(
1. A noble Median, whose preservation of the infant Cyrus, with the events consequent upon
it, are related under CYRUs. He became one of the generals of Cyrus,
and suggested the stratagem of opposing camels to the Lydian cavalry. (MAZACES in the work of reducing
the Greek cities of Asia Minor; and he employed against them the ancient oriental mode of
attack, which seems to have been new to the Greeks, of casting up a mound against the city. He
first attacked Phocaea, demanding of its inhabitants the demolition of only one bulwark, and
the dedication of a single house, in token of submission. The Phocaeans demanded a day to
deliberate; and Harpagus, perceiving their design, drew off his army. Meanwhile, the Phocaeans
took to their ships in a body, with all their movable property, and left the city, which
Harpagus garrisoned. Before, however, the Phocaeans quitted the Aegean, on their voyage to
Corsica, they returned to their city, and massacred the Persian garrison. The Teians were next
assaulted ; and they too, as soon as Harpagus had raised his mound high enough to master their
wall, deserted their city. The other Ionian cities were reduced after a brave struggle; but
none of their inhabitants proceeded to the same extremity as those of Phocaea and Teos: they
stayed at home under the Persian yoke. After the conquest of the cities on the continent, the
Ionians of the islands submitted to Cyrus of their own accord. The subjugated Ionians and
Aeolians contributed to swell the army of Harpagus, who now proceeded against the Carians, the
Carmians, and the Lycians, and the Dorian cities on the coast of Caria. Of the Carians, the
strong city of Pedasus alone offered any resistance. The Lacedaemonian colony of Cnidos had
commenced preparations for defence while Harpagus was still engaged in Ionia, by digging
through the isthmus which joined their territory to the mainland; but they had desisted at the
command of a Delphic oracle, which told them that, if it had been the will of Zeus, their
isthmus would have been an island by nature. They quietly surrendered to Harpagus.
The Lycians showed far more spirit. The people of Xanthus gave battle to Harpagus before
their city; and when they had been defeated by his superior numbers, and were beaten back into
the city, they collected all their property, with their wives, children, and servants, into
the citadel, which they then burnt, while they themselves sallied out, and fell fighting to a
man. The battlescene represented upon one of the sides of a sarcophagus in ancient Xanthus,
which was discovered by Mr. Fellows, and is now deposited in the British Museum, is supposed
to represent the taking of Xanthus by Harpagus, whose name is also said to occur in an
inscription in the Lycian language. (Fellows, Lycia, p. 276, 1841.) We
hear nothing more of Harpaguss after the conquest of Asia Minor. (CYRUS, p. 921b.)