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Artaxerxes III
𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂
King of Kings
Great King
King of Persia
Pharaoh of Egypt
King of Countries
Rock relief of Artaxerxes III in Persepolis
King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire
Reign358–338 BC
PredecessorArtaxerxes II
SuccessorArses
Pharaoh of Egypt
Reign343–338 BC
PredecessorNectanebo II
SuccessorArses
DiedAugust/September 338 BC
Burial
Persepolis
IssueArses
Bisthanes
Parysatis II
DynastyAchaemenid
FatherArtaxerxes II
MotherStateira
ReligionZoroastrianism

Ochus (Greek: Ôchos, Babylonian: Ú-ma-kuš), better known by his dynastic name of Artaxerxes III (Old Persian: 𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂 Artaxšaçā) was the Achaemenid King of Kings of Persia from 358 to 338 BC. He was the son and successor of Artaxerxes II (r. 404 – 338 BC) and his mother was Stateira. Artaxerxes III's reign was a period of resurgence, in which the empire reorganized, and revolts were suppressed throughout the country.

Before ascending the throne, his eldest brother and heir Darius had been executed after trying to conspire against their father. The second eldest, Ariaspes was afterwards driven mad and commited suicide after a series of ruses and allegations instigated by Ochus.

Etymology

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Artaxerxes is the Latin form of the Greek Artaxerxes (Αρταξέρξης), itself from the Old Persian Artaxšaçā ("whose reign is through truth").[1] It is known in other languages as; Elamite Ir-tak-ik-ša-iš-ša, Ir-da-ik-ša-iš-ša; Akkadian Ar-ta-ʾ-ḫa-šá-is-su; Middle Persian and New Persian Ardašīr.[2][3] His personal name was Ochus (Greek: Ôchos, Babylonian: Ú-ma-kuš).[4]

Background

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Ochus was the legitimate son of Artaxerxes II and his wife Stateira.[4] He had two elders full-brothers, Ariaspes and Darius (the eldest).[5] He also had many illegitimate brothers born to concubine mothers, which the 2nd-century AD Roman writer Justin numbered to be 115.[6] Out of all the sons, it was Darius who had been appointed as the heir to the empire, thus receiving the royal privilege of wearing the upright tiara. However, Artaxerxes II's long reign frustrated the latter, who was already over 50 years old. Incited by the former satrap Tiribazus, he started plotting against his father to quicken his succession.[7][8] Darius expected that he would receive support from many courtiers, including fifty of his illegitimate brothers according to Justin.[8] A eunuch discovered the conspiracy, and as a result Darius was summoned to the court and executed, "along with the wives and children of all the conspirators" (Justin).[8] The right of succession then passed over to Ariaspes. However, Ochus, with the support of some eunuchs,[a] created a series of ruses and allegations to make his legitimate brother Ariaspes go mad and commit suicide.[8] Artaxerxes II, who disliked Ochus, appointed his favourite illegitimate son Arsames as the new crown prince. He was, however, soon killed by Arpates at the instigation of Ochus.[8][7][10] Ochus was then finally appointed as crown prince, with Artaxerxes dying shortly after.[7][10]

Reign

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Revolt of Artabazus

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At his accession in 358 BC, Artaxerxes III demanded that all the satraps in western Anatolia were to disband their mercenary forces. This was done to diminish the power of powerful satraps and consolidate the power of the crown. Indeed, under Artaxerxes III's father, the satrap Datames had with the help of his mercenaries ruled a more or less independent state, while previously the Achaemenid prince Cyrus the Younger had almost managed to overthrow Artaxerxes II with the help of his mercenaries.[11] All the satraps followed his order and disbanded their mercenaries. Later in 356 BC, Artaxerxes III attempted to dismiss Artabazus II from his satrapy of Hellespontine Phrygia, which resulted in the latter revolting. His royal blood through his mother Apama, a sister of Artaxerxes III, may have made the latter vigilant towards him.[11] Artabazus' two brothers are Oxythres and Dibictus are also reported to have joined him, which implies that Artaxerxes III was targeting the whole family.[11]

Artaxerxes III sent the other satraps in Anatolia—Tithraustes, Autophradates and Mausolus—to suppress the revolt.[12] Artabazus quickly joined forces with the Athenian military commander Chares, who had acquired most of his disbanded mercenary unit. Together, they defeated the satraps in 355 BC and marched deeper into Greater Phrygia, ransacking the region.[13] Artaxerxes III quickly pressured Athens to stop supporting Artabazus by the threat of war.[14] Artabazus subsequently found a new ally in the Thebian general Pammenes, who supplied him with 5,000 soldiers in 354 BC.[15] Further defeats were inflicted on the Achaemenid forces, but Artabazus soon fell out with Pammenes, and had him arrested. In 354/3 BC, he ceased his rebellion and fled to Macedonia, where he was well-received by its king, Philip II.[16][17]

First Egyptian Campaign

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In around 351 BC, Artaxerxes III personally embarked on a campaign to recover Egypt, which been independent from Persian rule since 404 BC, just when Artaxerxes II had ascended the throne.[18][19]


Levying a vast army, Artaxerxes marched into Egypt, and engaged Nectanebo II. After a year of fighting the Egyptian Pharaoh, Nectanebo inflicted a crushing defeat on the Persians with the support of mercenaries led by the Greek generals: the Athenian Diophantus and the Spartan Lamius.[20][21] Artaxerxes was compelled to retreat and postpone his plans to reconquer Egypt.

Second Egyptian Campaign

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Coin minted in by Cilicia by its satrap Mazaeus, portraying Artaxerxes III as pharaoh on the obverse, while a lion is depicted on the reverse.

Death and succession

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In late August/late September 338 BC, the court eunuch and chiliarch (hazahrapatish) Bagoas orchestrated the poisoning and subsequent death of Artaxerxes III through the latters own physician.[b][23][24] Artaxerxes III's early death proved to be a problematic issue for Persia,[4] and may have played a role in the weakening of the country.[25] The majority of Artaxerxes III's sons, with the exception of Arses and Bisthanes, were also murdered by Bagoas.[4] Bagoas, acting as kingmaker, put the young Arses (Artaxerxes IV) on the throne.[4][25][26]

Legacy and assessment

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According to the modern historian Maria Brosius; "politically and military, Artaxerxes III proved himself immensely astute."[27] R. Schmitt calls the death of Artaxerxes III a "serious misfortune for the Persian kingdom."[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ According to the classical Greek writer Plutarch, Artaxerxes III was also supported by his half-sister and lover Atossa, who was allegedly at the same time a wife of Artaxerxes II. Joan. M Bigwood calls the report "fictional" and dismisses it as "an account designed to illustrate the misdeeds of a ruler widely believed by the Greek and Roman sources to be one of the most vicious of Persian kings, and those of his equally unattractive paramour Atossa."[9]
  2. ^ According to a Babylonian tablet, Artaxerxes III "went to his fate", which is often understood to indicate death from natural causes. However, the same wording is also used to refer to the death of Xerxes I (r. 486 – 465 BC), who was in reality assassinated by his son.[22]

References

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  1. ^ Schmitt 1986b, pp. 654–655.
  2. ^ Frye 1983, p. 178.
  3. ^ Wiesehöfer 1986, pp. 371–376.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Schmitt 1986a, pp. 658–659.
  5. ^ Briant 2002, pp. 680–681.
  6. ^ Briant 2002, p. 680.
  7. ^ a b c Dandamaev 1989, p. 306.
  8. ^ a b c d e Briant 2002, p. 681.
  9. ^ Bigwood 2009, pp. 326–328.
  10. ^ a b Waters 2014, p. 193.
  11. ^ a b c Ruzicka 2012, p. 155.
  12. ^ Ruzicka 2012, pp. 155–156.
  13. ^ Ruzicka 2012, p. 156.
  14. ^ Ruzicka 2012, pp. 156–157.
  15. ^ Ruzicka 2012, p. 157.
  16. ^ Ruzicka 2012, pp. 157–158.
  17. ^ Briant 2002, p. 687.
  18. ^ Schmitt 1986c, pp. 656–658.
  19. ^ Ruzicka 2012, p. 159.
  20. ^ Miller, James M. (1986). A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. John Haralson Hayes (photographer). Westminster John Knox Press. pp. 465. ISBN 0-664-21262-X.
  21. ^ Ruzicka 2012, p. 161.
  22. ^ Waters 2014, p. 198.
  23. ^ Waters 2014, p. 197.
  24. ^ Dandamaev 1989, p. 312.
  25. ^ a b LeCoq 1986, p. 548.
  26. ^ Briant 2002, p. 690.
  27. ^ Brosius 2020, p. 199.

Sources

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