Sogdianus

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Sogdianus
Achaemenid Daric, possibly under Sogdianus
King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, Pharaoh of Egypt
Reign	424 BC – 423 BC
Predecessor	Xerxes II
Successor	Darius II
Died	Persepolis, Persia
Dynasty	Achaemenid
Father	Artaxerxes I
Mother	Alogyne of Babylon
Religion	Zoroastrianism

Sogdianus (

This chaotic state of affairs would prove short-lived. Xerxes II only ruled for forty-five days. He was reportedly murdered while drunk by the eunuch Pharnacyas and Menostanes, conspirators who sided with Sogdianus, on his orders. According to Ctesias, Pharnacyas had the greatest influence over Xerxes II, next to Bagorazus and Menostanes.^[3]

Sogdianus apparently gained the support of his regions and reigned for six months and fifteen days before being captured by his half-brother, Ochus, who had rebelled against him feeling dishonoured he was passed up over Sogdianus for the throne—since he outranked the latter.

Sogdianus was executed by being suffocated in ash per Ochus' promise he would not die by the sword, by poison or by hunger. Pharnacyas was condemned to be stoned to death.^[4] "Menostanes was also arrested and condemned, but anticipated his fate by suicide.".^[5]

Ochus then ascended to the Achaemenid throne as Darius II; he was the sole ruler of the Persian Empire until 404 BC.^[2]

Name

He is called Σογδιανός by Manetho and Diodorus Siculus, and Σεκυνδιανός by Ctesias.^[6]

References

Sources

• Ctesias, 48, 52 [1]
• Briant, Pierre, From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire (2002). Translated by Peter T. Daniels. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns. ISBN 1-57506-031-0.
• Lendering, J., Xerxes II and Sogdianus: "[2]"

Category