Belesys II
Belesys II was the ruler of Achaemenid Syria as the satrap of Eber-Nari from 358–338 BCE.[1]
Belesys was involved in suppressing the rebellion of Sidon in 351 BCE. After the defeat of Artaxerxes III in his Egyptian campaign, Phoenicia declared independence from Persian rule. Artaxerxes initiated a counter-offensive against Sidon by commanding the satrap of Syria Belesys and Mazaeus, the satrap of Cilicia, to invade the city and to keep the Phoenicians in check.[2] Both satraps suffered crushing defeats at the hands of Tennes, the Sidonese king, who was aided by 40,000 Greek mercenaries sent to him by Nectanebo II and commanded by Mentor of Rhodes. As a result, the Persian forces were driven out of Phoenicia.[3]
An earlier Belesys I is also known, whose palace was destroyed by Cyrus the Younger in 401 BCE, and had first been a Governor of Babylon and then a satrap of Syria.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ *Dandamaev, M (1994): "Eber-Nari", in E. Yarshater (ed.) Encyclopaedia Iranica vol. 7.
- ^ Heckel, Waldemar (2008). Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great: Prosopography of Alexander's Empire. John Wiley & Sons. p. 172. ISBN 9781405154697.
- ^ "Artaxerxes III Ochus ( 358 BC to 338 BC )". Retrieved March 2, 2008.
- ^ Heckel, Waldemar; Tritle, Lawrence A. (2011). Alexander the Great: A New History. John Wiley & Sons. p. 161. ISBN 9781444360158.
Further reading
[edit]- King, R. R. (2021). The House of the Satrap and the Making of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, 522–330 BCE. The University of Chicago (Thesis).
Rulers in the Achaemenid Empire | ||
|---|---|---|
Family tree - Achaemenid Kingdom | ||
| Kings of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire |  | |
| Satraps of Lydia | ||
| Satraps of Hellespontine Phrygia | ||
| Satraps of Cappadocia | ||
| Greek Governors of Asia Minor cities | ||
| Dynasts of Lycia | ||
| Dynasts of Caria | ||
| Kings of Macedonia | ||
| Kings of Tyre | ||
| Kings of Sidon |
| |
| Satraps of Armenia | ||
| Satraps of Egypt | ||
| Satraps of Bactria | ||
| Satraps of Media | ||
| Satraps of Cilicia | ||
| Other known satraps | ||
In most territories, Achaemenid rulers were succeeded by Hellenistic satraps and Hellenistic rulers from around 330 BC | ||