Artaphernes

Introduction

Artaphernes, who survived between about 513 to 492 BC, was a Lydian puppet state from Sardis and a Persian official. He was indeed the brother of Darius I, the Achaemenid sovereign of Persia. His viewpoint afforded him to converse with the Greeks often, and he was valuable in bringing a conclusion to the Ionian Uprising.

Description: Tomb of Persian Kings Darius I at Naqsh-e Rustam in Shiraz, Iran

First contacts with Athens (507 BC)

As the brother of Darius I and Satrap of Asia Minor, Artaphernes welcomed an embassy from Athens to Sardis in 507 BC. This embassy was most likely dispatched by Cleisthenes and asked for Persian assistance in fending off Spartan threats. If they wanted assistance from the Achaemenid ruler, Artaphernes demanded “Earth and Water,” a sign of surrender from the Athenians. The ambassadors from Athens reportedly agreed to comply and to offer “Earth and Water.” In addition, Artaphernes counselled the Athenians to return the oppressive Hippias. If Athens rejected Hippias, the Persians threatened to strike.

The Athenians also dispatched ambassadors to Sardis to reach an agreement with the Persians, knowing that they'd inspired the Lacedaemonians and Cleomenes to battle. They did send delegations to reintroduce Cleisthenes and the 700 families whom Cleomenes had expelled. The ruler of Sardis, Artaphrenes son of Hystaspes, interrogated the delegations once they reached Sardis and spoke as ordered, “What men are you, and where dwell you, who desire an alliance with the Persians?” After receiving information from the delegations, he responded by declaring he would establish a friendship with Athens if they handed King Darius earth and water, but if they didn't, they should leave.

The delegates were rebuked and denied upon their departure to Athens because the citizens of the state opted to preserve their democracy despite the risk presented by Persia. Even so, it's also possible that the Achaemenid king now regarded the Athenians as subjects who had somberly taken an oath to submit through the gift of “Earth and Water,” and that later activities by the Athens have been interpreted as a violation of the pledge and revolts against the centralized power of the Achaemenid king

Siege of Naxos (499 BC)

Artaphernes aided in the gathering of an army of 200 triremes under the leadership of Megabates during the Conquest of Naxos (499 BC), a fruitless effort by the Milesian ruler Aristagoras to occupy the Naxos island on behalf of the Persian Kingdom. The Greco-Persian Wars, which lasted for a total of 50 years, began with this.

Ionian Revolt (499-494 BC)

Thereafter, Aristagoras launched the Ionian Revolt in an attempt to avoid penalties for their incompetence during the Naxos Siege. Artaphernes eventually had a significant impact on putting down the Ionian Revolt. The Ionian Greeks requested assistance in fighting Persia, and Athens and Eretria replied by sending troops. The Athenian soldiers were carried to the Ionian town of Ephesus by Athenian and Eretrian ships. They were accompanied by an Ionic force there and then advanced on Sardis, commencing the Sardis Siege (498 BC).

Artaphernes was caught off guard as he had dispatched the majority of his soldiers to invade Miletus. Artaphernes, though, was fortunate to conceal himself in the citadel and defend it. Despite not being able to capture the castle, the Greeks looted the city and destroyed property that ruined Sardis. When the Greek armies reached the coast, Artaphernes' Persian army intercepted them and routed them.

Following the suppression of the uprising, Artaphernes compelled the Ionian cities to accept agreements that required any property disputes to be resolved via referrals to him. By measuring out their lands in parasangs and calculating their contributions appropriately, Artaphernes restructured the land record. Hecataeus, a Milesian philosopher and geographer, counselled him to exercise restraint so as not to inflame the Ionians' hatred. It appears that Artaphernes heeded his instruction and treated people who'd already lately rebelled against the Persians with fairness and mercy.

Etymology

The Median is where Artaphernes has derived from Rta + Farnah. As seen by names like Ardabil (Arta city or Arta vila), Artabanus (protected or protecting Arta), and Ordibehesht, the Middle Persian counterpart of Rta is Arda-/Ard-/Ord- (the best Arta). The prefix “arta,” which is frequently used to prefix Achaemenid names, denotes righteousness, correctness, and ultimate (divine) truth. The Median equivalent of the Avestan word Xvarnah, meaning “splendour, grandeur,” is Farnah. Pre-Islamic Persians valued the idea of farnah because it denoted a mystical, divine power possessed by some notable or outstanding people. Thus, it can be claimed that Artafarnah means “splendid truth.” The Sanskrit term “TA,” which means justice, reflects the idea of “arta” in Vedic culture.

Conclusion

Artaphernes is a figure of enormous historical significance in ancient Greece. Apart from suppressing the Ionian Rebellion, Artaphernes led Persia into its first major battle on the Greek mainland. Darius I launched the first Persian invasion of Greece in 492 B.C., seeing Athens' participation in the Ionian Rebellion as a sort of insurrection against his rule.

FAQs

Q1. Who were Artaphernes and Darius?

Ans. Artaphernes (Elamite Irdapirna) was a Persian prince and the brother of Darius I the Great. He served as satrap of Lydia from 513 and 493. Darius, who've become king in 522 BCE, was indeed the brother of Artaphernes, who was the child of Hystaspes. He was significantly older than Darius because he had no participation in the 522–521 civil war.

Q2. What caused the Ionian Revolt to begin?

Ans. The Persian Empire was encroaching on the eastern hemisphere at the time, extending across Asia and into Central Asia (the region bounded by the Black and Mediterranean Seas). They captured a region and installed a Persian king there. This deed ultimately sparked the Ionian uprising.

Q3. Which Indian king defeated Darius?

Ans. Together with both Iran and Iraq, Alexander also invaded Central Asia. Later, through Iran, he moved to northwestern Asia. He had defeated Persian King Darius III in the War of Arbela, colonising all of Persia (Babylon) (330 BC).