Bessus

Bessus or Bessos (

A member of the ruling Achaemenid dynasty, Bessus came to power shortly after killing the legitimate Achaemenid ruler Darius III (r. 336–330 BC), and subsequently attempted to hold the eastern part of the empire against the Macedonian king Alexander the Great (r. 336–323 BC). His realm quickly started to fall apart, including Bactria, which was the main center. Fleeing into Sogdia, he was arrested by his own officers, who handed him over to Alexander, who had him executed at Ecbatana.

Bessus appears in the 11th-century Persian epic Shahnameh under the name of Janusipar/Janushyar.

Name

"Bessus" (Βήσσος) is the

Nothing is known about the background of Bessus, except that he belonged to the ruling Achaemenid dynasty.^[6][7] During the reign of the King of Kings Darius III (r. 336–330 BC), Bessus was made the satrap of Bactria, an important satrapy in the eastern part of the empire.^[7] Bactria, which had been under Achaemenid rule since 545–540 BC, was prosperous and populous. As shown by archaeological findings, agriculture, trade, commerce and handicraft thrived in the area.^[8] The office of satrap of Bactria seems to have occasionally been equivalent to a "vice‐king of the east" type of position.^[9]

As the satrap of Bactria, Bessus was able to exert his rule over

In the autumn of 330, at the Bactrian capital of Bactra, Bessus declared himself King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, assuming the royal name of Artaxerxes V.^[7] There he attempted to hold the eastern part of the empire against Alexander.^[16] His domain encompassed Bactria, the main center; Sogdia, administered by officers such as Spitamenes and Oxyartes; the nomadic Iranian tribes of Central Asia; Aria, governed by the satrap Satibarzanes, who had initially surrendered to Alexander; Arachosia-Drangiana, governed by Barsaentes; Parthia and Hyrcania, governed by Nabarazanes following his appointment by Bessus; and western India.^[7][17] Bessus' usurpation and the invigorated resistance in Central Asia created a new problem for the Macedonians. If they failed to confront Bessus, his usurpation could be seen as change in government, thus rendering Darius III's death irrelevant.^[18] However, Bessus' empire quickly started to fall apart; Nabarzanes, accepting his hopeless position, surrendered to Alexander and was pardoned with the help of Bagoas.^[17][19] Satibarzanes was defeated and killed by the Macedonian forces in 329 BC, before Bessus was able to help him.^[7][20] Around the same time, Barsaentes fled to India to escape the Macedonian forces.^[21]

According to the 1st-century BC Greek historian

Alexander, since his victory at Gaugamela, had behaved in the same manner as a sovereign ruler, and had been on several occasions afterwards acknowledged as the "King of Asia." His actions indicated that he planned to continue the administrative system of the Achaemenid Empire, which meant that the local leaders in Central Asia would be allowed to maintain their authority. Furthermore, Alexander had not only pardoned many of his former opponents, but had also restored them to their former satrapies. Thus, the indigenous rulers now regarded Bessus as being a threat to their continued security.^[24] At Nautaca (present-day Shahrisabz) Bessus was arrested by his Sogdian officers, who included Spitamenes, Dataphernes, and Catanes. They then handed him over to the following Macedonian forces.^[20][9] The handing over of Bessus took place in a village, where he had been left by Spitamenes and Dataphernes. He was picked up by the Macedonian general Ptolemy who following Alexander's instructions, had Bessus brought to him naked in bonds.^[25] Bessus was at first flogged in public, and then his ears and nose were cut off, a traditional Persian punishment. He was finally sent to Ecbatana, where the Macedonians had him executed.^[26] The execution was supervised by Darius III's brother Oxyathres.^[27]

In Persian literature

Bessus appears in the 11th-century Persian epic Shahnameh ("Book of Kings") under the name of Janusipar/Janushyar.^[28] Seeing as they are in a hopeless position, Janusipar along with Mahyar (Nabarzanes) murders Dara II (Darius III) and then attempt to negotiate with Iskandar (Alexander), eventually meeting up with him.^[29] Following the funeral of Dara, Iskandar has Janusipar and Mahyar executed.^[30]

References

Bibliography

Ancient works

• The Anabasis of Alexander
  .

Modern works

• Binder, Carsten (2021). "From Darius II to Darius III". In Jacobs, Bruno; Rollinger, Robert (eds.). A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 457–473.
  ISBN 978-1119174288
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• ISBN 978-1575060316
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• Briant, Pierre (2015), Darius in the Shadow of Alexander, Harvard University Press,
  ISBN 978-0674493094
• EIr. (1994). "Darius v. Darius III". In
  ISBN 978-1-56859-020-2
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• ISBN 978-1784539559
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• ISBN 0-521-20092-X
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• ISBN 978-1405188395
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• Heckel, Waldemar (2020). In the Path of Conquest: Resistance to Alexander the Great. Oxford University Press.
  ISBN 978-0190076689
  .
• Kuhrt, Amélie; Sancisi-Weerdenburg, Helen (2006). "Bessus". In Salazar, Christine F.; Landfester, Manfred; Gentry, Francis G. (eds.). Brill's New Pauly. Brill Online.
• Nawotka, Krzysztof (2021). "The Conquest by Alexander". In Jacobs, Bruno; Rollinger, Robert (eds.). A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 473–485.
  ISBN 978-1119174288
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• Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2021). Early Arsakid Parthia (ca. 250-165 B.C.). Brill.
  ISBN 978-9004460751
  .
• Tavernier, Jan (2007). Iranica in the Achaeamenid Period (ca. 550-330 B.C.): Lexicon of Old Iranian Proper Names and Loanwords, Attested in Non-Iranian Texts. Peeters Publishers.
  ISBN 978-90-429-1833-7
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• Tuplin, Christopher J. (2020). "The Bodleian Letters: Commentary". In Tuplin, Christopher J.; Ma, John (eds.). Aršāma and his World: The Bodleian Letters in Context: Volume I: The Bodleian Letters. Oxford University Press.
  ISBN 978-0199687640
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• ISBN 978-0-71009-106-2
  .
• Stark, Sören (2021). "The Iranian East". In Jacobs, Bruno; Rollinger, Robert (eds.). A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 695–711.
  ISBN 978-1119174288
  .
• Weiskopf, Michael (1989). "Bessos". In
  ISBN 978-0-71009-125-3
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• ISBN 978-0-71009-104-8
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• ISBN 978-1-56859-019-6
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• Müller, Sabine (2023). "Besas and Ariobarzanes: Trials and Tribulations regarding the Reception of the Identity, Deed, and Punishment of Darius' assassins". In Wulfram, Hartmut (ed.). Der lateinische 'Alexanderroman' des Iulius Valerius. De Gruyter. pp. 99–114.