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Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: MEC-MIC |
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MEDIA , the ancient name of the north-western part of Iran
damp
spring some great tributaries of the Tigris, viz. the Diyala (Gyndes) and the Kerkheh (Choaspes). Towards the south-east Media passes into the great central desert of Iran
The people of the Mada, Medes (the Greek form Mil&ot is Ionian for Ma&oc) appear in history first in 836 B.c., when the Assyrian conqueror Shalmaneser II. in his wars against the tribes of the Zagros received the tribute of the Amadai (this form, with prosthetic a-, which occurs only here, has many analogies in the names of Iranian tribes). His successors under-took many expeditions against the Medes (Madai). Sargon in 715 and 713 subjected them " to the far mountain Bikni," i.e. the Elburz (Demavend) and the borders of the desert. They were divided into many districts and towns, under petty local chieftains; from the names which the Assyrian inscriptions mention, we learn that they were an Iranian tribe and that they had already adopted the religion. of Zoroaster. In spite of different attempts of some chieftains to shake off the Assyrian yoke (cf. the information obtained from prayers to the Sun-god for oracles against these rebels: Knudtzon, Assyrische Gebete an den Sonnengott), Media remained tributary to Assyria underSargon's successors, Sennacherib, Esar-haddon and Assur-banipal. Herodotus, i. 101, gives a list
inscriptions prove that the tribes in the Zagros and the northern parts of Media were not Iranians nor Indo-Europeans, but an aboriginal population, like the early inhabitants of Armenia, perhaps connected with the numerous tribes of the Caucasus.' Anc. Mantiane, 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 Asia 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 element gradually became dominant: to be of the race of Cyaxares, tried to restore the Median princes with Iranian names occasionally occur as rulers of these kingdom, but was defeated by the Persian generals and executed tribes. But the Gelae, Tapuri, Cadusii, Amardi, Utii and other in Ecbatana (Darius in the Behistun inscr.). Another rebellion, tribes in northern Media and on the shores of the Caspian were in 409, against Darius II. (Xenophon, Hellen. i. 2, 19) was of not Iranians. With them Polybius
" Not-Arians," is the comprehensive designation of all these Under the Persian rule the country was divided into two small tribes. satrapies. The south, with Ecbatana and Rhagae (Rai), In the second half of the 7th century the Medians gained their Media proper, or " Great Media," as it is often called, formed independence and were united by a dynasty, which, if we may in Darius' organization the eleventh satrapy (Herodotus iii. trust Herodotus, derived its origin from 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 Syria in 715 B.C. The mountainous districts of the Zagros and Assyria proper (east kings, who created the Median Empire, were 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 (Herod. Median tribe in the desert, the Manda, mentioned by Saigon; iii. 94; cf. v. 49, 52, 72). When the empire decayed and for the Babylonian king Nabonidus designates the Medians the Carduchi and other mountainous tribes made themselves and their kings always as Manda. the origin and history independent, eastern Armenia became a special satrapy, while of the Median Empire is quite obscure, as we possess, almost Assyria seems to have been united with Media; therefore no contemporary information, and not a single monument Xenophon in the Anabasis ii. 4, 27; iii. 5, i5; vii..8, 25; cf. iii'. or inscription from Media itself. Our principal source is 4, 8 sqq. always designates Assyria by the name of Media. Herodotus, who wrongly makes Deioces the first king and Alexander occupied Media in the summer of 330; in 328 he uniter of the whole nation, and dates their independence from appointed Atropates, a former general of Darius (Arrian iii. c. 710--i.e. from the time when the Assyrian supremacy was 8, 4), as satrap (iv. 18, 3, vi. 29, 3), whose daughter was married at its height. But his account contains real historical elements, to Perdiccas in 324 (Arrian vii. 4, 5). In the partition of his whereas the story which Ctesias gave (a list
capital was Gazaca in the central of Syria and Palestine by northern barbarians really took place plain, and the strong castle Phraaspa (Dio Cass. xlix. 26; Plut. in 626 B.C. With these facts the traditions of Herodotus must Anton. 38; Ptol. vi. 2, 10) or Vera (Strabo xi. 523), probably in some way be connected; but at present it is impossible to identical with the great ruin Takhti Suleiman, with remains regain the history of these times. The only certain facts are that of Sassanid fire-altars and of a later palace. The kings had a in 606 Cyaxares succeeded in destroying Nineveh and the other strong and warlike army, especially 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 Antiochus the Great in 220 to conclude a disadvantageous Iran, Assyria and northern Mesopotamia, Armenia and Cappa- treaty (Polyb. v. 55), and in later times the rulers became docia. His power was very dangerous to their neighbours, in turn dependent on the Parthians, on Tigranes of Armenia, and the exiled Jews expected the destruction of Babylonia by and in the time of Pompey who defeated their king Darius the Medes (Isa. xiii., xiv., xxi.; Jerem. 1. li.). When, Cyaxares (Appian, Mithr. ro8), on Antonius (who invaded Atropatene) attacked Lydia, the kings of Cilicia and Babylon intervened and and on Augustus
xares, and an equilibrium of the great powers was maintained Atropatene is that country of western Asia which was least of till the rise of Cyrus. all influenced by Hellenism; there exists not even a single coin About the internal organization of the Median Empire we of its rulers. But the opinion of modern authorsthat it had know only that the Greeks derive a great part of the ceremonial been a special refuge
worship "), and has no foundation whatever. There,can was the 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 theirBy the rebellion of Cyrus, king of Persia, against his suzerain subjects, especially among the non-Aryan tribes. 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 honour and 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 plan of Alexander, which protect it against the adopted by the new sovereigns who in the summer months neighbouring barbarians," says Polybius
by Seleucus I. and his son Antiochus I. In 221, the satrap Molon tried to make himself independent (there exist bronze coins with his name and the royal title), together with his brother Alexander, satrap of 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, Demetrius I., succeeded in subduing the rebellion, and Timarchus was slain. But with Demetrius I. the dissolution of the Seleucid Empire begins, which was prought on chiefly by the intrigues of the Romans, and shortly afterwards, about 15o, the Parthian king, Mithradates I. (q.v.), conquered Media (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 city of the empire and the seat of the head of the Zoroastrian hierarchy; the Sassanid Avesta and the tradition of the Parsecs therefore consider Rhagae as the home of the family of the Prophet. Henceforth the name of Media is used only as a geographical term and begins to disappear from the living language; in Persian traditions it occurs under the modern form Mah (Armen. Mai; in Syriac the old name Marla is preserved; cf. Marquart, Eranshahr, r8 seq.).For Mahommedan history see CALIPHATE; for later history End of Article: MEDIA If you wish, you can link directly to this article.
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