List of the satraps and satraps of the Achaemenid Empire

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With the following list of the satrapies and satraps of the Achaemenid Empire, it must be noted that not all satrapies existed at the same time. Many of the satrapies are only known from Greek sources, although it is not always certain to what extent Greek authors were informed in detail about the conditions in the Achaemenid Empire. Confusion and imprecision in official titles can be suspected or even proven several times. Comparatively little information comes from the Achaemenid sources.

Egypt

The rule of the Achaemenid Empire in Egypt lasted from 525 to 404/401 BC. BC and from 341 BC BC to 332 BC In Old Persian the name of Egypt was Mudraya .

Arabia

Arabia had a semi-autonomous status. Only one satrap is occupied; the interpretation of the evidence is uncertain.

Arachosia

Arachosia is only poorly documented as satrapy, but is definitely designated as such in the Behistun inscription , so that there can be no doubt about its existence as an administrative unit.

Aria

Certainly only one satrap is attested for Aria , but the satrapy was continued under Alexander the great.

Armenia

Armenia has been attested as a satrapy since Darius I. Hydarnes received it as a regular satrapy. In the following years, his family officiated in Armenia.

Babylonia

Has only been a separate satrapy since Darius I , previously formed a double satrapy with Ebirnari.

Bactria

Only since Darius I attested as a separate satrapy.

Bithynia

Bithynia was probably never a satrapy of its own and was subject to the Hellespontic satrap.

Ebir-Nari

Ebir-Nari has only had its own satrapy since Darius I , previously forming a double satrapy with Babylonia.

Elam / Susiane

  • Aboulites , under Darius to Alexander the Great

Gedrosien / Purusch

A satrap of Purusch is recorded in the Persepolis tablets. Purusch is to be equated with some certainty with Gedrosien . However, there is no further evidence for this satrapy, and even when Alexander the Great came to this area, there does not appear to have been any satrapy.

Hellespontic Phrygia

According to the traditions of Herodotus, Thucydides and Persian sources, the north-western area of Mysia was the satrapy Daskylium , called Hellespontic Phrygia by the Greeks . The boundaries are unclear, but probably extended as far as the southern Troas and east into the area of ​​the later Bithynia . The Hellespontic Phrygia (also Kleinphrygien ) belongs next to Lydia to the best attested satrapies. The list of satraps is probably largely complete.

Hyrcania

Hyrcania probably formed a double satrapy with Parthyaia , which was perhaps only established under Artaxerxes I. It continued into the Hellenistic period. The evidence for satraps before Artaxerxes I is uncertain in their interpretation.

India

So far no satraps have been recorded for India.

Ionia

Ionia was under the satrapy of Lydia . All the names of the satraps that have been handed down in Xenophon (Kyrupädie, VIII 6, 7) are probably partly fictitious, but mostly they are satraps of Lydia.

Cadusier

The Kadusians were probably a semi-autonomous people who were under their own kings. They had to obey troops.

Cappadocia

Cappadocia was already part of the media . It has been attested as an independent satrapy since Darius I.

Caria

Until the reign of Artaxerxes II, the region was subject to Lydia. The first independent satrap was Hyssaldomos .

  • Adusios , under Cyrus (uncertain in interpretation)
  • Mithridates, Hellenistic fictional character, certainly fictional
  • Pissouthnes , Artaxerxes I. to Dareios II. (Uncertain in interpretation)
  • Hyssaldomos , under Artaxerxes II.
  • Hekatomnos , under Artaxerxes II.
  • Mausolos , under Artaxerxes II. To Artaxerxes III.
  • Artemisia , under Artaxerxes III.
  • Idrieus , under Artaxerxes III.
  • Ada , under Artaxerxes III.
  • Pixodaros , under Darius III.
  • Orontopates , under Artaxerxes III. and Alexander the Great
  • Ada , under Alexander the Great
  • Philoxenus , under Alexander the Great
  • Asandros , from 323 BC. Chr.

Carmania

It is uncertain whether Karmania was ever a satrapy of its own, maybe it was just a military-controlled desert region.

Cilicia

Cilicia was ruled by local kings, four of whom also held the office of satrap.

Lydia / Sardis

Lydia with the capital Sardis emerged from one kingdom. Probably almost all satraps are known.

Maka / Makkasch

The satrapy Maka (on both sides of the hormone ) is only clearly documented by the Persepolis tablets. It is probably identical with Karmenia, which in turn only appears in Greek sources.

media

The media is one of the central satrapies of the empire, but little is known about the satrapy.

Mysia

The Mysers were a people in Asia Minor. They were partly under the administration of Lydia and the Hellespontic satrapy. The little evidence for satraps also makes it probable that these other satraps were subordinate, so that Mysia was not an independent satrapy.

  • Mania , under Artaxerxes II. (Uncertain in interpretation)
  • Orontes I. , under Artaxerxes II. To Artaxerxes III. (uncertain in interpretation)

Paphlagonia

Paphlagonia was perhaps a semi-autonomous area subordinate to the satrap of Cappadocia.

  • Corylas , under Darius II to Artaxerxes II (uncertain in interpretation)
  • Kotys , under Artaxerxes II. (Uncertain in interpretation)
  • Datames , under Artaxerxes III. (uncertain in interpretation)

Parthyaia (with Hyrcania)

All evidence for Parthyaia comes from the Hellenistic period. Parthyaia probably formed a double satrapy with Hyrcania.

Persis

The Persis is the ancestral land of the empire. In the sources, a satrap is rarely mentioned, which in turn was probably due to the dominant role of the great king residing here, next to which the satraps only played a minor role.

Phrygia

Phrygia appears primarily in Greek texts as an important satrapy, but less so in Achaemenid text sources.

Tapurer (and marten)

Thrace

Thrace was probably subject to the Hellespontic Phrygia.

  • Seuthes , under Darius II (uncertain)

Cyprus

Cyprus was probably under the Ebir-Nari satrapy . Local kings continued to rule on the island. The only satrap on the island appears to be a mistake in the ancient sources.

  • Tiribazos , under Artaxerxes III. (probably an error in sources)

Basic stock of satrapies

The following three lists are a reconstruction of the stock of satrapies in the course of the history of the Achaemenid Empire.

Cyrus and Cambyses

  • Egypt
  • Ariane with Arachosia
  • Armenia
  • Assyria (Babylon and Ebir-Nari)
  • Bactria
  • Hellespontic Phrygia
  • Cappadocia
  • Cilicia
  • media
  • Parthia and Hyrcania

Darius I.

  • Egypt
  • Arachosia
  • Aria (?)
  • Armenia
  • Babylon and Ebir-Nari
  • Bactria
  • Gedrosien (with carmania?)
  • Hyrcania
  • Cappadocia
  • Lydia
  • Hellespontic Phrygia
  • India
  • Cilicia
  • Maka
  • media
  • Persis

Dareios II. And Artaxerxes II.

  • Egypt
  • Arachosia (with Drangiane and Gandhara)
  • Aria
  • Armenia
  • Babylonia
  • Ebir-Nari
  • Bactria with Sogdia
  • Gedrosia with carmania
  • Hyrcania
  • India (semi-autonomous kingdoms)
  • Pontic Cappadocia (?)
  • Tauride Cappadocia (?)
  • Lydia
  • Caria
  • Greater Phrygia
  • Cilicia
  • Maka
  • media
  • Persis
  • Susiane

literature

  • Hilmar Klinkott : The satrap. An Achaemenid office holder and his room for maneuver (= Oikumene. Studies on ancient world history; Vol. 1). Verlag Antike, Berlin 2005, ISBN 978-3-938032-02-2 , pp. 449-486 (the satrapies), 503-516 (list of satraps with further literature) ( review ).

Web links

Individual notes

  1. ↑ Herodotus, Historien 3,120,2.
  2. ↑ Thucydides, 1,129,1.
  3. ↑ Old Persian language tayaiy drayahyā; Behistun inscription 1.15.
  4. ↑ Michael Weiskopf: Dascylium . In: Ehsan Yarshater (ed.): Encyclopædia Iranica . Volume 7 (Fasc. 1), pp. 85–90, as of November 18, 2011, accessed on October 15, 2019 (English, including references)