ers and listeners about all the land
over which he ruled.

101. Deiokes then united the Median race alone, and was ruler of this:
and of the Medes there are the tribes which here follow, namely, Busai,
Paretakenians, Struchates, Arizantians, Budians, Magians: the tribes of
the Medes are so many in number.

102. Now the son of Deiokes was Phraortes, who when Deiokes was dead,
having been king for three-and-fifty years, received the power in
succession; and having received it he was not satisfied to be ruler of
the Medes alone, but marched upon the Persians; and attacking them first
before others, he made these first subject to the Medes. After this,
being ruler of these two nations and both of them strong, he proceeded
to subdue Asia going from one nation to another, until at last he
marched against the Assyrians, those Assyrians I mean who dwelt at
Nineveh, and who formerly had been rulers of the whole, but at that time
they were left without support their allies having revolted from them,
though at home they were prosperous enough. 114 Phraortes marched, I
say, against these, and was both himself slain, after he had reigned
two-and-twenty years, and the greater part of his army was destroyed.

103. When Phraortes had brought his life to an end, Kyaxares the son of
Phraortes, the son of Deiokes, received the power. This king is said
to have been yet much more warlike than his forefathers; and he first
banded the men of Asia into separate divisions, that is to say, he first
arrayed apart from one another the spearmen and the archers and the
horsemen, for before that time they were all mingled together without
distinction. This was he who fought with the Lydians when the day became
night as they fought, and who also united under his rule the whole of
Asia above the river Halys. 115 And having gathered together all his
subjects he marched upon Nineveh to avenge his father, and also because
he desired to conquer that city. And when he had fought a battle with
the Assyrians and had defeated them, while he was sitting down before
Nineveh there came upon him a great army of Scythians, 116 and the
leader of them was Madyas the son of Protohyas, king of the Scythians.
These had invaded Asia after driving the Kimmerians out of Europe, and
in pursuit of them as they fled they had come to the land of Media.

104. Now from the Maiotian lake to the river Phasis and to the land of
the Colchians is a journey of thirty days for one w