A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

DEIOCEOCES. IOCES 953
others afterwards used. This curve is made by within two or three years; and, moreover, the
the intersection of a revolving radius of a circle date of the capture of Sardis is disputed, some
with a line moving perpendicular to the first posi- bringing it as low as B. c. 542.
tion of that radius, both moving uniformly, and A difficulty still remains. Herodotus mentions
so that. the extremity of the moving perpendicular an interregnum, and it seems from his language
descends from the circumference to the centre to have been not a short one, between the revolt
while the revolving radius describes a right angle. of the Medes and the accession of De'oces; and he
[A. DE M.] is supposed to give the sum total of the Median
DE'IOCES (A t/i's4s), the founder of the Me- rule as 156 years. With reference to the former
dian empire, according to Herodotus, who states point, it may be supposed that the 53 years assignthat, after the Assyrians had held the empire of ed to De'oces include the interregnum, a supposiUpper Asia 520 years, various nations revolted tion extremely probable from the length of the pefrom them, and first of all the Medes. Soon after riod, especially as the character which Deioces had
this, Deioces, the son of Phraortes, a wise man gained before his accession makes it most unlikely
among the Medes, desiring the tyranny, became that he was a very young man; and, on the other
an arbitrator for his own village; and the fame of hand, the Scriptural chronology forbids our carryhis justice attracted to him suitors from all quar- ing up the revolt of the Medes higher than B. c.
ters, till at last the Modes chose him for their 712 at the very utmost. As to the supposed peking. He immediately assumed great royal state, riod of 156 years, the truth is, that Herodotus
and made the Medes provide him with a body- says nothing about such a period. He says (i.
guard and build him a fortress. He then built 130), that the Medes had ruled over Asia above
the city of Agbatana (Echatana), in the centre of the river Halys 128 years, 7rdpes ý 'oo- o v 'KcuOat
which-he resided, hidden from the public view IpXov, which does not mean, that the 28 years of
and transacting all business through messengers, the Scythian rule are to be added to the 128 years,
in order, says Herodotus,' to prevent the plots but that they are to be deducted from it. The
which his former equals might have been drawn question then arises, from what period are the 128
into by jealousy. The few who were admitted to years to be dated? The most probable solution
his presence were required to observe the strictest seems to be that of Kalinsky and Clinton, who
decorum. His administration of justice was very supposed that the date to which the 128 years
severe, and he kept a body of spies and informers would lead us back, namely (56--+128=) 68 .c.,
throughout the whole country. After a reign of was that of the accession of Deioces, and that the
thirty-five years, during which he ruled the six 22 years which remain out of the 53 ascribed to
tribes of the Medes without attempting any foreign him by Herodotus (B. c. 7-1--68-) formed the
conquest, Deioces died, and was succeeded by his period of the interregnum.
son, Phraortes. (Herod. i. 95-102.) The account of Ctesias, which is preserved by
There are considerable difficulties in settling the Diodorus, is altogether different from that of Herochronology of the Median empire. Herodotus dotus. After relating the revolt of Arbaces [ARgives the reigns as follows: BACES], he gives the following series of Median
Deioces... 53 years. (i. 102.) reigns (ii. 32-34):
Phraortes... 22,, (ibid.) 1. Arbaces.. 28 years.
Cyaxares... 40,, (i. 106.)* 2. Mandauces... 50,,
Astyages... 35,, (i. 130.) 3. Sosarmus... 30,,
4. Artycas.... 50,,
Total, 150 5. Arbianes.... 22
Now, since the accession of Cyrus was in B. c. 6. Artaeus.... 40,,
560-559, the accession of DeYoces would fall in B. c. 7. Artynes.. 22,,
710-709, which is confirmed by Diodorus (ii. 32), 8. Astibaras... 40
who says that, "according to Herodotus, Cyaxares 9. Aspadas, whom he identifies
[meaning Deioces] was chosen king in the second with Astyages.. [35]*,,
year of the 17th Olympiad." (B. c. 711-710.) It also
agrees with what may be inferred from Scripture, 317
and is expressly stated by Josephus (Ant. x. 2), This would place the revolt of the Medes in B. c.
that the Medes revolted after the destruction of (559+317=) 876.
the army of Sennacherib, and the death of that Now this account disagrees with that of Heroking. (B. c. 711.) Moreover, the Lydian dynasty dotus in all the names, and in the events ascribed
of the Mermnadae is computed by Herodotus to to each reign, except the last; but the two lists
have lasted 170 years, down to the taking of Sardis agree in the numbers assigned to the last three
in n. c. 546. It therefore began in B. c. 716. reigns.
Now, it may be inferred, with great probability, In the list of Eusebius, the fifth king, Arbianes,
from the statements of Herodotus, that the Hera- is omitted, and then follow Deioces, Phraortes,
cleidae, who preceded the Mermnadae in Lydia, Cyaxares, Asdahages (Astyages), as in Herodotus,
were Assyrian governors. If so, here is another but with different numbers, whence Clinton conreason for believing that the great Assyrian empire jectures that the 22 years assigned to Arbianes
was broken up in consequence of the destruction were really those of the interregnum before Deloces.
of its army under Sennacherib. The small differ- No successful attempt has yet been made to reconence by which the last date (B. c. 716) exceeds cile Herodotus, Ctesias, and Eusebius. Diodorus
what it ought to be according to this view, might supposed the interregnum of Herodotus to extend
be expected from the difficulty of fixing these dates over several ages, and Eusebins adopts the same
"* Including the 28 years of the Scythian rule, This number, which is omitted by Diodorus,
cri, reoeo.:ctiOam rpay. is supplied from Herodotus.