he whole of western
Asia.

The Persians were of the same race as the Medes and spoke a dialect of
the same language. They inhabited the mountainous region south of
Media, which slopes gradually down to the low grounds on the coast of
the Persian gulf. While the Medes became enervated by the corrupting
influences to which they were exposed, the Persians preserved in their
native mountains their simple and warlike habits. They were a brave
and hardy nation, clothed in skins, drinking only water, and ignorant
of the commonest luxuries of life. Cyrus led these fierce warriors
from their mountain fastnesses, defeated the Medes in battle, took
Astyages prisoner, and deprived him of his throne. The other nations
included in the Median empire submitted to the conqueror, and the
sovereignty of Upper Asia thus passed from the Medes to the Persians.
The accession of Cyrus to the empire is placed in B.C. 559. A few
years afterwards Cyrus turned his arms against the Lydians, took
Sardis, and deprived Croesus of his throne (B.C. 546). The fall of
Croesus was followed by the subjection of the Greek cities in Asia to
the Persian yoke. They offered a brave but ineffectual resistance, and
were taken one after the other by Harpagus the Persian general. Even
the islands of Lesbos and Chios sent in their submission to Harpagus,
although the Persians then possessed no fleet to force them to
obedience. Samos, on the other hand, maintained its independence, and
appears soon afterwards one of the most powerful of the Grecian states.

During the reign of Cambyses (B.C. 529-521), the son and successor of
Cyrus, the Greek cities of Asia remained obedient to their Persian
governors. It was during this reign that Polycrates, tyrant of Samos,
became the master of the Grecian seas. The ambition and good fortune
of this enterprising tyrant were alike remarkable. He possessed a
hundred ships of war, with which he conquered several of the islands;
and he aspired to nothing less than the dominion of Ionia, as well as
of the islands in the AEgean. The Lacedaemonians, who had invaded the
island at the invitation of the Samian exiles, for the purpose of
overthrowing his government, were obliged to retire, after besieging
his city in vain for forty days. Everything which he undertook seemed
to prosper; but his uninterrupted good fortune at length excited the
alarm of his ally Amasis, the king of Egypt. According to the tale
related by Herodot