now the province of GHILAN in Persia, once the seat of a potent empire, was bounded, according to Plutarch, on the north by part of the Caspian sea; on the south by Persis, Susiana, and Assyria; on the east by Parthia and Hyrcania; and on the west by Armenia Major. It was anciently divided into several provinces, viz. Tropatene, Charomithrone, Dara, rites, Marciane, Amariane, and Syro-Media. By a later division, however, all these were reduced to two; the one called Media Magna, the other Media Atropatina, or simply Atropatene. Media Magna was bounded by Persis, Parthia, Hyrcania, the Hyrcanian sea, and Atropatene, and contained the cities of Ecbatan, Laodicea, Apamea, Raga, Raggia or Ragea, &c. Atropatene lay between the Caspian mountains and the Caspian sea.

This country originally took its name from Madai, the third son of Japhet; as is plain from Scripture, where the Medes are constantly called Madai. Among profane authors, some derive the name Media, from one Medus the son of Jafon and Medea; others from a city called Media. Sextus Rufus tells us that in his time it was called Medena, and from others we learn that it was also called Aria. The most probable history of the Medes is as follows:

This people lived in subjection to the Assyrians till the reign of Sennacherib, when they threw off the yoke, and lived for some time in a state of anarchy. But at last, rapine and violence, the natural consequences of such a situation, prevailed so much, that they were constrained to have recourse to some kind of government, that they might be enabled to live in safety. Accordingly, about 699 B. C. one Dejoces having procured himself to be chosen king, united the scattered tribes into which the Medes were at that time divided; and having applied himself as much as possible to the civilization of his barbarous subjects, left the throne to his son Phraortes, after a reign of 13 years.

The new king, who was of a warlike and enterprising disposition, subdued almost all the Upper Asia lying between Mount Taurus and the river Halys which runs through Cappadocia into the Euxine sea. Elated with this good success, he invaded Assyria, the empire of which was now much declined, and greatly weakened by the revolt of many nations which had followed the example of the Medes. Nebuchadonosor or Chyniladan, however, the reigning prince, having assembled what forces he could, engaged Phraortes, defeated, took him prisoner, and put him to death; after which, entering Media, he laid waste the country, took the metropolis of Ecbatan itself, and levelled it with the ground.

On the death of Phraortes, his son Cyaxares was placed on the throne. He was no less valiant and enterprising than his father, and had better success against the Assyrians. With the remains of that army which had been defeated under his father, he not only drove the conquerors out of Media, but obliged Chyniladan to shut himself up in Nineveh. To this place he immediately laid close siege; but was obliged to give over the enterprise on account of an irruption of the Scythians into his own country. Cyaxares engaged these new enemies with great resolution; but was utterly defeated; and the conquerors overran not only all Media, but the greatest part of Upper Asia, extending their conquests into Syria, and as far as the confines of Egypt. They continued masters of all this vast tract of country for 28 years, till at last Media was delivered from their yoke by a general massacre at the instigation of Cyaxares.

After this deliverance, the Medes soon repopulated themselves of the territories they had lost; and once more extended their frontiers to the river Halys, their ancient boundary to the westward. After this we find the Medes engaged in a war with the Lydians; which, however, ended without any remarkable transaction: but on the conclusion of it, Cyaxares having entered into a strict alliance with Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, returned in conjunction with the Babylonians before Nineveh: which they took and levelled with the ground, putting most of the inhabitants to the sword.

After this victory the Babylonian and Median empires seem to have been united: however, after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, or rather in his lifetime, a war ensued, which was not extinguished but by the dissolution of the Babylonian empire. The Medes, under Artayges the son of Cyaxares I. withstood the power of the Babylonian monarchs: and under Cyrus and Cyaxares II. utterly destroyed their empire by the taking of Babylon, as is related under that article. After the death of Cyaxares, the kingdom fell to Cyrus, by whom the seat of the empire was transferred to Persia, under which article the history of Media now falls to be considered, as also the manners, &c. of the inhabitants.