Phraortes

Frawartiš or Phraortes ( Old Persian Fravartiš , Medo Frawartiš , Elamite Pirumartiš , Babylonian Parumartiš ) was as in previous research king of the Medes out who allegedly v of 675th BC to 653 BC Should have ruled. Due to new investigations, Herodotus' evidence is rejected as an incorrect construction .

Herodotus

In the histories of Herodotus , Phraortes was named as the son of Kyaxares , who shortly after his accession to the throne in Ekbatana successfully fought against the Persians who are said to have settled in northwestern Iran at that time . According to Herodotus, the Persians then seemed to have enjoyed a privileged position in the Median Empire. Herodotus justified this with the statement: With these two powerful tribes, Medes and Persians, he (Phraortes) then subjugated all of Asia .

According to Herodotus, Phraortes died in the attack on Assyria when he lost the decisive battle against the Scythians , who were allied with the Ayysrians. After this defeat, the media is said to have fallen under Scythian rule for 28 years. So far there are no cuneiform confirmations for Herodotus' statements, according to which Phraortes is said to have ruled for 22 years . His son, Kyaxares II ended the Scythian rule.

Previous equation

Phraortes has so far been identified with the sources mentioned in Assyrian Kaštarita . The Assyrian expression Kaštarita describes only the old Persian term Xšatarita , which was formed from the nickname Xšatra and corresponds to the Greek translation Kyaxares . Xšatarita is not a name, but is the common name for ruler / sovereign . Since the name Phraortes is derived from Frawartiš , the equation of Kaštarita , the city prince of Kar Kiššu , is now dispensed with.

Asarhaddon mentioned in 674 BC Another person of the same name in connection with an omenschau. The background to the questioning was Asarhaddon's fear of a future danger to Assyria that could come from a Kaštarita. An identification with the mentioned Kaštarita in the omenschau is possible, but presupposes that the mentioned “ruler” had the name Frawartisch .

literature

Robert Rollinger : The phantom of the medical "great empire" and the Behistun inscription . In Edward Dabrowa: Ancient Iran and its Neighbors . Krakow 2005
Hans Wilhelm Haussig : Herodotus - Histories . Stuttgart 1971.

Web links

Asarhaddon's omen request for Kyaxares ( MS Word ; 63 kB) TUAT

Individual evidence

↑ Robert Rollinger : The Phantom of the Medic "Great Empire" and the Behistun inscription . In: Edward Dabrowa: Ancient Iran and its Neighbors . Krakow 2005, pp. 6-7.
↑ Herodotus, I, 102
↑ Robert Rollinger: The Phantom of the Medic "Great Empire" and the Behistun inscription . In: Edward Dabrowa: Ancient Iran and its Neighbors . Krakow 2005, pp. 18-20.

personal data
SURNAME	Phraortes
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Frawartiš; Fravartiš; Pirumartiš; Parumartiš
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	median king
DATE OF BIRTH	7th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	633 BC Chr.

[1] Robert Rollinger : The Phantom of the Medic "Great Empire" and the Behistun inscription . In: Edward Dabrowa: Ancient Iran and its Neighbors . Krakow 2005, pp. 6-7.

[2] Herodotus, I, 102

[3] Robert Rollinger: The Phantom of the Medic "Great Empire" and the Behistun inscription . In: Edward Dabrowa: Ancient Iran and its Neighbors . Krakow 2005, pp. 18-20.