it was countenanced by Eschylus, by Mirkhond, and the Persian writers; and by the apocryphal author of Bel and the Dragon, ver. 1. See vol. ii. p. 508, 509, note. There it was attempted to be accounted for, from the greater celebrity of his nephew, son in law, and successor, Cyrus, which eclipsed his reign; during which, Cyacares was nominally, but Cyrus really, king; by "that ascendancy which great souls have always over little ones.'

If then we reduce the excessive reign of Dejoces, from 53 years, in Herodotus, to 40, in Ctesias; and the excessive interregnum of 22 years in Ctesias, to 7 years, only one more than in Herodotus; and if we subtract the sum 7+40=47 years, from the amount, 62 years in Ctesias, there will remain 15 years; which is the actual amount of the whole reign of Cyaxares II. including his accession to the throne of Babylon, on the death of Belshazzar, which he survived two years, according to Sacred Chronology. See vol. ii. p 508.

But if we subtract the same sum, 47 years, from the amount 59 years, in Herodotus, there will remain 12 years for the reign of Cyararés in Media alone; to which if we add 3 years, the difference between him and Clesias, in the full amounts, it will give his additional reign in Babylon also, and critically harmonize both with each other, and with Sacred Chronology; supposing that Darius reigned 3 current, or 2 full years, as sovereign of the united empire of the Medes and Babylonians, and 12 full, or 13 current years, before, in Media alone.

The only alteration here made in the chronology of Ctesias, is the reduction of his Median dynasty from B. C. 713, to B. C. 710, the true

date

date of the Median revolt; as proved in the foregoing analysis of Assyrian Chronology.

Thus, are these independent authors, Herodotus and Ctesias, hitherto at variance, not only reconciled to each other, but also rendered unintentional vouchers of the veracity of HOLY WRIT, and of that adinirable philosophical historian Xenophon, and of the genuine fragment of Berosus.

DEJOCES.

The Median States, at the time of their revolt from the Assyrians, consisted of the Busians, Paratacenians, Struchates, Arizantines, Budians, and Mages. Herod. I. §. 101. These states were independent of each other, and governed by their own magistrates. Of these magistrates, Dejoces distinguished himself, in his own district, by a vigilant and impartial administration of justice, at a time when the general government was lax and corrupt. Hence, his fame extended to the neighbouring districts, who flocked to his tribunal, in preference to their own,-so that, at length, he was most honourably elected king, by common consent of all the states, for his preeminent merit.

The first act of his government, was, the requisition of a life guard, to secure his person and maintain his dignity; the next, to build himself a strong and magnificent palace; and afterwards to build the royal city of Ecbatana, which Major Rennel places on, or near the scite of Hamadan, in al Jebal. It was fortified with seven concentrical walls, of which, the outmost and largest, equalled the circuit of Athens *; and the inmost, contained the royal palace and treasury. He then drew the main body of the people to reside around his new city. After this, he withdrew himself from public view; in order to encrease the public respect and veneration for his person and government. And he dispensed justice, in which he was rigorous, by written depositions, conveyed to him from his official

Herodotus here writes like an eye-witness, who had scen Ecbatana, and naturally compared it with the first of the Grecian cities.

servants

servants, to which he regularly returned his own decisions. He also sent spies and informers into different parts of his dominions, wherever he heard that any outrage had been committed, and then the offender was brought before him, and punished according to his guilt †. Herod. I. §. 96-100.

Dejoces was a great and wise prince, and a blessing to his country. His reign of forty years was fully sufficient for all his works and regulations; and the preceding interregnum of seven years sufficient to afford a fair trial of his judicial talents.

PHRAORTES.

Dejoces was succeeded by his son Phraortes, the Arphaxad of Scripture. He was a martial prince, and the first who subdued the Persians, his next neighbours; afterwards, by the accession of their forces, he overran and subdued Upper Asia, until he at length invaded the Assyrians of Niniveh; who, though weakened by the defection of their allies, were still strong enough to defeat and destroy him, with the greater part of his army, in the twenty-second year of his reign, B. C. 641, at the decisive battle of Ragau, or Rages. Herod. I. §. 102. Here the father of Grecian history confirms the testimony of the apocryphal book of Judith, as we have seen in the foregoing analysis of Assyrian Chronology. With him, therefore, the Median kingdom sunk again into subjection to the Assyrians.

The same policy was imitated by our Norman kings. Henry II. instead of the imme diate application for justice, to the king himself, in the Aula regis, or "great court,' that constantly attended his person, instituted two other courts, of King's Lynch and Common Pleas, to be stationary at Westminster; where all judicial proceedings were thenceforth to be conducted by pleadings before the Judges. By this regulation, justice was more orderly and more skilfully administered.

This also resembles the institution of itinerant judges of assize, who were regularly sent on circuits, to take cognizance, in the law phrase, of offences and misdemeanors; corresponding to the historians," to spy out, or obtain information" of such; while "Achmutha," or Ecbatana, the capital, became the established place of public records, in after ages. Ezra vi. 2.

These two last notes we owe to Beloe's Translation of Herodotus, vol. i. p. 160, note, second edition.

CYAXARES