Atropates
Encyclopedia
Atropates was a Persian
nobleman who served Darius III, then Alexander III of Macedon, and eventually founded an independent kingdom and dynasty that was named after him. Diodorus (18.4) refers to him as 'Atrapes', while Quintus Curtius (8.3.17) erroneously names him 'Arsaces'.
, Atropates was governor (satrap
) of the Achaemenid province of Media
. In the decisive Battle of Gaugamela
(October 331 BCE) between Darius and Alexander, Atropates commanded the Achaemenid troops of Media
, Caucasian Albania
and Sacasene (part of present-day Armenia
).
Following his defeat in that battle, Darius fled to the Median capital of Ecbatana
, where Atropates gave him hospitality. Darius attempted to raise a new army but was forced to flee Ecbatana in June 330 BCE. After Darius' death a month later at the hands of Bessus
, Atropates surrendered to Alexander. Alexander initially chose Oxydates as satrap of Media
, but in 328-327 BCE after Alexander lost trust in Oxydates' loyalty, Atropates was reinstated to his old position. In 325-324, Atropates delivered Baryaxes (a sought-after rebel of the region) to Alexander while the latter was at Pasargadae
. Alexander's esteem for the governor rose "so high" that soon afterwards Atropates' daughter was married to Alexander's confidant and cavalry commander Perdiccas
at the famous mass wedding at Susa
in February 324 BCE.
Later that year, Alexander visited Atropates in Ecbatana
with his good friend and second-in-command Hephaestion
, who fell ill and died in October 324 BCE. At this time, "[i]t was related by some authors, that Atropates on one occasion presented Alexander with a hundred women, said to be Amazons; but Arrian
([Anabasis] vii. 13) disbelieved the story."
Alexander himself died eight months later on June 10, 323 BCE, and Atropates' new son-in-law Perdiccas
was named regent of Alexander's half-brother Philip III
. Following the "Partition of Babylon
" in 323 BCE, Media
was divided into two parts: the greater portion in the south-east was to be governed by Peithon
, a general of Perdiccas
, while a smaller portion in the north west (principally around the Araxes River basin was given to Atropates. At some point thereafter, Atropates refused to convey allegiance to the diadochi
and made his part of Media
an independent kingdom, while his son-in-law Perdiccas
was eventually murdered by Peithon
in the summer of 320 BCE.
The region that encompassed Atropates' kingdom come to be known to the Greeks as "Media Atropatene
" after Atropates, and eventually simply "Atropatene
". The Arsacids called it 'Aturpatakan' in Parthian
, as did also the Sassanids who eventually succeeded them. Eventually Middle Iranian
'Aturpatakan' became 'Azerbaijan', whence the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Iranian province of Azerbaijan
get their name.
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
nobleman who served Darius III, then Alexander III of Macedon, and eventually founded an independent kingdom and dynasty that was named after him. Diodorus (18.4) refers to him as 'Atrapes', while Quintus Curtius (8.3.17) erroneously names him 'Arsaces'.
Biography
Towards the end of the Achaemenid EmpireAchaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
, Atropates was governor (satrap
Satrap
Satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic empires....
) of the Achaemenid province of Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
. In the decisive Battle of Gaugamela
Battle of Gaugamela
The Battle of Gaugamela took place in 331 BC between Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia. The battle, which is also called the Battle of Arbela, resulted in a massive victory for the ancient Macedonians and led to the fall of the Achaemenid Empire.-Location:Darius chose a flat, open plain...
(October 331 BCE) between Darius and Alexander, Atropates commanded the Achaemenid troops of Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
, Caucasian Albania
Albania (satrapy)
Albania, or Ardhan in Parthian or Arran in Middle Persian as it was known in Persian, was a Caucasian satrapy of the Sassanid Empire.-History:...
and Sacasene (part of present-day Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
).
Following his defeat in that battle, Darius fled to the Median capital of Ecbatana
Ecbatana
Ecbatana is supposed to be the capital of Astyages , which was taken by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great in the sixth year of Nabonidus...
, where Atropates gave him hospitality. Darius attempted to raise a new army but was forced to flee Ecbatana in June 330 BCE. After Darius' death a month later at the hands of Bessus
Bessus
Artaxerxes V, also known as Bessus was a prominent Persian nobleman and satrap of Bactria, and later self-proclaimed king of Persia...
, Atropates surrendered to Alexander. Alexander initially chose Oxydates as satrap of Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
, but in 328-327 BCE after Alexander lost trust in Oxydates' loyalty, Atropates was reinstated to his old position. In 325-324, Atropates delivered Baryaxes (a sought-after rebel of the region) to Alexander while the latter was at Pasargadae
Pasargadae
Pasargadae , the capital of Cyrus the Great and also his last resting place, was a city in ancient Persia, and is today an archaeological site and one of Iran's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-History:...
. Alexander's esteem for the governor rose "so high" that soon afterwards Atropates' daughter was married to Alexander's confidant and cavalry commander Perdiccas
Perdiccas
Perdiccas was one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander's death in 323 BC he became regent of all Alexander's empire.Arrian tells us he was son of Orontes, a descendant of the independent princes of the Macedonian province of Orestis...
at the famous mass wedding at Susa
Susa
Susa was an ancient city of the Elamite, Persian and Parthian empires of Iran. It is located in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris River, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers....
in February 324 BCE.
Later that year, Alexander visited Atropates in Ecbatana
Ecbatana
Ecbatana is supposed to be the capital of Astyages , which was taken by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great in the sixth year of Nabonidus...
with his good friend and second-in-command Hephaestion
Hephaestion
Hephaestion , son of Amyntor, was a Macedonian nobleman and a general in the army of Alexander the Great...
, who fell ill and died in October 324 BCE. At this time, "[i]t was related by some authors, that Atropates on one occasion presented Alexander with a hundred women, said to be Amazons; but Arrian
Arrian
Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon , known in English as Arrian , and Arrian of Nicomedia, was a Roman historian, public servant, a military commander and a philosopher of the 2nd-century Roman period...
([Anabasis] vii. 13) disbelieved the story."
Alexander himself died eight months later on June 10, 323 BCE, and Atropates' new son-in-law Perdiccas
Perdiccas
Perdiccas was one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander's death in 323 BC he became regent of all Alexander's empire.Arrian tells us he was son of Orontes, a descendant of the independent princes of the Macedonian province of Orestis...
was named regent of Alexander's half-brother Philip III
Philip III of Macedon
Philip III Arrhidaeus was the king of Macedonia from after June 11, 323 BC until his death. He was a son of King Philip II of Macedonia by Philinna of Larissa, allegedly a Thessalian dancer, and a half-brother of Alexander the Great...
. Following the "Partition of Babylon
Partition of Babylon
The Partition of Babylon designates the attribution of the territories of Alexander the Great between his generals after his death in 323 BC.-Background:...
" in 323 BCE, Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
was divided into two parts: the greater portion in the south-east was to be governed by Peithon
Peithon
Peithon or Pithon was the son of Crateuas, a nobleman from Eordaia in western Macedonia. One of the bodyguards of Alexander the Great, later satrap of Media and one of the diadochi....
, a general of Perdiccas
Perdiccas
Perdiccas was one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander's death in 323 BC he became regent of all Alexander's empire.Arrian tells us he was son of Orontes, a descendant of the independent princes of the Macedonian province of Orestis...
, while a smaller portion in the north west (principally around the Araxes River basin was given to Atropates. At some point thereafter, Atropates refused to convey allegiance to the diadochi
Diadochi
The Diadochi were the rival generals, family and friends of Alexander the Great who fought for the control of Alexander's empire after his death in 323 BC...
and made his part of Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
an independent kingdom, while his son-in-law Perdiccas
Perdiccas
Perdiccas was one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander's death in 323 BC he became regent of all Alexander's empire.Arrian tells us he was son of Orontes, a descendant of the independent princes of the Macedonian province of Orestis...
was eventually murdered by Peithon
Peithon
Peithon or Pithon was the son of Crateuas, a nobleman from Eordaia in western Macedonia. One of the bodyguards of Alexander the Great, later satrap of Media and one of the diadochi....
in the summer of 320 BCE.
Legacy
The dynasty Atropates founded would rule the kingdom for several centuries, at first either independendantly or as vassals of the Seleucids, then as vassals of the Arsacids, into whose house they "are said" to have married. They became, however, the new House of Parthia through the marriage of the Arsacid heiress to the Atropatenid heir.The region that encompassed Atropates' kingdom come to be known to the Greeks as "Media Atropatene
Atropatene
Atropatene was an ancient kingdom established and ruled under local ethnic Iranian dynasts first with "Darius" of Persia and later "Alexander" of Macedonia, starting in the 4th century BC and includes the territory of modern-day Iranian Azarbaijan and Iranian Kurdistan. Its capital was Gazaca...
" after Atropates, and eventually simply "Atropatene
Atropatene
Atropatene was an ancient kingdom established and ruled under local ethnic Iranian dynasts first with "Darius" of Persia and later "Alexander" of Macedonia, starting in the 4th century BC and includes the territory of modern-day Iranian Azarbaijan and Iranian Kurdistan. Its capital was Gazaca...
". The Arsacids called it 'Aturpatakan' in Parthian
Parthian language
The Parthian language, also known as Arsacid Pahlavi and Pahlavanik, is a now-extinct ancient Northwestern Iranian language spoken in Parthia, a region of northeastern ancient Persia during the rule of the Parthian empire....
, as did also the Sassanids who eventually succeeded them. Eventually Middle Iranian
Middle Iranian languages
Middle Iranian may refer to any of a group of the Indo-European Iranian languages spoken between the 4th century BC and the 9th century AD:Western:*Parthian *Middle Persian Eastern:*Bactrian*Aryan*Sogdian*Khwarezmian...
'Aturpatakan' became 'Azerbaijan', whence the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Iranian province of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (Iran)
Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan , also Iranian Azerbaijan, Persian Azarbaijan is a region in northwestern Iran. It is also historically known as Atropatene and Aturpatakan....
get their name.