Tissaphernes

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Tissaphernes [ tɪsaˈfɛrnɛs ] ( Old Persian : Čiθrafarnah or Čiçafarnah ; † after 395 BC ) was the governor ( satrap . ) In the Ionian-Decelean War (413–404 BC) of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) ) and military commander of the Persian Empire in Lydian Sardis . 412 BC He was defeated by an Athenian expeditionary force in the Battle of Miletus , but turned the defeat into a strategic success, as he formed an alliance with Sparta that promised him the recovery of the Greek coastal cities in Ionia . At the same time he became friends with the Athenian defector Alcibiades , who advised him to play off Spartans and Athenians against each other in order to prolong the war and weaken both sides to the advantage of Persia. In order not to give the Spartans too much advantage, Tissaphernes sent in 411 BC. A Persian-Phoenician aid fleet back to Phenicia . Apparently because of the reaction of the Persian king and the Spartans, he had his adviser Alcibiades arrested a little later, but he was able to escape and again over to the Athenian side.

409 BC BC Tissaphernes fought again against an Athenian army under Thrasyllos and won the battle of Ephesus . Soon afterwards he was replaced by Cyrus the Younger , a son of the Persian great king Darius II (423–404 BC). When Cyrus rebelled after the end of the Peloponnesian War against his brother, the Great King Artaxerxes II (404-359 BC) (" Train of the Ten Thousand "), Tissaphernes stood on the side of Artaxerxes and fought Cyrus, who was finally in lost his life in the battle of Kunaxa (401 BC). Tissaphernes received ample gifts for his services from Artaxerxes. He even married a daughter of the great king and was again Persian commander-in-chief ( karanos ) in Asia Minor after he had previously lost the post to Cyrus.

During the Spartan-Persian War (400–394 BC) Tissaphernes was defeated by a Spartan army under King Agesilaus II (395 BC) and executed as a result of the defeat of Artaxerxes II. Tiribazos was appointed as his successor in the Satrapy of Lydia .

In the Greek sources, Tissaphernes is portrayed negatively, but this is primarily due to the authors' hostile attitude towards Persia. Tissaphernes evidently proved to be a capable Persian governor who knew how to exploit the Greek power struggles.

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SURNAME Tissaphernes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Governor (satrap) and military commander of the Persian Empire in Lydian Sardis
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH after 395 BC Chr.