|
The Battle of Hyrba was the first battle between the Persians and Medians. It was also the first battle after the Persians had revolted. These actions were led (for the most part) by Cyrus the Great, as it shifted the powers of the ancient Middle East. The success of the battle led to the creation of Persia's first empire, and began Cyrus's decade long conquest of almost all of the known world. Though the only authority with a detailed account of the battle was Nicolaus of Damascus, other well-known historians as Herodotus, Ctesias, and Strabo also mention the battle in their own accounts.〔Herodotus (''The Histories'') I, 127-128〕〔Ctesias (''Persica'')〕〔Fragments of Nicolaus of Damascus〕〔Strabo (''History'') XV, 3.8〕 The outcome of the battle was such a great blow to Medes, that Astyages decided to personally invade Persia. The hasty invasion would eventually lead to his downfall. In turn, the former enemies of the Medes tried to move against them, only to be stopped by Cyrus. Thus a period of reconciliation began, which facilitated a close relationship between the Persians and Medes, and enabled Ecbatana, capital of Media, to pass to the Persians as one of Persia's capitals in their newly formed empire. ==Background== The battle occurred after the Persian Revolt, which is known to have taken place somewhere in the summer of 553 BC.〔The Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar〕 Based on scant sources the battle (which was in Hyrba) is believed to have taken place at least half a year after the revolt had already begun,〔The Nabonidus Chronicle of the Babylonian Chronicles 1〕 probably in the beginning of winter 552 BC.〔The Nabonidus Chronicle of the Babylonian Chronicles 2〕 Astyages, the king of Medes, who is thought to have also been Cyrus's grandfather, had earlier turned down the request of Cyrus to leave his court and visit his parents again, as he had done several times earlier.〔Fischer, W.B., Ilya Gershevitch, and Ehsan Yarshster, ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', Cambridge University Press (1993) p. 144. In 1 volume〕 Though his request to Astyages was not unusual, Cyrus had made the mistake of asking him right after the revolt that had happened, but through the pleading of the Persian servant, Oebares, Astyages let him visit his parents again.〔Fischer, W.B., Ilya Gershevitch, and Ehsan Yarshster, ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', Cambridge University Press (1993) p. 145-146. In 1 volume〕 In Herodotus' version, in one of the first times Cyrus had gone to his parents, the Median general Harpagus, had secretly sent a letter stuffed in a hare to Cyrus to plot a revolt, which Cyrus passed the letter onto his father.〔Duncker, Max, ''The History of Antiquity'', tr. Evelyn Abbott, p. 349. London, Richard Bentley * Son (1881) p. 349-351〕 This matches the account of Nicolaus in which he says that Cambyses I had already assembled many troops well before the battle had started, and that he later despatched a small number to Cyrus's aid.〔Duncker, Max, ''The History of Antiquity'', tr. Evelyn Abbott, p. 350. London, Richard Bentley * Son (1881) p. 349-351〕 Cyrus sent a message to his father saying "... send at once 1000 cavalry and 5000 foot-soldiers to the city of Hyrba which lay on the way, and to arm the rest of the Persians as quickly as possible in such a way that it should seem to be done by command of the king. His true aims he did not communicate to him.". This also confirms the notion that the battle took place months, not days, after the revolt.〔Chisholm, Hugh, ''The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information'', Cambridge, England; New York: At the University Press, (1910) p.206〕 Astyages decision to let Cyrus return to his parents is considered by some to have changed history by eventually enabling the Persis province to become the most powerful state in the ancient world.〔Laymon, Charles M., ''The Interpreter's One Volume Commentary on the Bible: Introduction and Commentary'', Abingdon Press, (1971) p.440. In 1 volume〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Battle of Hyrba」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|