Page:Herodotus and the Empires of the East.djvu/71

Rh context clearly shows them to be an entirely different nation from the Medes.

We have observed that the name Daiukku occurs twice in the Sargon texts. What is the relation between Daiukku and the Dei'oces of Herodotus? The first individual of this name was probably a governor of a part of the province Man, and took part in the insurrection of 715. Whether he was in the Assyrian service, or was tributary to the Assyrian monarch, is doubtful. He was sent by Sargon to Hamath, presumably as an exile. This Daiukku is in no wise the Deïoces of Herodotus, since he was not a Mede, but a Mannaean, and dwelt after 715 at Hamath in Syria. The chronological difficulties forbid the supposition that he was later pardoned and after his return found opportunity to work for the union of the Medes; for a man who was banished while governor of a province in 715 could not later have ruled in Media fifty-three years. (699–646).

The second time we meet the name Daiukku is in the phrase Bît-Da-ai-uk-ki (house of Daiukku). This is the name of a locality which Sargon, in the ninth year of his reign (713), entered with his army. Since Bit-Daiukki is between Ellipi and Karalla, we may believe with Winckler that this region is Median. The name implies a prominent Median chief, who made Bît-Daiukki the center of his political activity. Therefore we conclude that Daiukku (Deïoces), the leader of a Median tribe, did not unite all the Medes at once, but through the formation of a well-organized hegemony as a basis of unification, he laid the foundation of the Median power. If our supposition is correct,