By Theseustoo / Astyages

“So…” Cyrus said thoughtfully when the messenger had finished his report, “Croesus has taken Sinope and enslaved the region of Pteria in Cappadocia!” Harpagus nodded grimly but remained silent, though equally pensive; his own spy net-work had already verified the report’s accuracy.

Although both men were staring intently at the world map which was spread out before them on the tabletop, neither of them really needed to look at it in order to find either the region or the city. Indeed both had been world-famous long before Croesus had ever decided to attack them. Several centuries of peaceful trade, which had come to characterize the whole region, and which had been facilitated by the dominance of the Assyrian Empire, had made Cappadocia, and especially Pteria, both very wealthy and very famous.

And even when the Medes finally overthrew their Assyrian overlords, rather than interfere with the running of a country which had hitherto always been a voluntarily tributary nation, the Median kings simply adopted the same policies as their predecessors; allowing them the same terms of fealty as they had under the Assyrians. As a result, this region was permitted an unusually high degree of local autonomy. Their ‘conquerors’ had been quite content to accept only tribute in coin and kind from this region; exempting Pteria from the usual annual levy of troops for the army of the Great King, whoever that happened to be at the time.

Similarly the Median kings had wisely decided to adopt the bureaucratic system Hammurabi had established centuries ago, and which had been copied by the Assyrians. Although the Magi were a Median tribe, as a result of their centuries-long interest in gathering knowledge, they were first adopted as a bureaucracy by the Sumerian; then by the clever policy of intermarrying with, first the Sumerians, then the Assyrians and finally the Medes, the Magi ensured the preservation not only of their tribe but also its immense store of knowledge; and the political influence this gave them; theirs was thus an extremely rich cultural heritage.

This administrative bureaucracy and the network of the King’s Highways had facilitated Assyria’s ultimate subjection, domination and exploitation of immense tracts of territory and the variously assorted cultures which had become the Assyrian Empire. When Media rebelled she simply carried on using the Magi to run her administration. Thus the manner in which the province of Pteria had been administered had remained almost completely unchanged even after many dynastic changes.

For these reasons there had never been any need to send more than a small military force to garrison and oversee the region; and these had become soft through their habitual life of near-indolence. So many countries had depended on this region for their trade that the Syrians, as their neighbours the Lydians called the Pterians, felt they need not fear attack from any nation, for fear of angering all her other trading partners and thus inviting a military catastrophe.

Thus, before Croesus’ sudden invasion, this region had been a veritable oasis of peace in a harsh and extremely violent world. So, for many generations, there had been little need for her men to develop warlike tendencies. Thus a local branch of the imperial tax office and a rather small garrison of local troops was all there was in Pteria to represent the authority of what was now the Persian Empire.

Pteria’s importance to the Empire as a source of revenue was not lost on either Cyrus or his general, Harpagus, who both immediately realized that unless something was done to remedy this situation the loss of this region would severely restrict Cyrus’ imperial revenues. Harpagus now voiced his concern,

“We cannot allow him to gain too firm a hold there…” he said firmly, “He could dominate all the landward trade-routes from Pteria, and thus he’d control a large proportion of our revenue.”

Cyrus looked up from the map and gazed levelly into the eyes of the man who had saved his life and gained him an empire; and who had, since then, become his most valuable and trusted advisor; he said, “Harpagus, assemble the army at once; we’ll march for Sinope immediately! We’ll raise levies of extra troops in the countries we pass through on the way; voluntarily if they choose; by force if they don’t!”

With a respectful bow, Harpagus left the hall to obey his king’s orders, as Cyrus turned to a second messenger who was patiently awaiting his turn to speak, “Now, you…” Cyrus demanded, “What news do you have from Ionia and Aeolia? Will they accept my offer of alliance? Are they prepared to revolt against Croesus of Lydia?”

“My lord,” the messenger answered a little hesitantly, “they both refuse; they remain loyal to Croesus…”

“Stubborn Greeks!” Cyrus exclaimed, frustrated. Yet he was unable to hide his admiration for their loyalty, in spite of his frustration. But as he continued his tone became far more menacing, though it remained tinged with sadness, as Cyrus vowed, “Well! We’ll teach them that stubbornness is not always a virtue!”

 

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