Tiribazus
Encyclopedia
Tiribazus or Teribazus, a Persian general and Persian satrap
of Western Armenia
and later Lydia
in western Anatolia
.
He was highly regarded by the Persian King Artaxerxes II
, and when he was present, so Xenophon tells us, no one else had the honour of helping the sovereign to mount his horse.
At the time of the retreat of the 10,000
in 401 BC, Tiribazus was satrap of Western Armenia. He succeeded Tithraustes
as satrap of Western Asia (Sardis). He was holding this office when, in 393 BC, Antalcidas
was sent to negotiate, through him, a peace for Sparta with the Persian king..
In 392 BC, while the Corinthian War
was being contested amongst the Greek states, Tiribazus received envoys from the major belligerents of that war, and held a conference in which a proposal for ending the war was discussed. That discussion failed, but Tiribazus, convinced that Athens
was becoming a threat to Persia in the Aegean
, secretly provided funds to rebuild the Sparta
n fleet. When the Persian king Artaxerxes II learned of this, Tiribazus was removed from power and replaced by Struthas
, who pursued an anti-Spartan policy.
However, five years later, in 387 BC, Tiribazus was again in power, and worked together with the Spartan general Antalcidas
to rebuild the Spartan fleet as a threat to Athenian interests in the region. This action brought the Athenians and their allies to the negotiating table. Tiribazus represented Artaxerxes at the ensuing negotiations, which led to the Peace of Antalcidas
.
In 386 BC, he was appointed to command the Persian fleet against Evagoras
, the king of Salamis in Cyprus
, with the land forces being entrusted to the Persian satrap of Armenia, Orontes. They defeated Evagoras and lay siege to Salamis
. However, in 385 BC Tiribazus was impeached by Orontes, and was recalled to court to answer for his conduct.
Tiribazus was detained in prison until the return of Artaxerxes from his expedition against the Cadusii
. Before three judges, Tiribazus was able to have the charges against him dismissed, and he was honourably acquitted with the full support of King Artaxerxes, in consideration not only of his innocence in regard to the special charges, but also of the great services he had rendered to his master.
Tiribazus now stood higher than ever in the royal favour, and received a promise of the hand of Amestris
, the king's daughter. Artaxerxes, however, reneged on this arrangement, and married Amestris himself.
When King Artaxerxes reneged on a pledge to Tiribazus once more, this time with respect to Atossa, the youngest of the king's princesses, Tiribazus could no longer remain loyal to the king and incited Darius
, the son of Artaxerxes, to join him in a plot against the king's life.
Tiribazus' plans were betrayed to Artaxerxes by a eunuch, and the conspirators were found out. Tiribazus offered a desperate resistance to the guards who endeavored to arrest him, and was slain with a javelin.
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 Western Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and later Lydia
Lydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
in western Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
.
He was highly regarded by the Persian King Artaxerxes II
Artaxerxes II of Persia
Artaxerxes II Mnemon was king of Persia from 404 BC until his death. He was a son of Darius II of Persia and Parysatis.-Reign:...
, and when he was present, so Xenophon tells us, no one else had the honour of helping the sovereign to mount his horse.
At the time of the retreat of the 10,000
Ten Thousand (Greek)
The Ten Thousand were a group of mercenary units, mainly Greek, drawn up by Cyrus the Younger to attempt to wrest the throne of the Persian Empire from his brother, Artaxerxes II...
in 401 BC, Tiribazus was satrap of Western Armenia. He succeeded Tithraustes
Tithraustes
Tithraustes was the Persian satrap of Sardis for several years in the early 4th century BC. Due to scanty historical records, little is known of the man or his activities...
as satrap of Western Asia (Sardis). He was holding this office when, in 393 BC, Antalcidas
Antalcidas
Antalcidas was a Spartan soldier and diplomat, the son of Leon.In 393 BC he was sent to Tiribazus, Persian satrap of Sardis, to undermine the friendly relations then existing between Athens and Persia, offering to recognize Persian claims to the whole of Asia Minor and supremacy over Greek cities...
was sent to negotiate, through him, a peace for Sparta with the Persian king..
In 392 BC, while the Corinthian War
Corinthian War
The Corinthian War was an ancient Greek conflict lasting from 395 BC until 387 BC, pitting Sparta against a coalition of four allied states; Thebes, Athens, Corinth, and Argos; which were initially backed by Persia. The immediate cause of the war was a local conflict in northwest Greece in which...
was being contested amongst the Greek states, Tiribazus received envoys from the major belligerents of that war, and held a conference in which a proposal for ending the war was discussed. That discussion failed, but Tiribazus, convinced that Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
was becoming a threat to Persia in the Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, secretly provided funds to rebuild the Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
n fleet. When the Persian king Artaxerxes II learned of this, Tiribazus was removed from power and replaced by Struthas
Struthas
Struthas was a Persian satrap for a brief period during the Corinthian War. In 392 BC, he was dispatched by Artaxerxes II to take command of the satrapy of Sardis, replacing Tiribazus, and to pursue an anti-Spartan policy...
, who pursued an anti-Spartan policy.
However, five years later, in 387 BC, Tiribazus was again in power, and worked together with the Spartan general Antalcidas
Antalcidas
Antalcidas was a Spartan soldier and diplomat, the son of Leon.In 393 BC he was sent to Tiribazus, Persian satrap of Sardis, to undermine the friendly relations then existing between Athens and Persia, offering to recognize Persian claims to the whole of Asia Minor and supremacy over Greek cities...
to rebuild the Spartan fleet as a threat to Athenian interests in the region. This action brought the Athenians and their allies to the negotiating table. Tiribazus represented Artaxerxes at the ensuing negotiations, which led to the Peace of Antalcidas
Peace of Antalcidas
The Peace of Antalcidas , also known as the King's Peace, was a peace treaty guaranteed by the Persian King Artaxerxes II that ended the Corinthian War in ancient Greece. The treaty's alternate name comes from Antalcidas, the Spartan diplomat who traveled to Susa to negotiate the terms of the...
.
In 386 BC, he was appointed to command the Persian fleet against Evagoras
Evagoras
Evagoras was the king of Salamis in Cyprus. The son of Nicocles, a previous king of Salamis, he claimed descent from Teucer, the son of Telamon and half-brother of Ajax, and his family had long been rulers of Salamis, although during his childhood Salamis came under Phoenician control, which...
, the king of Salamis in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, with the land forces being entrusted to the Persian satrap of Armenia, Orontes. They defeated Evagoras and lay siege to Salamis
Salamis, Cyprus
Salamis was an ancient Greek city-state on the east coast of Cyprus, at the mouth of the river Pedieos, 6 km north of modern Famagusta. According to tradition the founder of Salamis was Teucer, son of Telamon, who could not return home after the Trojan war because he had failed to avenge his...
. However, in 385 BC Tiribazus was impeached by Orontes, and was recalled to court to answer for his conduct.
Tiribazus was detained in prison until the return of Artaxerxes from his expedition against the Cadusii
Cadusii
The Cadusii were an ancient Iranian people living in north-western Iran.-Geography:The Cadusii lived in a mountainous district of Media Atropatene on the south-west shores of the Caspian Sea, between the parallels of 39° and 37° North latitude, called for its inhabitants Cadusia...
. Before three judges, Tiribazus was able to have the charges against him dismissed, and he was honourably acquitted with the full support of King Artaxerxes, in consideration not only of his innocence in regard to the special charges, but also of the great services he had rendered to his master.
Tiribazus now stood higher than ever in the royal favour, and received a promise of the hand of Amestris
Amestris
Amestris or Amastris was the wife of Xerxes I of Persia, mother of king Artaxerxes I of Persia. She was known to have been poorly regarded by ancient Greek historians....
, the king's daughter. Artaxerxes, however, reneged on this arrangement, and married Amestris himself.
When King Artaxerxes reneged on a pledge to Tiribazus once more, this time with respect to Atossa, the youngest of the king's princesses, Tiribazus could no longer remain loyal to the king and incited Darius
Accession of Artaxerxes III
Before ascending the throne of Persia Artaxerxes had been a satrap and commander of his father's army. Darius, Artaxerxes II's eldest son and heir, entered a conspiracy to murder his father, but the plan was leaked to the king. The royal court sentenced Darius to execution and the position of heir...
, the son of Artaxerxes, to join him in a plot against the king's life.
Tiribazus' plans were betrayed to Artaxerxes by a eunuch, and the conspirators were found out. Tiribazus offered a desperate resistance to the guards who endeavored to arrest him, and was slain with a javelin.