Ariamenes

Ariamenes (* before 522 BC; † 480 BC at Salamis ) was a member of the Persian Achaemenid dynasty in the 5th century BC. He was the second of the three eldest sons of the Great King Darius I from his first marriage to a daughter of Gobryas . His full brothers were Artobazanes († before 485 BC) and Ariabignes († 480 BC).

Ariamenes had been installed as a satrap in Bactria by his father . Although he was the eldest living son, when his father died in 485 B.C. . Be his successor on the throne of Persia Chr not because of this by his younger half-brother I. Xerxes was taken. The followers of Xerxes, including Artaphernes , justified his succession to the throne with reference to the fact that he was a grandson of Cyrus II and also " born purple ", that is, was born after the accession of the father to the throne, while Ariamenes and his brothers were born before. Ariamenes then moved from Bactria to Media , but there was no fratricidal battle, as he finally recognized his brother's kingship after he gave him gifts and was given the dignity of "the greatest (mathišhta) at his [Xerxes I.] court" had been used.

Ariamenes was probably identical to the Arsamenes mentioned by Herodotus who invaded Greece in 480 BC. Chr. The commandments of the Utier and Myker led. Like his full brother Ariabignes, he fell in the sea battle of Salamis that same year ; his body was recovered by Artemisia and given to Xerxes.

In research, the person of Ariamenes is occasionally equated with the prince Masistes (Mathišhta) mentioned by Herodotus , who was also a brother of Xerxes I, but did not come to terms with him until after 480 BC. And was killed in the defeated battle.

literature

Friedrich Cauer : Ariamenes 1 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume II, 1, Stuttgart 1895, Col. 813.
Josef Wiesehöfer : Xerxes I (approx. 519–465 BC) rules over heroes. In: Stig Förster , Markus Pöhlmann (ed.): Warlords of world history. 22 historical portraits. CH Beck, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-406-54983-7 , pp. 19-33.

Remarks

↑ Other name variants are Arsamenes in Herodotus , Historíai . 7, 68, Arimenes at Plutarch , Moralia. 173b, and Artemenes in Justin 2, 10. He should not be confused with his half-brother Arsames .
↑ Justin 2, 10. Artobazanes had already been excluded from the line of succession with the same reasoning. Herodotus, Historíai. 7, 2-3.
↑ Plutarch, Moralia. 173b – c and 488d – f ( De fraterno amore 18).
↑ Herodotus, Historíai. 7, 68.
↑ Plutarch, Moralia. 488f ( De fraterno amore 18) and Themistocles. 14, 3.
↑ See Wiesehöfer: Xerxes I (approx. 519–465 BC) rules over heroes. In: Förster, Pöhlmann (Hrsg.): Warlords of world history. 2006, pp. 19–33, here p. 28.

personal data
SURNAME	Ariamenes
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Arimenes, Artemenes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Achaemenid, son of the great king Dareios I, satrap of Bactria
DATE OF BIRTH	before 522 BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	480 BC Chr.
Place of death	at Salamis

[1] Other name variants are Arsamenes in Herodotus , Historíai . 7, 68, Arimenes at Plutarch , Moralia. 173b, and Artemenes in Justin 2, 10. He should not be confused with his half-brother Arsames .

[2] Justin 2, 10. Artobazanes had already been excluded from the line of succession with the same reasoning. Herodotus, Historíai. 7, 2-3.

[3] Plutarch, Moralia. 173b – c and 488d – f ( De fraterno amore 18).

[4] Herodotus, Historíai. 7, 68.

[5] Plutarch, Moralia. 488f ( De fraterno amore 18) and Themistocles. 14, 3.

[6] See Wiesehöfer: Xerxes I (approx. 519–465 BC) rules over heroes. In: Förster, Pöhlmann (Hrsg.): Warlords of world history. 2006, pp. 19–33, here p. 28.