g themselves invisible, shows them to be
conscious of their slender merit, which shuns the light, and dares not
stand the test of a near examination.

Dejoces was so wholly taken up in humanizing and softening the manners,
and in making laws for the good government of his people, that he never
engaged in any enterprise against his neighbours, though his reign was
very long, for he did not die till after having reigned fifty-three years.

(M185) PHRAORTES reigned twenty-two years.(1066) After the death of
Dejoces, his son Phraortes, called otherwise Aphraartes,(1067) succeeded.
The affinity between these two names would alone make one believe that
this is the king called in Scripture Arphaxad: but that opinion has many
other substantial reasons to support it, as may be seen in father
Montfaucon's learned dissertation, of which I have here made great use.
The passage in Judith, _That Arphaxad built a very strong city, and called
it Ecbatana,_(1068) has deceived most authors, and made them believe, that
Arphaxad must be Dejoces, who was certainly the founder of that city. But
the Greek text of Judith, which the Vulgate translation renders
_aedificavit_, says only, _That Arphaxad added new buildings to
Ecbatana_.(1069) And what can be more natural, than that, the father not
having entirely perfected so considerable a work, the son should put the
last hand to it, and make such additions as were wanting?

Phraortes, being of a very warlike temper, and not contented with the
kingdom of Media, left him by his father, attacked the Persians;(1070) and
defeating them in a decisive battle, brought them under subjection to his
empire. Then strengthened by the accession of their troops, he attacked
other neighbouring nations, one after another, till he made himself master
of almost all the Upper Asia, which comprehends all that lies north of
mount Taurus, from Media as far as the river Halys. Elate with this good
success, he ventured to turn his arms against the Assyrians, at that time
indeed weakened through the revolt of several nations, but yet very
powerful in themselves. Nabuchodonosor, their king, otherwise called
Saosduchinus, raised a great army in his own country, and sent ambassadors
to several other nations of the East,(1071) to require their assistance.
They all refused him with contempt, and ignominiously treated his
ambassadors, letting him see, that they no longer dreaded that empire,
which had formerly kept the great