IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ Συγγραφή : Παλαιοθόδωρος Δημήτρης Μετάφραση : Γκούγκλα Δάφνη Για παραπομπή : Παλαιοθόδωρος Δημήτρης , "Artaphernes I", Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Εύξεινος Πόντος URL: <http://www.ehw.gr/l.aspx?id=7539> Περίληψη : Brother of Darius I, satrap of Lydia. He murdered Smerdis at Bisitun (522 BC). He was besieged at Sardis, but finally suppressed the Ionian revolt and imposed a military and tax reform on the Greek towns. Άλλα Ονόματα Artaphrenes Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης 6th c. BC Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου 486‑480 BC (?) Κύρια Ιδιότητα Satrap of Lydia 1. Family Artaphernes (or Artaphrenes) I was a Persian official, son of Hystaspes and brother of Darius I (522-486 BC) from a different mother. Some other brothers of his were Artanes, father of Darius’wife Phratοgoune, and Artabanos I, a regent of the Persian Empire during Xerxes’absence in Greece (480 BC).1 His son, Artaphernes II, was in charge along with Datis of the expedition in 490 BC and took part in Xerxes’expedition. 2 2. Biography Even though Artaphernes was not one of the six noblemen who supported Darius in taking over kingship, he played an important part in his brother’s prevalence, by killing Smerdis or Mardus (Bardiya) in Sikayauvatish, next to mount Bisitun (Behistun), on September 29, 522 BC.3 He was proclaimed satrap of Lydia after the Scythian campaign (513 BC), namely around 510 BC, and was granted extensive authority upon the entire coastal populace of Asia.4 He tried to intervene in the affairs of Greece in 507/506 BC, when he forced the embassy of the recent Athenian democracy, which was seeking the king’s friendship, to offer “land and water”to the Lacedaemonians, in order for the city to come to terms with external pressure. Upon the embassy’s return to Athens, the assembly recalled the embassy’s deeds, since it had surpassed the limits of its set authority.5 At that point, Artaphernes turned to Hippias, the ex-tyrant of Athens, who was exiled in Sigeion and had given his daughter in marriage to Hippoclus, the tyrant of Lampsacus and a friend of the Persians. With the latter’s intervention, Hippias allied with Artaphernes. The Athenians sent an embassy seeking the king’s friendship and peace, but Artaphernes stated that they should accept Hippias’return. The ambassadors refused to accept this and departed presuming that they were in a state of war.6 In 500 BC Artaphernes was given the opportunity to meddle more actively with Greek affairs. Aristagoras, the tyrant of Miletus, brought forth in his presence the Naxian oligarchs who had been exiled by the Democrats and convinced him to assent to an expedition aiming at the conquest of the island and the entire Cycladid islands. Having received Darius’approval, Artaphernes set his nephew Megabates as commander of the Persian fleet, which consisted of 100 ships; Aristagoras took part with another hundred. The operation had an inglorious outcome, due to controversies between the two people in charge. Aristagoras urged the Ionians to revolt,7 concerned about the potential consequences against him. During the Ionian revolt (499-493 BC), Artaphernes actually lifted the weight of defense against the Greeks, having the sum of the Δημιουργήθηκε στις 25/9/2021 Σελίδα 1/5 IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ Συγγραφή : Παλαιοθόδωρος Δημήτρης Μετάφραση : Γκούγκλα Δάφνη Για παραπομπή : Παλαιοθόδωρος Δημήτρης , "Artaphernes I", Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Εύξεινος Πόντος URL: <http://www.ehw.gr/l.aspx?id=7539> Persian forces under his command.8 He tried to suppress it immediately by attacking Miletus. The Ionian counter-attack, however, forced him to remain besieged in the acropolis of Sardis with strong forces. He finally managed to keep possession of it, although the outskirts of the town were burnt, and the besiegers of Miletus were forced to withdraw.9 During the Persian counter-attack, Artaphernes, along with Otanes, a military commander of the Persians in western Asia Minor, took up the operations in central Asia Minor and seized Clazomenae and Cyme.10 When Histiaeus, the ex-tyrant of Miletus and advisor of Darius, convinced the king to let him return to Ionia to suppress the revolt, Artaphernes accused him of being an usurper of the revolt, along with his nephew Aristagoras.11 Histiaeus was forced to flee to Chios, whence he tried to come to contact with various Persians of the satrapy. Thanks to Hermippus, a man of Atarneus, Artaphernes found out about the secret correspondence and the replies of his compatriots. This episode ended with the execution of many Persian conspirators.12 Finally, Histiaeus was arrested during an invasion in the region of Atarneus. Fearing that the captive would manage to restore his relationship with the king in case he was led to Darius alive, Artaphernes executed him.13 Artaphernes’diplomatic policy was more effective in the last stages of the revolt. By persuading the Samians to accept their old tyrant Aeaces and the Persian rule, and by urging them to desert during the naval battle at Lade (494 BC), he sealed the fate of the Ionians.14 After the revolt’s suppression and the harsh reprisal against the insurgents (ravage of sanctuaries and arson of certain towns), Artaphernes tried to organize the Greek towns under his dominion on a new basis. He gathered representatives of various towns at Sardis and ordered the Greeks to make agreements among them, which would regulate the border differences.15 In addition, he estimated the dominion of the towns in parasangs and he arranged the entire tax amount according to the size of each one. The tax rate was more or less the same as the one before the revolt.16 Even though Herodotus’source (where the above information is provided) is most likely an oral one, such a legislative regulation must have existed in written form, in Greek and in Aramaic, and may have been preserved in a sanctuary or the centre of the satrapy.17 In 486 BC, in a dynastic conflict between Xerxes and his brother Ariamanes, Artaphernes supported the former. His interference was decisive for his nephew’s enthronement.18 His later activities are unknown to us. He was possibly recalled from his satrapy to the royal Court around 493/492 BC, as Mardonius became active in Asia Minor with the identity of ‘karanos’. Some historians think that he was replaced by a certain Gadata, to whom Darius sent out a letter that has survived on a Greek inscription of the 2nd century AD.19 Nevertheless, it is a fact that there is no mention of a satrap of Lydia between 493 and 486 BC, thus Artaphernes might have preserved his position until his death, possibly between 486 and 480 BC. He must have been replaced by the son of Artaphernes II, who commanded the Lydians in the expedition of 480 BC.20 3. Criticism and Evaluation Artaphernes is one of the most significant personalities during Darius’I reign. He was actually a kind of regent of western Asia Minor, since he controlled regions with increased responsibilities. Evaluations of his personality are absent from ancient sources, apart from Herodotus. In his writings he is presented as a typical arrogant and offensive despot of the East during his meetings with the Athenians, but he is also reported as an able political leader in the course of the conspiracy at Sardis, and a perceptive commander in the case of Ionia’s reforms. As it appears, he had the freedom of making decisions independently of the king’s will –but surely to the king’s advantage– for certain issues like the peace contracts with smaller forces, but he was forced to suggest to the king any plans concerning military action. His responsibility for the initial failures of the Persians in the Ionian revolt is reflected in the feelings of doubt towards him in his court at Sardis. Most probably, Darius I had scolded his brother to such an extent that his position must have become unstable. Nevertheless, his dynamic reaction certainly put an end to every move of doubt concerning his power.21 Δημιουργήθηκε στις 25/9/2021 Σελίδα 2/5 IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ Συγγραφή : Παλαιοθόδωρος Δημήτρης Μετάφραση : Γκούγκλα Δάφνη Για παραπομπή : Παλαιοθόδωρος Δημήτρης , "Artaphernes I", Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Εύξεινος Πόντος URL: <http://www.ehw.gr/l.aspx?id=7539> As far as the tax reform is concerned, it did not refer to the height of taxes, but to their distribution to every town for internal usage. This aimed at obliterating inequalities in the imposition of taxes on the poor as opposed to the rich, which had been a reason for dissatisfaction of the lower social strata, which led to the expansion of the Ionian revolt.22 His interference in the disputes between towns indicates the flexibility of his administration; his aim was not the governing of the towns by the Persians, but their control, the establishment of peace and their systematic reimbursement of taxes. In fact, if we are to accept Ephorus’viewpoint, the re- establishment by Artaphernes of regimes that preceded tyranny in the towns of the Persian Empire indicates that they enjoyed an extended autonomy.23 1. Balcer, J.M., A prosopographical Study of the Ancient Persians Royal and Noble c. 550-450 B.C. (Lewiston – Queenston – Lampeter 1993), pp. 69-71. In most of Herodotus’manuscripts he is mentioned as Artaphernes. Hellan., FrGrHist 4 F 181 =687a F 9, names him Daphernes. On signs of Persepolis, where there is mention of Dauma’s delegate to the king, he is mentioned as Irdaparna (Persian) and Irdapirna (Elamitic). See Hallock, R.T., Persepolis Fortification Tablets (Oriental Institute Publications XVII, Chicago 1969), n.