only a few friends,
who still adhered to his fortunes. Could he have reached Ecbatana, he
might have greatly prolonged the struggle; but his enemy pressed him
close; and, being compelled to an engagement, he not only suffered a
complete defeat, but was made prisoner by his fortunate adversary.
By this capture the Median monarchy was brought abruptly to an end.
Astyages had no son to take his place and continue the struggle. Even
had it been otherwise, the capture of the monarch would probably have
involved his people's submission. In the East the king is so identified
with his kingdom that the possession of the royal person is regarded as
conveying to the possessor all regal rights. Cyrus, apparently, had no
need even to besiege Ecbatana; the whole Median state, together with its
dependencies, at once submitted to him, on learning what had happened.
This ready submission was no doubt partly owing to the general
recognition of a close connection between Media and Persia, which made
the transfer of empire from the one to the other but slightly galling
to the subjected power, and a matter of complete indifference to the
dependent countries. Except in so far as religion was concerned,
the change from one Iranic race to the other would make scarcely a
perceptible difference to the subjects of either kingdom. The law of
the state would still be "the law of the Medes and Persians." Official
employments would be open to the people of both countries. Even the fame
and glory of empire would attain, in the minds of men, almost as much
to the one nation as the other. If Media descended from her preeminent
rank, it was to occupy a station only a little below the highest, and
one which left her a very distinct superiority over all the subject
races.

If it be asked how Media, in her hour of peril, came to receive no
assistance from the great Powers with which she had made such close
alliances--Babylonia and Lydia--the answer would seem to be that Lydia
was too remote from the scene of strife to lend her effective aid, while
circumstances had occurred in Babylonia to detach that state from her
and render it unfriendly. The great king, Nebuchadnezzar, had he been
on the throne, would undoubtedly have come to the assistance of his
brother-in-law, when the fortune of war changed, and it became evident
that his crown was in danger. But Nebuchadnezzar had died in B.V. 561,
three years before the Persian revolt broke out. His son, Evil-Mer