Anonymous anachronistic engraving depicting King Arsames. Created in Antwerp, dated 1547-1585
Died
After 522 BC
Issue
Hystaspes
Pharnaces
Megabates
Old Persian
Aršāma
Modern Persian
Arshām
Dynasty
Achaemenid
Father
Ariaramnes
Position of Arsames in the Achaemenid lineage according to Darius the Great in the Behistun inscription.
Arsames (Old Persian: 𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠𐎶[1] Aršāma,[2] modern Persian:،آرسام، آرشام[3] Arshām, Greek: Ἀρσάμης) was the son of Ariaramnes and the grandfather of Darius I. He was traditionally claimed to have briefly been king of Persia during the Achaemenid dynasty, and to have given up the throne and declared loyalty to his relative Cyrus II of Persia before retiring to his family estate in the Persian heartland of Parsa, living there peacefully for the rest of his life, perhaps nominally exercising the duties of a "lesser king" under the authority of the "Great King". However, the claim that he or his son were ever kings is rejected by historians such as Pierre Briant.[4] In an inscription allegedly found in Hamadan[5] he is called "king of Persia", but the document is widely argued to be a fake, either modern or ancient. Another attestation of his reign is the Behistun Inscription, where his grandson Darius I lists him among his ancestors, although he does not explicitly mention him as being one of the anonymous eight kings whom he claims preceded him.
Arsames was the father of Hystaspes (satrap of Parthia), Pharnaces (satrap of Phrygia) and Megabates (a general). Arsames lived to see his grandson, Darius I, become the Great King of the Persian Empire, though he died during his reign. Arsames and his son Hystaspes are noted as being alive in 522 BC,[4] indicating that he had survived well into old age.
His name (Aršāma) translates to "having a hero's strength".[6] The feminine version of the name is Aršāmā (modern Persian:ارشاما [Arshāmā], Greek: Arsamē[6]), and was the name of the daughter of Darius I, likely named in reference to him.[6]
^Akbarzadeh & Yahyanezhad 2006, p. 56.
^Kent 2005, p. 393.
^Kent 2005, p. 392.
^ abBriant 1996, p. 121.
^The inscription is known among Old Persian scholars by the code AsH.
preceded him. Arsames was the father of Hystaspes (satrap of Parthia), Pharnaces (satrap of Phrygia) and Megabates (a general). Arsames lived to see his...
the court of king Arsames, and upon the death of king Nicomedes I of Bithynia Ziaelas returned to take the kingdom in 254 BC. Arsames also supported Antiochus...
Arsames II was the King of Armenian kingdom of Sophene, the son of Arsames I. Arsames II reigned from 230-220 BCE and offered asylum to Antiochus Hierax...
of Cyrus I. His paternal uncle was Ariaramnes and his first cousin was Arsames. However, around 100 years later, Herodotus claimed that Cambyses I was...
father is Hystaspes [Vištâspa]; the father of Hystaspes was Arsames [Aršâma]; the father of Arsames was Ariaramnes [Ariyâramna]; the father of Ariaramnes was...
gold tablets allegedly documented the reigns of Ariaramnes and his son Arsames and were written in Old Persian in the first person. This is the only evidence...
(including many of Cyrus's relatives) were now under his command. His uncle Arsames, who had been the king of the city-state of Parsa under the Medes, therefore...
Orontes IV (Old Persian: *Arvanta-) was the son of King Arsames and is recorded as ruling Armenia from inscriptions found at the historic capital of the...
distant member of the royal Achaemenid dynasty. He was the son of a certain Arsames, and grandson of Ostanes, whose father Darius II ruled the Achaemenid Empire...
Sophene) Arsames I (260–228 BC) (Armenia, Sophene, and Commagene) Charaspes (doubtful) Arsames II (Sophene c. 230 BC, possibly same person as Arsames I) Xerxes...
to his son Xerxes. Darius was the son of Hystaspes and the grandson of Arsames. Darius married Atossa, daughter of Cyrus, with whom he had four sons:...
of Orontes III? Arsames, c. 260–c. 228 BC, son of Sames? Xerxes, 228–c. 212 BC, son of Arsames Orontes IV, 212–200 BC, son of Arsames? The Orontid dynasty...
BC), Achaemenes (c.486–459 BC) - a brother of the emperor Xerxes I, and Arsames (c.454–c.406 BC). The Twenty-Eighth Dynasty consisted of a single king...
"Haxāmaniš". His son was given as Teispes, and from him came in turn Ariaramnes, Arsames, and Hystaspes. However, there is no historical evidence for any of these...
Sophene and Commagene from 228 BC to 212 BC. He was the son and successor of Arsames I. Xérxēs (Ξέρξης) is the Greek and Latin (Xerxes, Xerses) transliteration...
King, King of Kings, Pharaoh of Egypt Darius III Artashata 380 BC Son of Arsames son of Ostanes son of Darius II 336–330 BC 330 BC Killed by Artaxerxes...
Madyes Cyaxares Astyages Achaemenid (550–330 BC) Achaemenes Ariaramnes Arsames Teispes Cyrus I Cambyses I Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) Cambyses II Smerdis...
king of kings, king in Persia, king of the countries, Hystaspes' son, Arsames' grandson, an Achaemenid". An inscription in the Armenian city of Van by...
unknown wives or mistresses: Artarius, satrap of Babylon. Tithraustes Arsames or Arsamenes or Arxanes or Sarsamas, satrap of Egypt.[citation needed]...
possibly of his brother Ostanes. If the latter, she married her own brother Arsames (an ancient Achaemenid tradition). Another possibility is that she was...
of the Persian king Darius III Codomannus. He was the son of a certain Arsames, and grandson of Ostanes. He was distinguished for his bravery, and in...
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