be more
interested in excavating ancient ruins and in rebuilding old temples than
in ruling his subjects. By his arbitrary religious policy and his neglect
of the popular gods of the Babylonians, he completely alienated the
loyalty of his people. During the latter part of his reign, which extended
from 555 to 538 B.C., he left the government largely in charge of his son
Belsharuzur, the Belshazzar of the story in Daniel.

VI. Rise and Conquests of Cyrus. While the Babylonian empire was sinking
into decay, the Median kingdom on the north and east experienced a
sweeping revolution. Its cause was the discontent of the older Median
population under the rule of the more barbarous Umman-Manda. These later
Scythian conquerors had, under their king Cyaxares, broken the power of
Assyria and fallen heir to its eastern territory. The older elements found
a leader in Cyrus, the king of Anshan, a little state among the mountains
of Elam, northeast of Babylonia. From contemporary inscriptions it appears
that the followers of Astyages, who succeeded Cyaxares to the Median
throne, rebelled against their king and delivered him over into the hands
of Cyrus. As soon as Cyrus became master of the Median Empire, he proved
an able commander, a skilful politician, and a wise statesman. Recognizing
that he could hold in control the diverse and turbulent elements in his
heterogeneous kingdom only as he kept them actively occupied, he at once
entered upon a series of campaigns which in the end left him undisputed
master of southwestern Asia. In 547 B.C., two years after he became king
of Media, he crossed the Tigris and conquered Mesopotamia, which had been
held for a time by the Babylonians, Apparently he did not assume the title
King of Persia until 546. Appreciating the great strength of Babylon, he
did not at first attempt its capture, but began at once by intrigue to
pave the way for its ultimate overthrow. In 545 he set out on a western
campaign against Croesus, the king of Lydia, the ancient rival of Media.
After a quick and energetic campaign, Sardis, the rich Lydian capital,
was captured, and Cyrus was free to advance against the opulent Greek
colonies that lay along the eastern shores of the Aegean. These in rapid
succession fell into his hands, so that by 538 B.C. he was in a position
to advance with a large victorious army against the mistress of the lower
Euphrates.

VII. His Capture of Babylon. The campaigns of Cyrus were naturally