The Story of the Warrior Queen Tomyris and Cyrus the Great

Head of Cyrus Brought to Queen Tomyris

Peter Paul Rubens

c.1622 - c.1623

The story of Tomyris and Cyrus began following the Persian conquest of Babylon. Cyrus the Great, founder and king of the Achaemenid Empire (aka Persian Empire), had decided that he next wished to subjugate the Massagetae, a Scythian people on their north-eastern border, across the river Araxes. Herodotus stated that the Massagetae were a great and warlike nation that fought on both foot and on horseback, and used weapons of brass and ornamented their armor with gold.

At this time, the Massagetae were ruled by a warrior queen named Tomyris, who took the throne after her husband, the king, had died. Cyrus sent ambassadors to Tomyris and instructed them to court her on his behalf and pretend he wished for her hand in marriage. Tomyris saw through this obvious ruse, knowing that Cyrus simply wished to take over her queendom and sent his messengers back. Finding that deceit did not win the day here, he marched his armies to the Araxes river and began constructing a bridge in which to march his army across, into the land of the Massagetae.

While the Persians worked on this bridge, Tomyris sent a herald to Cyrus who said,

"King of the Medes, cease to press this enterprise, for you cannot know if what you are doing will be of real advantage to you. Be content to rule in peace your own kingdom, and bear to see us reign over the countries that are ours to govern. As, however, I know you will not choose to hearken to this counsel, since there is nothing you less desirest than peace and quietness, come now, if you are so mightily desirous of meeting the Massagetae in arms, leave your useless toil of bridge-making; let us retire three days' march from the river bank, and do you come across with your soldiers; or, if you like better to give us battle on your side the stream, retire yourself an equal distance." (Herodotus, Histories I 206).

Cyrus took counsel with the Persian chiefs, and all but one agreed that they should allow Tomyris to cross the river and give battle on Persian ground. Croesus the Lydian was the only one to disagree, stating that if they allowed the Massagetae into their empire and then proceeded to be defeated by them in their own territory, there would be no stopping them from destroying the Persian Empire. Conversely, by giving battle in Massagetae territory, if they were to win, it would be that much easier to strike at the heart of their civilization. He also stated that it would be an intolerable disgrace for the great King Cyrus to retire and yield ground to a woman. Croesus then laid out a plan to trap the Massagetae. Croesus knew that the Massagetae were not used to the food and drink of the Persian Empire and proposed that they create a forward camp, far ahead of the the main Persian army, where they would station their worst troops and stock all manner of food and alcohol, believing that the Massagetae would not be able to help themselves, then the Persians could go in and kill them while they were drunk and full. Cyrus considered this new plan and changed his mind, going against his counsel and agreeing to Croesus’s plan. He sent a messenger to Tomyris, letting her know that he agreed to her terms and would meet her in Massagetae territory.

The night before the battle, Cyrus was said to have a vision where Darius, the son of one of the Persian Kings, stood above the Persian Empire with wings shadowing Europe and Asia. Cyrus awoke and took this vision to mean that the gods were warning him that Darius was plotting against him and planning to take over his empire, and Cyrus resolved to ensure that would not happen. But Herodotus states that Cyrus misunderstood this vision, and that the vision was meant to warn him that he would die in that battle and his empire would fall to Darius’s control after his death.

Cyrus then marched his army forward and implemented Croesus’s plan, leaving his worst troops ahead with a large feast and plenty of alcohol and withdrew his good troops towards the river. About a third of the Massagetae army, led by Tomyris’s son Spargapises, detached from the main army and advanced on this camp, where they easily killed the soldiers. Seeing this feast prepared, they partook and after eating and drinking, fell asleep for the night. In their sleep, the Persians attacked and killed and captured most of them, with Spargapises himself being captured. When Tomyris heard of what happened to her son she sent another messenger to Cyrus saying,

"You bloodthirsty Cyrus, pride not yourself on this poor success: it was the grape-juice---which, when you drink it, makes you so mad, and as you swallow it down brings up to your lips such bold and wicked words---it was this poison by which you ensnared my child, and so overcame him, not in fair open fight. Now hear what I advise, and be sure I advise you for your good. Restore my son to me and get you from the land unharmed, triumphant over a third part of the host of the Massagetai. Refuse, and I swear by the sun, the sovereign lord of the Massagetai, bloodthirsty as you are, I will give you your fill of blood."

Cyrus paid no heed to the words of Tomyris, intent on conquering the Massagetae. When Spargapises awoke and saw what his actions had resulted in, requested to Cyrus that he be released from his bonds, and killed himself as soon as he was, as not to be used as a bargaining chip against his mother and nation.

Seeing that Cyrus had no intention to heed her warning, Tomyris gathered her entire army and gave battle to the Persians. Herodotus stated that of all the battles between the “barbarians,” this was the fiercest. The battle continued for some time with neither side willing to give ground. Ultimately, however, the Massagetae gained the upper hand and slaughtered nearly the entire Persian army, the King of Kings Cyrus included. Tomyris ordered that the body of Cyrus be found and brought to her. When he was found, she filled a wine skin with human blood and dunked the head of Cyrus within it, stating "I live and have conquered you in fight, and yet by you am I ruined, for you took my son with guile; but thus I make good my threat, and give you your fill of blood."

There are many different accounts of how exactly Cyrus the Great died, though regardless he was certainly defeated by the Massagetae. Herodotus states that this account was the most believable to him personally, and it is my personal favorite as well.

Herodotus. “Ancient History Sourcebook: Herodotus: Queen Tomyris of the Massagetai and the Defeat of the Persians under Cyrus.” Internet History Sourcebooks, August 1998. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/tomyris.asp.