TOMYRIS
In the summer of 530 BC, approaching the river bordering the territory of the Scythians, Cyrus II sent envoys to propose marriage to the widow Tomyris. The queen understood that the Persian ruler was not interested in a wife, but rather in vast lands, wealth, and the brave warriors of the Scythians. And Tomyris refused. The reason for war was sufficient, and the Persians began to cross the river. The Scythians did not hinder this: Tomyris believed that it would be harder for the enemies to fight on foreign land, and even harder to retreat, as a wide water barrier would stand in their way on the return journey.
To confront a powerful army of two hundred thousand led by such an experienced commander as Cyrus II, Queen Tomyris of the Scythians had to gather an equally strong army. The troops gathered, of course, not only from the nearest territories in the direction of the advancing Persians but also from all the lands of the Scythians-Tigrahauda, including, without a doubt, the Semirechye, Issyk-Kul, and the Ala-Too mountains.
Cyrus II penetrated into the lands of the Scythians and set up camp. He decided to set a trap: pretending to be frightened, he would begin a retreat, deliberately leaving large supplies of wine in the camp. The plan was simple but worked flawlessly. To pursue the enemy, Tomyris sent a third of her army led by her only son, the young Spargapises. Upon occupying the Persian camp, the Scythians, taking advantage of their commander’s inexperience, began to feast.
This revelry cost the Scythians dearly: returning under the cover of night, Cyrus II slaughtered the revelers. According to one version, Spargapises fell in this massacre; according to another, he was captured, could not bear the shame, and took his own life.
Tomyris sent an envoy to the king demanding that he leave the country and return her son's remains. The message ended with a threat: "If you do not do this, I swear by the sun, the lord of the Massagetae, I will make you drink blood, though you are insatiable." Cyrus II disregarded the threat. Soon, in two fierce battles, the Scythians-Tigrahauda utterly defeated the Persians. According to another version, the Scythians lured the Persians into a gorge, where they completely destroyed their two hundred thousand strong army. Cyrus II was killed in the battle. According to the legend recorded by the great Greek historian Herodotus, Tomyris plunged Cyrus II's head into a leather bag filled with blood, saying: "As I promised, I will make you drink blood!"
Despite the fact that Cyrus II represented many progressive trends of his time, creating a powerful centralized state and possessing vast resources of an extensive empire from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indus Valley, he suffered defeat in the struggle against the "sharp-hatted" Scythians defending their freedom. Thus, the life of the first contender for world domination in human history came to an end on the land of Central Asia.
Legends