CYAXARES II
When I became king of the Median Empire I accepted as my throne name that of my grandfather and added a numerical “2”.
By this time you have met aunt Amytis, daughter of my grandfather Cyaxares. She married the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. My sister Mandane married the Persian king Cambyses. We have Median blood flowing in the Persian Empire as well as the Babylonian Empire.
CYRUS
After the death of my father Astyages, my sister Mandane and her son Cyrus still visited Ecbatana where I ruled as king. The friendship little Cyrus had with my father continued between the two of us.
I had the privilege of exposing him to warfare and state craft. At this stage the political landscape changed at a tremendous pace.
Cambyses died and Cyrus ascended the Persian throne. My aunt Amytis lost her husband Nebuchadnezzar and the cruel Babylonian Empire were heading for a fall.
FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY
I still remember what my grandfather told me about the Hebrew prophets who predicted that the Medes would conquer Babylon. I shared this with my Nephew Cyrus.
After defeating Nabonidus our combined army marched to Babylon. The Hebrew prophet Isaiah predicted that the waters of the Euphrates would dry up and the gates would be left open.
We conquered Babylon without much effort, killed Belshazzar and became the new rulers of the ancient world.
Two very important arrangements took place at this stage. I did what my grandfather Cyaxares and my father Astyages did. I gave my daughter in marriage to Cyrus.
At this stage I was 62 years of age and received the responsibility of ruling the new combined Medo-Persian Empire. And of course this included the entire previous world empire of the Babylonians. Cyrus had to see some other state business at this stage.
But I was very fortunate. When we entered the banquet hall where Belshazzar held his last feast, we met aunt Amytis, the widow of Nebuchadnezzar. She introduced me to Daniel the statesman and famous prophet. She told us how Daniel did his administrative work during the time of her husband without a single mistake.
She told me so many things during her long friendship with her and Nebuchadnezzar. It was not a hard thing for her to recommend him for the most responsible position in our new empire.
I must just tell you that this was the best time of my entire career. I changed my name from Cyaxares II to Darius the Mede.
Daniel was an aged man but what an administrator.
Before we left aunt Amytis she told us that what happened that night was a fulfilment of prophecy.
She also told Cyrus that the prophet Isaiah mentioned his name almost 200 years before his birth.
I will tell you at a later stage what happened to me and Daniel and the lions in Babylon.