
Last Median king, overthrown by his grandson Cyrus.
Compare Astyages with another historical figure:
According to Herodotus, Astyages dreamed that his daughter Mandane gave birth to a vine that covered all of Asia. Interpreting this as a threat to his throne, he ordered the infant Cyrus to be killed. The child was instead secretly raised by a herdsman, fulfilling the prophecy.
Astyages punished his advisor Harpagus for failing to kill the infant Cyrus by serving him the flesh of his own son at a banquet. This act of cruelty led Harpagus to later conspire with Cyrus against Astyages, contributing to the Median king's overthrow.
Astyages, the last king of Media, was overthrown by his grandson Cyrus the Great, who led a rebellion of Persian tribes. The Median army defected to Cyrus during the battle, leading to Astyages' capture. This event ended the Median Empire and established the Persian Achaemenid Empire.
See how Astyages stacks up against other historical figures