Cyrus

CYRUS, Son of Cambyses the Persian, and Mandane the Daughter of Astyages King of the Medes. Astyages dreamt, that there came forth a Vine out of his Daughter Mandane’s Womb¹, the Branches whereof covered all Asia: Hereupon he consulted the Sooth-sayers, who told him, that this signified the future power and greatness of the Child who should be born of his Daughter; and farther, that the same Child should deprive him of his Kingdom. Astyages, to prevent the effects of this Prediction, instead of marrying his Daughter to some powerful Prince, gave her to Cambyses, a person of mean condition, and one who was not in a capacity to form great designs, nor to support the ambition of his Son by his own Riches and Authority.

Nor did Astyages stop here: The apprehension he was under, lest Mandane’s Son might perhaps find that Assistance in his own Courage, or some lucky circumstances which his Family was not able to supply him with, induced him to take a resolution to dispatch him. As soon therefore as he understood his Daughter to be big with Child, he commanded one of his Officers, whose name was Harpagus, to kill the Infant the moment it was born. Harpagus fearing the resentment of Mandane, put the Child into the hands of one who was the King’s chief Shepherd, in order to expose him. This Man’s wife was extremely touched with the Beauty of young Cyrus, and desired her Husband rather to expose her own Son, who was born some time before, and to preserve the young Prince. After this manner Cyrus was preserved, and brought up among the King’s Shepherds.

One day as the Shepherds were playing together, Cyrus was chosen King, and having used one of his little play-fellows ill, the Child’s Parents complained of him to Astyages. This Prince sent for Cyrus, and seeing him, observed something great in his Air, and some Features of his Daughter Mandane. Hereupon he made particular enquiry into the matter, and discovered, that in reality he was his Grandson. Harpagus, who had preserved him, was punished with the death of his own Son; and Astyages believing that the Royalty which the Sooth-sayers had promised to young Cyrus, was that which he had lately exercised among the Shepherds Children, disturbed himself no more about it. Notwithstanding, when Cyrus was grown up, Harpagus discovered to him the whole se cret of his Birth, and in what manner he had delivered him from the cruelty of his Grandfather. He encouraged him to come into Media, and promised to furnish him with Forces, in order to make him Master of the Country, and depose Astyages. Cyrus hearkened to these Propositions, engaged the Persians to take Arms against the Medes, marched at the head of them against Astyages, defeated him, and possessed himself of Media. He carried on many other Wars: At length he sat down before Babylon, and took it after a long Siege. This is a summary account of Cyrus’s Life, as we read it in Herodotus and Justin the Abbreviator of Trogus. But the Learned make no difficulty of owning, that this whole recital is so blended with Fables, that it is very hard to distinguish Truth from Falshood.

Xenophon has given us another History of Cyrus very different from that which we have now related: But there is no more certainty in this of Xenophon, according to the Judgment of several Criticks, than in those of Herodotus, Ctesias and Trogus. Plato² was not of opinion, that Cyrus was so fine a Model of a Prince as Xenophon imagined; or rather he did not believe that the Portaiture of Cyrus, as it was drawn by Xenophon, was an excellent Pattern of a perfect King. He had his exceptions to it; as for example, that Cyrus was not careful in the good Government of his Family, and permitted his Children to be brought up by Women. In a word, Xenophon may be allowed to have described to us in the name of Cyrus a good General, and a Prince who is a lover of his Country, but not a perfect Prince. This is Plato’s Judgment: And Cicero’s is not more favourable,³ Cyrus ille a Xenophonte non ad historiæ fidem scriptus est, sed ad effigiem imperii: Xenophon has not pretended to write the History of Cyrus, but only to describe an accomplished Prince in his person.

Here follows a brief relation of Cyrus’s Life from Xenophon.⁴ Astyages married his Daughter Mandane to Cambyses King of Persia, Son to Achæmenes King of the same Nation. Cyrus was born in the King his Father’s Court, and was educated with all the care his Birth required. When he was of the Age of about twelve years, his Grandfather Astyages sent for him to Court, together with his Mother Mandane. Sometime after the King of Assyria’s Son having invaded Media, Astyages with his Son Cyaxares, and his Grandson Cyrus marched against him. Cyrus distinguished himself in this War, and defeated the Assyrians. Cambyses afterwards recalled him, that he might have them near his own Person; and Astyages dying, his Son Cyaxares, Uncle by the Mother’s side to Cyrus, succeeded him in the Kingdom of Media.

Cyrus at the age of thirty, was made General of the Persian Troops by his Father Cambyses, and was sent at the head of thirty thousand Men, to the assistance of his Uncle Cyaxares, whom the King of Babylon with his Allies the Cappadocians, Carians, Phrygians, Cilicians, and Paphlagonians were preparing to attack. Cyaxares and Cyrus prevented them, fell upon them, and dispersed them. Cyrus advanced as far as Babylon, and spread terror throughout all the Country. From this Expedition he retired to his Uncle, towards the Frontiers of Armenia and Assyria, and was received by Cyaxares in the Tent of the Assyrian King, whom he had defeated.

After this, Cyrus carried the War into the Countries beyond the River Halys, entred Cappadocia, and subdued it intirely. From thence he marched against Cræsus King of Lydia, beat him in the first Battel, then besieged him in Sardis his Capital. After a Siege of fourteen days Cræsus was obliged to surrender; and Cyrus having condemned him to be burnt, Cræsus upon the funeral Pile repeated three times the cry of Solon, Solon, Solon. Cyrus hereupon being informed, that Solon had said formerly to Cræsus, that no Man should be called happy while he was living, and that Cræsus by these words acknowledged the Truth of this Prediction, set him at liberty, and received him into the number of his Friends and Counsellors.

Cyrus having reduced almost all Asia by the Arms of his Generals, repassed the Euphrates, and made war against the Assyrians. He marched directly to Babylon, at the head of a very powerful Army, composed of Persians, Medes, and auxiliary Troops of the People whom he had subdued. He laid Siege to the City, which the Inhabitants were very little concerned at, because Babylon was a place of great strength, and the besieged were stored with provisions for twenty years. Cyrus encompassed the whole City with a large Ditch, and built Towers and Redoubts at proper distances. But after lying a long time before it, observing no progress to be made in the Siege, he drained the Euphrates in many places, and threw the Waters of this River into large Marshes which were near Babylon; so that the Euphrates being much diminished, Cyrus entred by night into the City with his Army through the Wickets which were an inlet for the Water. Thus Babylon was taken without much trouble.

Cyrus took care to prepare a palace there for his Uncle Cyaxares, whither he might retire, if he had an inclination at any time to come to Babylon; for he was not then in the Army. After all these Expeditions Cyrus returned to his Father and Mother in Persia, where they were still living; and going some time after to his Uncle Cyaxares in Media, he married his Cousin the only Daughter and Heiress of all Cyaxares’s Dominions, and went with her to Babylon; from whence he sent Men of the first Rank and Quality to govern all the several Nations which he had conquered. He engaged again in several Wars, and subdued all the Nations which lye between Syria and the Red Sea.

He died at seventy Years of Age, after a reign of thirty years.⁵ Authors differ very much concerning the manner of his death. Herodotus⁶, Justin⁷, and Valerius Maximus⁸ relate, that he died in the War against the Scythians, and that falling into an Ambush, which Queen Thomyris had laid for him, she ordered his head to be cut off, and cast it into a Vessel full of Blood, with this expression, Thou that hast always thirsted after human Blood, now glut thyself with it. Diodorus the Sicilian⁹ says, that he was taken in an Engagement, and hanged. Ctesias assures us, that he died of a wound which he received in his Thigh. John Malela of Antioch cites a spurious piece of Pythagoras’s the Samian, which declares, that he was killed in a Fight with the People of Samos. In Xenophon’s account, he is said to die peaceably in his Bed amidst his Friends and Servants. This is certain, that in Alexander’s time his Monument was shewn at Pasagarda in Persia, as Plutarch, Quintus Curtius, Arrian, and lastly, Aristobulus, an eye Witness, cited in Strabo, are all Witnesses.

From all which it is easy to conclude, that we are but imperfectly acquainted with the History of this great Prince, the Founder of the Persian, and destroyer of the Chaldæan Empire. We learn fewer particulars of it from Scripture, but then they are more certain than any we have Dan. viii. 3— —20.produced. Daniel in the famous Vision, wherein God shewed him the ruin of several great Emperors, which were to precede the Birth of the Messiah, represents Cyrus to us under the Idea of a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high, but the one was higher than the other, and the higher came up at last. This Ram pushed westward and northward and southward: so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand, but he did according to his will, and became great. The Ram’s two Horns signify the two Empires which Cyrus reunited in his person, that of the Medes, and that of the Persians: The last was greater and more powerful than the Empire of the Medes. Or otherwise, these two horns signify the two Branches of Cyrus’s Successors. His Son Cambyses dying, the Empire was transferr’d to Darius the Son of Hystaspes, and was continued down to Darius Codomannus, who is in all probability the great Horn, which the Ram that denotes Alexander, run against. In another place Daniel compares Cyrus to a Bear, with four rows of Teeth in its Mouth,¹⁰ to which it was said, Arise, devour much flesh.

Cyrus succeeded Cambyses in the Kingdom of Persia, and Darius the Mede, by Xenophon called Cyaxares, and Astyages in the Greek of Daniel, in the Kingdom of the Medes, and Empire of Babylon. He was Monarch of all the East, or, as he speaks, of all the World, when he permitted the Jews to return into their own Country, in the year of the World 3466, before J. C. 534, before the vulgar Æra 538. The Enemies of the Hebrews making use of this Prince’s affection to his own Religion, prevailed with him by his orders, to put a stop to the building of the Temple of Jerusalem. He always had a particular regard for Daniel, and kept him in his great imployments. The Histories of Bel and the Dragon related in the Greek of Daniel, fell out under his reign. Cyrus, after he had seen the miraculous preservation of Daniel, when exposed to the Lions, published an Edict in favour of the Religion of the Jews.

Dan. viii. 5, 6. Dan. vii. 5. Dan. xiii. 65. Ezra i. 1, 2. & 2 Chr. xxxvi. 22, 23. Ezra iv. 5. Dan. xiv. 1. Dan. xiv. Dan. xiv. 42. Isai. xliv. 28. Qui dico Cyro: Pastor meus es.The Prophets frequently foretold the coming of Cyrus, and Isaiah has been so particular as to declare his name above an Age before he was born. Josephus¹¹ says, that the Jews of Babylon shewed this passage of the Prophet to Cyrus, and that this Prince in the Edict which he granted for their return, acknowledged, that he received the Empire of the World from the God of Israel; and that the same God had described him by name in the Writings of the Prophets, and foretold that he should build a Temple to him at Jerusalem. He is pointed out in Scripture Isai. xli. 2, 10. xlvi. 11. Isai. xliv. 28. Dan. xiv. 42.under the name of the righteous Man, and the Shepherd of Israel. He seems to acknowledge the God of Israel in what he says to Daniel. Let all the Inhabitants of the earth fear the God of Daniel, for he is God our Saviour, who worketh signs and wonders upon the earth, and hath delivered Daniel from the mouth of the lions. And elsewhere he says, The Lord God of heaven Ezra i. 2.hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem. Notwithstanding the Lord says to him in Isaiah, I am the Isai. xlv. 5.Lord, and there is none else. I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. Jeremiah calls Cyrus and his People, who overthrew the Babylonish Empire, Thieves and Robbers.

Cyrus we know was a Persian by his Father Cambyses, and a Mede by his Mother’s side Mandane: For which reason in an Oracle cited by Herodotus, he is called a Mule.¹² Be afraid, said the Oracle to Crœsus, when the Medes shall be commanded by a Mule. And Nebuchadnezzar some time before his death, filled with a divine Enthusiasm, said to the Babylonians,¹³ I foretel a misfortune, which none of your Gods will be able to divert. A Persian Mule shall come against you, who, with the help of your Gods, shall bring you into bondage. It seems as if Isaiah intended to Isai. xxi. 7, 9.describe the same thing, when speaking of Cyrus’s march against Babylon, he says, that he saw a Man riding in a Chariot drawn by a Camel and an Ass.

The taking of Babylon by Cyrus is clearly set down in the Prophets, particularly in Isaiah, Ch. xiii, xiv, xxi, xli, xlii, xlv. and in Jeremiah, Ch. l, li. Lastly, Daniel evidently foretold the Victories of Cyrus, and the erecting the Monarchy of the Medes and Persians in the vii. and viii. Chapters. We fix the Birth of Cyrus to the year of the World 3405, his first year at Babylon to 3466, his death to 3475, the beginning of the seventy Weeks after which the Messiah was to be put to death, to 3550, before the vulgar Æra 454, before the true time of Jesus Christ’s Birth 450. The eastern People have been used to call Cyrus Kiresch.¹⁴ They tell us, that this Prince descended by his Father from Giamasb the Son of Lohosusb, fourth King of Persia, of the Dynasty of the Caïanians; and by the Mother side, from the Hebrew Prophets. He was sent by Bahaman Son of Asfendiar King of Persia to Babylon, to command there in the room of Balthalnaxar Son of Nebuchadnezzar. Bahaman was born, they say, of a Mother, who was of the Tribe of Benjamin, and descended in a direct Line from Saul first King of the Israelites: He married a Wife of the Tribe of Judah, who descended from Solomon by Rehoboam; so that this Prince extremely favoured the Jews; and when he gave Cyrus the Government of Media, Assyria and Chaldæa, he commanded him very expresly to do all the good that he was able to this Nation.

Cyrus did not fail to execute this order, being himself attached to the Jews, to whom he was allied in Blood; for his Mother was a Jew, according to the Persian Authors, as well as his Wife, who was the Daughter of Salathiel, and Sister of Zerobabel, according to Eutychius Abulfaragius Son of Batrik, Patriarch of Alexandria. He therefore sent the Jews back to Jerusalem, and permitted them to rebuild their City and Temple. But all the Traditions of the eastern People, which are not conformable to Scripture, we look upon as fabulous; for if Cyrus had been Son and Husband to a Mother and Wife both Jews, would the Books of the Hebrews have forgotten this Circumstance?

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