This is a historical sprint of the ancient world between 615-612 BCE, which was like the last burst of rocket fuel before the ancient era gave way to Greek classics and other stuff. During this period, the Assyrian army was the largest standing military force, equivalent to five modern heavy American divisions or almost eight Soviet field divisions.
The Medes were previously thought of as a centralized state, similar to the Babylonians and the Assyrians, but current theories suggest that they were much more tribal in nature. Herodotus tells the story of how the Medes eventually threw off the nomadic oppression that was controlling them.
In this podcast, historian Will Durant emphasizes that ethnic diversity among ancient peoples in the Middle East was common due to constant interactions and intermarriage, leading to changes in language and culture and undermining the idea that ethnicity was the defining characteristic of groups at the time.
The effectiveness of a cavalry is undeniable and they are entirely mounted, making them challenging to the militaries of the day. They helped protect civilization from marauding and scary peoples who were not going to leave it intact.
The Eurasian steppe saw several powerful nomadic confederacies throughout history, including the Scythians, Sarmatians, Avars, and Huns, among others, who were often a threat to their settled neighbors until the arrival of gunpowder. These societies valued being great warriors and were most dangerous when united under a strong leader.
The excavation of Susa in modern-day Iran in the 1800s and 1900s revealed how the peoples of the region understood the antiquity of their world, including stories of pre-Diluvian monarchs before the biblical flood.