The Persians, subdued by the grandsire of Astyages, seized the occasion to revolt.

Among them rose up a native hero, the Gengis-khan of the ancient world.
Through the fables which obscure his history we may be allowed to conjecture, that Cyrus, or Khosroo, was perhaps connected by blood with Astyages, and, more probably, that he was intrusted with command among the Persians by that weak and slothful monarch.

Be that as it may, he succeeded in uniting under his banners a martial and uncorrupted population, overthrew the Median monarchy, and transferred to a dynasty, already worn out with premature old age, the vigorous and aspiring youth of a mountain race.

Such was the formidable foe that now menaced the rising glories of the Lydian king.
XI.

Croesus was allied by blood with the dethroned Astyages, and individual resentment at the overthrow of his relation co-operated with his anxious fears of the ambition of the victor.