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1. A Persian, an officer of Cyrus. According to Ctesias (apud Phot.
Bibl. 72), when Astyages was taken at Ecbatana, whither he had fled front Cyrus, Oebares
threw him into chains, from which, however, Cyrus released him, Ctesias farther tell us that,
at the siege of Sardis, Oebares advised Cyrus to terrify the citizens by images of Persians
placed on high poles and made to look like gigantic soldiers, and that the fear thus caused
mainly led to the capture of the town. When Cyrus sent Petisaces to bring Astyages to court
from his satrapy (the country of the Barcanii), Oebares instigated the messenger to leave the
old king to perish in a desert place, and, when the deed was discovered, starved himself to
death to avoid the vengeance of Amytis (Astyages's daughter), in spite of all the assurances
of protection which Cyrus cave him.