An Indo-European-speaking people lived in the highlands of an ancient country called Media, now part of Iran. They were closely related to the Persians. Ancient writers often confused the two, calling them "Medes."
The Medes had a specific homeland in the Zagros Mountains, at 914 to 1,524 meters (3,000 to 5,000 feet). Their capital was Ecbatana (modern-day Hamadan). It sat on a major trade route from Mesopotamia. Ecbatana's cool summer weather made it a retreat for Persian kings.
What Do We Know About the Medes?
We have no written records from the Medes themselves about their history and culture. Instead, we learn about them from what other ancient peoples wrote. The Greeks, Neo-Babylonians, and Assyrians all wrote about the Medes. The Neo-Babylonian writings especially mention the Medes because both the Medes and the Chaldeans helped destroy the Assyrian Empire. We can also learn more about them from a Greek historian named Herodotus. There may be more information in ancient clay tablets with wedge-shaped writing (called cuneiform).
Assyrian Raids and Conquests
An Assyrian ruler named King Shalmaneser III wrote about the Medes living near a place called Ecbatana in the 9th century BC. However, historians do not know exactly when the Medes first moved into this area.
Shalmaneser led a raid into the lands of the Medes to capture their prized horses. These horses were famous for being some of the best in the ancient world. For many years, Assyrian kings continued these raids. They had two main reasons: to get more of these excellent horses and to keep trade routes safe for merchants.
During the 8th century BC, several Assyrian kings, including Adad-nirari, Tiglath-pileser III, and Sargon II, all said they had conquered the Median lands. The Old Testament mentions that during Sargon's military campaigns, he moved groups of people, including some Israelites, to these regions (2 Kings 17:6; 18:11).
The Medes and the Fall of Assyria
When Esar-haddon ruled Assyria from 681 to 669 BC, he expected the Medians to pay him tribute as agreed in their treaty. However, the Medians saw that Assyria was getting weaker. In 631 BC, they decided to take action. They joined forces with the Scythians and Cimmerians to challenge Assyrian power.
The Assyrian Empire continued to grow weaker under repeated attacks. Phraortes led a series of successful battles that eventually led to major victories. In 612 BC, the Medians captured the important city of Nineveh. Two years later, in 610 BC, they also took the city of Haran.
Cyaxares Strengthens the Medes
Cyaxares, the leader of the Median forces, built a strong and well-organized army. With their allies, they captured key cities and spread their influence across northern Assyria. In 585 BC, they even made peace with Lydia, showing their growing power in the region.
Cyrus Unites the Medes and Persians
The Elamites played an important role in the changing power dynamics of the ancient Middle East. In 550 BC, Cyrus of Anshan defeated Astyages and took control of the region. Cyrus was unique, with both Persian and Median family backgrounds. He captured Ecbatana, the capital of Media, and took the title “king of the Medes.”
Cyrus brought the Medes and Persians closer together (Daniel 6:8, 15). He combined their laws and traditions and gave Medes important jobs in the government. In fact, people often used the words "Medes" and "Persians" almost interchangeably (Esther 1:19; Daniel 8:20). Together, they played a key role in capturing the city of Babylon (Isaiah 13:17; Jeremiah 51:11, 28; Daniel 5:28).
Medes in the Bible
Darius was from a Median family (Daniel 9:1). When he became the ruler of Babylon, people often called him "the Mede" because of his Median ancestry (Daniel 11:1) from the time he took over as ruler of Babylon. During his rule, and later during the reign of Darius II (409 BC), there were many rebellions and periods of unrest.
Esther 1:3–7 describes the grand feasts and fancy palace rooms that belonged to Median royalty. After the Medes lost their power, they were ruled by the Syrians (Seleucids) and then the Parthians. In one part of the New Testament, Parthians, Medes, and Elamites are mentioned together (Acts 2:9). After that, "Media" became only a geographical term. The people no longer appeared in history as a separate group of people.