ASTYAGES'S REVENGE
- Herodotus (484 BC - 425 BC)
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| 4 Level of Astyages'Revenge |
1.LITERAL COMPREHENSION :
Astyages was a superstitions and absolute king of median Empire. once he saw a strange dream. in his dream his daughter Mandane urinated so greatly that she filled the city and flooded all over Asia. he told about his dream to magi who said that it was a bad sign . They suggested Astyages to give his daughter's hand to a person from another state .so she was married to Cambyses, of Persian. when Mandane was living with her husband in the first year of marriage, the king saw another dream in which a vine grew out of his daughter's private part shaded all Asia. This time the magi said that her son would become the king in his Place. Intrusting to the astrologers, the king send his men to fetch Mandane in the palace and kept her under custody so that he could kill the baby as soon as he gets born. when Mandane gave birth to Cyrus, the king ordered Herpagus to kill the baby. he took the baby to his house but could not kill him. so he called of herdsman , Mitradates and assigned him to leave in the lonelious part of the Mountain so that he would die out of hunger. he told him to show the dead body to him, otherwise he could be given a terrible death upon his disobedience.
Mitradates took the baby to his house. There, he saw that his wife had given birth to a dead body. Listening to his wife's suggestion, he showed dead son to Herpagus and brought up Cyrus as his own son.
At the age of 10 ,when Cyrus was playing with his friends, they made him King. As a King, he assigned different tasks to his friends but a boy refused to discharge his duty .So Cyrus punished him badly. the boy complained to his father who was in high position in the palace. when he heard that a cowherds' son had beaten his son, he related the matter to the King. Astyages called the cowherd,Mitradates and his son for the clarification. upon the enquiry, it was reviled that the boy was his own grandson Cyrus. Astyages called Harpagus and told him to send his son to the palace and invited him to have dinner. Astyages killed Harpagus' son , dismembered his body and fed Harpagus his own son's meat . Harpagus could not say anything even after knowing what the king had done.
As per the magi's suggestion, Astyages send Cyrus to his real parents. They assured the king that his dream had been executed in some way even if it was in children's game. so there would not be any danger from Cyrus. however, after few years the king's dream was materialised. Harpagus went to meet Cyrus, and instigated him to attack media as a revenge. Cyrus dethroned Astyages and ruled the median Empire as Cyrus the Great.
2.INTERPRETATION :
This story can be taken as a big lesson about the significance of obedience.Harpagus got horrible punishment from the king when he disobeyed the king. it may also be exposing the cruelty of tyrannical and the pathetic condition of the citizens under despotic rule. also it may be implying that dreams have some kind of connection with our real life. Astyages' dream was executed in his real life despite his numerous attempt to avoid it.
3.CRITICAL THINKING :
This historical story presents the realistic picture of the past. however the events presented in the story are questionable for the modern leaders like us. Astyages' act of imprisoning his own daughter, assigning Harpagus to kill his grandson are quite offense. Moreover Astyages appears to be cruel and abnormal man to kill an innocent boy, dismember his body and fed meat to his father.
4.ASSIMILATION :
Before reading this text, I used to think that Kings are responsible for their Palace and people. but after reading this text I came to know that, king is involved in to fulfill his revenge not for conscious towards their people. therefore, I have developed bad think about the kings.
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2 Comments
NICE THANK U
ReplyDeleteWhat wAs the prophesy astyages feared so much
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