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#1 The Massagetae, a rough, rural folk, were little known to the glittering courts of the Persian Empire. They were a target of conquest by King Cyrus the Great.

#2 In 530 BC, the season of swords, Cyrus turned his attention to his northeastern frontier. He tried a soft approach with the barbarian queen Tomyris, but her response was to offer him a fair fight on her side of the river.

#3 The Battle of the Araxes River was the final confrontation between the Persians and the Massagetae. It was a difficult victory for the Persians, and Cyrus took many prisoners, including Tomyris's son.

#4 The battle was a spit-and-blood struggle of unalloyed savagery. Tomyris won, and the Persian emperor died fighting her. But times change, and no enemy, ally, or situation is ever truly permanent. In two generations, a queen from modern Turkey would serve Cyrus's grandson in one of history's greatest battles.