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Re: Various tales in Herodotuss The Histories display a circular means of
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17 Feb 2024, 05:04
Main point of the passage: The passage discusses the story of Astyages, who tries to avert the prophecy of his downfall by altering the course of events through his decisions regarding his daughter Mandane and her offspring Cyrus. However, his actions ultimately lead to the fulfillment of the prophecy.
Tone of the author: The author presents the story of Astyages with a neutral tone , recounting the events and decisions made by the characters without explicit judgment or bias.
Now, let's address the questions:
1. Inference about Astyages’s view of the Median socio-political structure:
The passage suggests that Astyages believed that his daughter's husband could pose a threat to his position, as evidenced by his decision to marry her to a Persian noble rather than a Median noble. Thus, statement I is supported by the passage. Additionally, Astyages's choice to follow the recommendations of the Magi regarding the interpretation of dreams does not necessarily imply that he always believed it was best to do so, so statement II cannot be inferred. However, Astyages's decision to marry Mandane to Cambyses, a Persian noble, instead of a Median noble implies that he believed Persians were less of a threat to his position, supporting statement III. Therefore, the correct answer is C. I and III Only.
2. Which of the following, if true, would most strongly undermine the claim that Astyages’s downfall proceeded from two major mistakes?
The claim that Astyages’s downfall proceeded from two major mistakes is based on the belief that his actions were driven by the fear of the prophesied downfall. To undermine this claim, we need to provide evidence that suggests Astyages's downfall was not directly linked to his attempts to avoid the prophecy. Option (A) provides this by suggesting that Mandane's son would have conquered his grandfather's kingdom regardless of who his father was, implying that Astyages's downfall was inevitable regardless of his actions. Therefore, the correct answer is A.