ARSAMES OF PERSIA

'Arsames' (^[1] Aršāma^[2], modern Persian: ارشام‎^[3], Greek: ; – ca. 520 BC) was the son of Ariaramnes and perhaps briefly the king of Persia during the Achaemenid dynasty, but gave up the thone and defected to Cyrus II of Persia. In an inscription allegedly found in Hamadan^[4] he is called "king of Persia", but some scholars believe it is a fraud, either modern or ancient. Another attestation of his reign is the Behistun Inscription, where his grandson Darius I states that eight Achaemenid kings preceded him - and then, he must be counting Arsames as a king.
Arsames was father of Hystaspes, satrap of Parthia, and of Pharnaces. Arsames would live to see his grandson, Darius I, become the Great King of Media and Persia, though he would die during his reign.

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Notes

References

Notes

1. Akbarzadeh (2006), page 56
2. Kent (1384 AP), page 393
3. Kent (1384 AP), page 392
4. The inscription is known among Old Persian scholars by the code AsH.

References

★ The Behistun Inscriptions (Old Persian Texts), , D., Akbarzadeh, Khaneye-Farhikhtagan-e Honarhaye Sonati, 2006,

★ Old Persian: Grammar, Text, Glossary, , Ronald Grubb, Kent, , 1384 AP,

★ Arsames page at livius.org

★ A. Sh. Shahbazi: "Arsama", in ''Encyclopaedia Iranica''.