Astyages was the last king of the Median kingdom, reigning from 585 to 550 BCE. The son of Cyaxares, he was dethroned by the Persian king Cyrus the Great. He was a follower of the Vedic religion as per Iranian customs.
King Astyages in chains submitting to Cyrus the Great (18th century tapestry).
The Median Empire during both Cyaxares and Astyages reigns
King Astyages commands Harpagus to take the infant Cyrus and slay him, tapestry by Jan Moy (1535-1550).
Astyages's dream (France, 15th century)
Media was a political entity centered in Ecbatana that existed from the 7th century BCE until the mid-6th century BCE and is believed to have dominated a significant portion of the Iranian plateau, preceding the powerful Achaemenid Empire. The frequent interference of the Assyrians in the Zagros region led to the process of unifying the Median tribes. By 612 BCE, the Medes became strong enough to overthrow the declining Assyrian Empire in alliance with the Babylonians. However, contemporary scholarship tends to be skeptical about the existence of a united Median kingdom or state, at least for most of the 7th century BCE.
Scythian archers shooting with a composite bow, Kerch, Ukraine, 4th century BCE.
Ancient Near East in the 600s BCE
Achaemenid bas-relief from the 5th century BCE showing a Median soldier behind a Persian soldier
Artistic representation of noble Medes