Artaphernes

Artaphernes (Greek: Ἀρταφέρνης, Old Persian: Artafarna, from Median Rtafarnah) was a brother of the Achaemenid king Darius I and held power circa 513–492 BC. He was appointed satrap of Lydia, which he governed from its capital of Sardis. As satrap of Lydia he had to deal with the Greeks, and played an important role in both the Siege of Naxos and in suppressing the Ionian Revolt.

Artaphernes is the Greek adaptation of *Artafarnah- (endowed with the Glory of the Right). Arta is a common prefix for Achaemenid names and means justice. Farnah means "splendour, glory."

Artaphernes was the son of Hystaspes and brother of Darius I. When Darius took power, he organized his empire into twenty districts called satrapies, regularized tributes that subjects owed, and appointed satraps. Before Artaphernes took power in Asia Minor the previous satrap, Oroetes assassinated Mitrobates, another satrap at Dascylium, and his son Cranaspes in 522 BC. Bagaeus, who may have become satrap afterwards, was appointed to kill Oreotes. Darius appointed Artaphernes to be the next satrap in 513 BC.

In 507 BC, Artaphernes, as brother of Darius I and Satrap of Asia Minor in his capital Sardis, received an embassy from Athens, probably sent by Cleisthenes, who was looking for Persian assistance to resist the threats from Sparta. When the envoys arrived Artaphernes asked them "What men are you and where do you live, who desire alliance with the Persians?" After he had been informed about who the Athenians were he asked the envoys for "Earth and Water", a symbol of submission, if they wanted help from the Achaemenid king, but if not they had to leave. The ambassadors agreed to give "Earth and Water". However, when the envoys returned to Athens they were censured.

Hippias, the former tyrant of Athens expelled in 510 BC, went to the Persians for assistance in regaining control of Athens in 505 BC. Hippias maligned the Athenians to Artaphernes and did all that he could in an attempt to bring Athens under control of the Persians. One of the main reasons why Artaphernes may have been willing to take up the cause for Hippias was because of the Athenians denial of the alliance with Persia in 507 BC. In the Persian point of view the submission to Darius I was permanent which meant that Artaphernes would have been inclined to support whichever Athenian government that supported the alliance. However, the Athenians heard about the attempts by Hippias to regain his power and sent messengers to Sardis, warning the Persians not to believe banished Athenians. Artaphernes, told the Athenians to allow Hippias to return to Athens "if they wanted to be safe." When the threat was brought back to the Athenians, they refused, and instead decided that they were at war with Persia.

In 525 BC an oligarchy began to rule Naxos but by 503 BC the oligarchs were expelled by the democratic party and a constitution was created. The Siege of Naxos (499 BC) occurred because the expelled oligarchs then went to Miletus and asked if Aristagoras, the acting tyrant of Miletus, was able to give them enough force to regain their country. Aristagoras listened to this appeal and told them that he would have to go to Artaphernes for naval support. Artaphernes agreed to assist because it would be profitable for the king and because he saw an opportunity for the expansion of Persian influence into the Cyclade Islands. However, Darius I needed to agree to the plan but once he did two hundred triremes were supplied and Megabates was appointed as general of the army.

After a fight started between Megabates and Aristagoras, Megabates sent a message to Naxos informing them of the expedition and what the goal was. This message allowed Naxos to prepare for a long siege but the Persians did not have enough provisions or money to maintain this sort of operation. The siege continued for four months, until the Persians spent everything that they had come with and Aristagoras own money, the Persians were forced to withdraw. The failure of the siege of Naxos led to the Ionian Revolt because Aristagoras feared what would happen to him as a result of the failure.

Soon after this, the Ionian Revolt began, at the instigation of Aristagoras who felt certain that the failure of the Siege of Naxos would lead to his lordship being taken away from him or his life. Histiaeus, who was the tyrant of Miletus but was recalled to Susa after Darius grew fearful of Ionia's power believed that he would be sent back to the coast if there was a revolt so he gave his support. After Histiaeus sent Aristagoras a secret message, in which he signified that Aristagoras should revolt the Ionian Revolt began. Subsequently, Artaphernes played an important role in suppressing the Ionian Revolt.