The Medes of the 7th and 6th c. BCE: A Short-Term Empire or Rather a Short-Term Confederacy?

Abstract

The author analyses in detail the qualification of Median rule during the 7th and 6th c. BCE. The paper highlights the limited reach of Median rulers into Central Anatolia and the area south of the Caspian Sea. Finally, the author argues for a characterization of Median rule as a short-term confederacy revolving around a charismatic leader and warlord.