Atropates
Atropates (
Biography
Towards the end of the Achaemenid Empire, Atropates was governor (satrap) of the Achaemenid province of Media. In the decisive Battle of Gaugamela (October 331 BCE) between Darius and Alexander, Atropates commanded the Achaemenid troops of Media and Sacasene.
Following his defeat in that battle, Darius fled to the Median capital of Ecbatana, where Atropates gave him hospitality. Darius attempted to raise a new army but was forced to flee Ecbatana in June 330 BCE. After Darius' death a month later at the hands of Bessus, Atropates surrendered to Alexander.[4] Alexander initially chose Oxydates as satrap of Media, but in 328-327 BCE after a period of two years Alexander lost trust in Oxydates' loyalty, and Atropates was reinstated to his old position.[5] In 325-324, Atropates delivered Baryaxes (a sought-after rebel of the region) to Alexander while the latter was at Pasargadae. Alexander's esteem for the governor rose so high that soon afterwards Atropates' daughter was married to Alexander's confidant and cavalry commander Perdiccas at the famous mass wedding at Susa in February 324 BCE.[4]
Later that year, Alexander visited Atropates in Ecbatana with his good friend and second-in-command Hephaestion, who fell ill and died in October 324 BCE. At this time, "[i]t was related by some authors, that Atropates on one occasion presented Alexander with a hundred women, said to be Amazons; but Arrian ([Anabasis] vii. 13) disbelieved the story."[6]
Alexander himself died eight months later on June 10, 323 BCE, and Atropates' new son-in-law
Legacy
The dynasty Atropates founded would rule the kingdom for several centuries, at first either independently or as vassals of the Seleucids, then as vassals of the Arsacids, into whose house they are said[7] to have married.
The region that encompassed Atropates' kingdom come to be known to the Greeks as "
References
- ^ Tavernier 2007, pp. 125.
- ^ Fredricksmeyer 2002, p. 92; Schippmann 1987, pp. 221–224; Roisman 2002, p. 187
- ^ Diodorus Siculus. "3". Βιβλιοθήκη Ἱστορική [Historical Library] (in Ancient Greek). Vol. 18.
- ^ a b Chaumont 1987, pp. 17–18.
- ^ Roisman 2002, p. 189.
- ^ Smith, William, ed. (1867), "Atropates", Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, Boston, archived from the original on 2011-06-05, retrieved 2005-10-10
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b Schippmann 1987, pp. 221–224.
- ISBN 978-90-04-09796-4.
- ^ de Planhol 1987, pp. 205–215.
Bibliography
Ancient works
- Justin, Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus.
- Strabo, Geographica.
Modern works
- ISBN 978-0-933273-47-4.
- Chaumont, M. L. (1987). "Atropates". In ISBN 978-0-71009-113-0.
- Fredricksmeyer, Ernst (2002). Bosworth, A. B.; Baynham, E. J. (eds.). Alexander the Great and the Kingship of Asia. Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction: Oxford University Press. pp. 1–370. ISBN 9780199252756.
- ISBN 978-0-71009-114-7.
- Schippmann, K. (1987). "Azerbaijan iii. Pre-Islamic History". In ISBN 978-0-71009-114-7.
- Roisman, Joseph (2002). Brill's Companion to Alexander the Great. London and New York: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 1–436. ISBN 9789004217553.
- Tavernier, Jan (2007). Iranica in the Achaemenid Period (ca. 550-330 B.C.): Lexicon of Old Iranian Proper Names and Loanwords, Attested in Non-Iranian Texts. Peeters Publishers. ISBN 9789042918337.