e to the city, which was upon the point of falling
inevitably into his hands, but the time was not yet come when God designed
to punish that city for her crimes, and for the calamities she had brought
upon his people, as well as other nations. It was delivered from its
present danger in the following manner.

A formidable army of Scythians, from the neighbourhood of the Palus
Maeotis, had driven the Cimmerians out of Europe, and was still marching
under the conduct of king Madyes in pursuit of them. The Cimmerians had
found means to escape from the Scythians, who had advanced as far as
Media. Cyaxares, hearing of this irruption, raised the siege from before
Nineveh, and marched with all his forces against that mighty army, which,
like an impetuous torrent, was going to overrun all Asia. The two armies
engaged, and the Medes were vanquished. The Barbarians, finding no other
obstacle in their way, overspread not only Media, but almost all Asia.
After that, they marched towards Egypt, from whence Psammiticus diverted
their course by presents. They then returned into Palestine, where some of
them plundered the temple of Venus at Ascalon, the most ancient of the
temples dedicated to that goddess. Some of the Scythians settled at
Bethshan, a city in the tribe of Manasseh, on this side Jordan, which from
them was afterwards called Scythopolis.

The Scythians for the space of twenty-eight years were masters of the
Upper Asia, namely, the two Armenias, Cappadocia, Pontus, Colchis, and
Iberia; during which time they spread desolation wherever they came. The
Medes had no way of getting rid of them, but by a dangerous stratagem.
Under pretence of cultivating and strengthening the alliance they had made
together, they invited the greatest part of them to a general feast, which
was made in every family. Each master of the feast made his guests drunk,
and in that condition were the Scythians massacred. The Medes then
repossessed themselves of the provinces they had lost, and once more
extended their empire to the banks of the Halys, which was their ancient
boundary westward.

The remaining Scythians, who were not at this feast, having heard of the
massacre of their countrymen, fled into Lydia to king Halyattes, who
received them with great humanity.(1073) This occasioned a war between the
two princes. Cyaxares immediately led his troops to the frontiers of
Lydia. Many battles were fought during the space of five years, with
almost e