PHRYGIANS
Incorporating
the Bryges, Muku, Mygdonians, & Phryges :
Area
of Anatolia have been occupied almost since the initial lasting
steps out of Africa by modern humans. It was the birthplace of the
great farming revolution which signalled a massive change in human
nutrition, living standards, and advances towards civilisation.
That revolution soon spread into Europe via the Sesklo culture of
'Old Europe' but, several millennia later, came the bounce-back
in the form of the Yamnaya horizon and the migration of Indo-European
peoples from the Pontic steppe. Initially they were limited to the
banks of the Danube but then they quickly expanded across what is
now Romania and the northern Balkans region. A climate-induced drought
around 1200 BC saw these Balkans tribes forced into a further migration
southwards across the rest of the Balkans while one group - the
Phrygians - had seemingly already started to use a route which took
them across the Bosphorus and into Bithynia in western Anatolia.
That
Balkans origin for the Phrygians has been debated, and not all modern
scholars accept it. Herodotus noted it, amongst others which include
Strabo, referring to the tribe there as being known as the Bryges
(Brygi or Briges) until it had crossed into Anatolia. After that
the name became Phryges - the same Greek word (and not the Phrygian
native name) but with a change in pronunciation which hints at a
level of influence from a new interaction, perhaps with already-settled
Indo-Europeans in the region such as the Luwians. Appian at least
did not regard the Bryges as Illyrians, unlike the people who dominated
that region for much of the first millennium BC. Despite attempting
to remain in the Balkans when part of their number had already left,
the Bryges were soon displaced by the incoming Taulantii. Not heard
of again, perhaps they followed the migration route to join the
rest of their compatriots in Anatolia.
The
main migration supposedly took place immediately after the Trojan
War - placing it directly into the time of the major migration shift
from the Balkans into Greece. However, the Phrygian migration is
likely to have started earlier, perhaps after about 1450 BC, and
consisted of gradual advances by small groups of people rather then
being one mass movement that crashed its way into Anatolia. Greek
writer Conon places its start ninety years before the Trojan War
while the earliest written source, Homer, has the Phrygians already
in place, and allied to Troy.
There was clearly an established tradition in place concerning an
early Phrygian arrival, of at least a couple of generations prior
to the war.
Largely
moving towards western central Anatolia, the early Phrygians settled
a region that is a little way inland from the north-western corner
of Anatolia, bordering Mysia
and the Troad to their
west. Linguistically, they bore some relationship to the Armenians
who later occupied the mountains on the northern edge of Mesopotamia,
and also with the Thracians, who remained on the European side of
the Bosphorus. The Assyrians possibly knew these Phrygians as the
Mušku or Mushki, a name that first appeared in Assyrian records
in the twelfth and eleventh centuries BC when it was the Mušku
who were penetrating into the Upper Tigris. The link between Phrygians
and Mušku has been as hotly debated in recent years as the
claim of Phrygians originating in the Balkans. Kopanias in his 2015
work points out the Arzawan country of Maša or Masha which
is mentioned in Hittite texts, which could well have become Phrygian
territory if the Mašans (probably Mysians) were forced westwards
by their arrival, with the result that the Mušku were Phrygians
of the Masha country specifically (taking into account changes in
pronunciation between Hittite rule and that of the Phrygians).
If
they had indeed arrived early enough, the Phrygians could have been
involved along with the nearby Kaskans
in the final fall of the Hittite empire. With that gone the region
suffered a power vacuum which the Phrygians seem to have been best
placed to fill when it came to inland territories. Thereafter, they
found themselves bordered to the south-west by the neo-Hittite kingdom
of Maeonia,
with Mysia and the rest of the Troad forming part of their extended
territory. The Mysians especially seem to have enjoyed close relations
with the Phrygians, while the Mygdonians were often equated directly
with the Phrygians and only disappeared later in history, probably
having been absorbed by the Phrygians. A recognisably unified kingdom
emerged by the eighth century BC, while no less than two lines of
kings from Greek legend predates that.
![](Phrygia_MountOlympus01_long.jpg)
(Information
by Peter Kessler and Edward Dawson, with additional information
from The Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from Europe Before
History, Kristian Kristiansen, from A Dictionary of Greek and Roman
Biography and Mythology, William Smith (Ed), from An Historical
Geography of Europe, Norman J G Pounds (Abridged Version), from
The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the
Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, David W Anthony, from
History of Humanity - Scientific and Cultural Development: From
the Third Millennium to the Seventh Century BC (Vol II), Ahmad Hasan
Dani, Jean-Pierre Mohen, J L Lorenzo, & V M Masson (Unesco 1996),
from The Iliad, Homer (Translated by E V Rieu, Penguin Books, 1963),
and from External Links: Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Geography,
Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online
Edition), and Massive migration from the steppe was a source for
Indo-European languages in Europe (Nature), and Indo-European Etymological
Dictionary, J Pokorny, and The Mushki/Phrygian problem from the
Near Eastern point of view (NOSTOI. Indigenous Culture, Migration
and Integration in the Aegean Islands and Western Anatolia during
the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age (Proceedings of the International
Conference Istanbul 2011, ? Stampolides, C Maner, & K Kopanias
(Eds, Istanbul: Koç University Press, 2015).)
c.1450
BC :
If this approximate date for the arrival of Phrygians in Anatolia
is remotely accurate then that arrival predates the climate-induced
drought and crop collapse at the end of the thirteenth century BC.
Food supplies dwindle and the number of raids by various patchwork
groups who have banded together greatly increases until, by about
1200 BC, this flood has turned into a tidal wave of destruction,
abandonment, and migration.
![Map of Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Greece 1200 BC](Map_EasternEurope1200BC_full.jpg)
Climate-induced
drought in the thirteenth century BC created great instability in
the entire eastern Mediterranean region, resulting in mass migration
in the Balkans, as well as the fall of city states and kingdoms
further east
The
same climate-induced hardships also hit the descendants of Indo-European
settlers along the Danube and in Romania, descendants who have already
expanded into the northern Balkans. They begin to migrate southwards
in search of food and better circumstances, perhaps also helped
on by the growing dominance of the Urnfield
culture (in the local form of the Gava culture) to their north.
The proto-Thracians take the south-eastern corner of the Balkans.
The proto-Phrygians take a similar route but carry on going until
they have crossed into Anatolia - possibly following an already-established
route. Greek writer Conan has Phrygians arriving in Anatolia around
the 1270s BC, while Homer suggests that they are settled and part
of the establishment by the time of the Trojan Wars, and
therefore must have arrived at least a couple of generations beforehand
- a date which must be close to the 1270s BC. A tradition of an
early arrival clearly exists.
c.1220
BC :
Phineas of Thrace is rescued from an island which is apparently
part of Phrygia. He is being plagued there by harpies, but is saved
by Jason of Iolkos during the latter's quest for the Golden Fleece.
This episode serves to introduce Trojan-era Phrygia to history,
although how historical such a kingdom may be is highly questionable.
Dymas
: His dau, Hecuba, m Priam of Troy.
fl
c.1200 BC :
In Greek mythology, Dymas marries his daughter, Hecuba, to Priam,
king of Troy, while (according to Homer) his son, Asius, fights
and dies in the Trojan War. Dymas and his Phrygian subjects
are closely connected to the River Sangarius, which empties into
the Black Sea. This not only indicates their location in western
central Anatolia - it remains a central part of the later historical
kingdom.
fl
c.1180s BC :
Asius
: Son.
fl
c.1180s BC :
Ascanius
: A Phrygian leader. Killed at Troy.
c.1193
- 1183 BC :
Prince Asius leads the Phrygian contingent from remote Ascania to
the Trojan War on the side of Troy. He is accompanied by
fellow commanders Ascanius and Phorcys. The latter is killed by
Ajax, while Ascanius, son of Aretaon, may be the brother of Phorcys
(Greek myth is unclear and contradictory here). This Aretaon may
be the same one who is killed at Troy by Teucer of Cyprus. Asius
survives the war.
![Map of Anatolia at the time of the Trojan War](Map1200BC_full.jpg)
Troy's
various regional allies at the time of the Trojan War are shown
here, many of which are only mentioned in later works by Homer,
Herodotus, and other Greek chroniclers
Tantalus
begins what would seem to be a parallel line of kings in Phrygia,
although Greek myths are hopelessly muddled and contradictory in
these matters. He supposedly rules a generation or two before the
fall of Troy, and his descendant Mygdon rules immediately before.
This Tantalus seems not to be the same as the Tantalus of Maeonia,
while Mygdon governs a group known as the Mygdonians who
are often linked closely to the Phrygians. A solution would be to
divide Phrygia into two or more tribal regions at this time, each
with its own kingship and presence in The Iliad.
fl
c.1250 BC :
Tantalus
: Father of Daskylos, a king of Mysia.
Tantalus is possibly the father of Daskylos, a king of Mysia in
Greek mythology or a tribal leader of the Mariandyni. The estimated
dating for both kingdoms would seem to match up well enough for
this indeed to be the case. Daskylos attempts to marry one of his
sons to the king of Troy, although the boy is killed on his way
to the city. The Mysians would appear either to be recent arrivals
in the region or have recently founded their own kingdom following
the Hittite collapse, just like the Phrygians, and are no doubt
attempting to cement their position.
Teuphrant
Teleph
Tarhont
Acmon
: Eponymous founder of the region of Acmonia.
Mygdon
/ Migdon : Son. Father of Coroebus.
fl
c.1190 BC :
The name of the Mygdonians is often used synonymously with that
of the Phrygians, and Homer refers to the leader of the Phrygians
as Mygdon. According to Stephanus Byzantius, Mygdonia had been the
name of a district in the later Great Phrygia and also in Macedonia.
At a later time the Mygdonians disappear from history, probably
being absorbed by the Phrygians.
![Phrygian costume](Phrygia_Costume01_full.jpg)
This
relatively recent view shows Phrygian costume at the height of the
later kingdom's power, as attested by surviving visual records,
especially of the peaked cap
?
- 1183 BC :
Curtius
: The last Trojan-era king? Killed at Troy.
The line of kings seems to end with Curtius and his death at Troy
while defending Cassandra, or at least is not recorded past this
point. The reason could be one of quite a few options, starting
with the fact that the entire Near East is entering a dark age at
this point, with written records from Anatolia already having dried
up. The Phrygians may indeed arrive after the Trojan War
to claim the area and perhaps put paid to the last of these Trojan-era
kings, or this early - perhaps Phrygian - nobility is subsumed by
later, stronger arrivals and a rebuilt kingdom of Phrygia takes
time to emerge into history.
Phrygia
:
The early Phrygians settled a region that is a little way inland
from the north-western corner of Anatolia, bordering Mysia and the
Troad to their west. The Assyrians possibly knew these Phrygians
as the Muku, a name that first appeared in Assyrian records in
the twelfth and eleventh centuries BC when it was the Muku who
were penetrating into the Upper Tigris. The link is contentious,
but Sargon II actually names the Muku king as Mita, a name which
is very close to the Midas of Greek texts and a king who was involved
in several attacks against Assyrian targets.
The earliest Phrygian king known to history is Gordios I. Given
the dates for his descendant, King Midas III, his own rule may have
taken place around the 820s BC, give or take a decade or so. Both
Gordios and Midas, or Mita, are Luwian names, showing that the Phrygians
either picked up on some Luwian cultural and linguistic traits -
and possibly intermarried with whatever surviving Luwian nobility
remained after the fall of Hattusa - or that the Luwian elements
took control of the arriving Phrygians and remained dominant.
(Information by Peter Kessler with additional information from The
Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from A Dictionary of
Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, William Smith (Ed),
from An Historical Geography of Europe, Norman J G Pounds
(Abridged Version), and from External Links: Metropolitan
Museum of Art, and Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton &
W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online Edition), and The Mushki/Phrygian
problem from the Near Eastern point of view (NOSTOI. Indigenous
Culture, Migration and Integration in the Aegean Islands and Western
Anatolia during the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age (Proceedings
of the International Conference Istanbul 2011, Ν Stampolides,
C Maner, & K Kopanias (Eds, Istanbul: Koç University Press,
2015).)
fl
c.820s? BC :
Gordios
I : First historical Phrygian king. Luwian name.
Midas
I : Another Luwian name.
Gordios
II
Midas
II
Gordios
III
c.740
BC :
The Great Tumulus of Gordion is long thought to be the burial mound
of Midas (he of the fantastic fortune in gold). It is even called
MM (Midas Mound) by the excavators who uncover it. But the dendrochronological
analysis of the wooden beams used to cover the burial chamber later
shows that it is constructed around 740 BC, very close to the presumed
date of death of Gordios III. The tumulus contains rich finds which
demonstrate the existence of contacts with Assyria, although these
are not attested in written sources. In particular, the bronze vessels
used for drinking wine at the deceased's funeral and subsequently
buried with him attest to the shared elite culture: like privileged
Assyrians all over the empire, the people of Gordion use animal-headed
buckets to serve wine, and so-called omphalos bowls to drink
it from, during large feasts.
738
- 695 BC :
Midas
III / Mita : Possessor of 'The Midas Touch'. Committed
suicide.
c.730s
BC :
Midas conquers several fortresses in western Que. The act seems
to go unpunished by the Assyrians who are Que's overlords, possibly
because Tiglath-Pileser III is heavily involved in campaigns in
Syria. This may be one of the earliest incidents to involve Midas
as a significant nuisance factor for Assyria.
722
BC :
At the time Sargon's accession as ruler of the Assyrian empire,
the use of Muku certainly refers to the Phrygians. The trade connections
that are evident from the previous few decades probably continue
throughout this period.
715
BC :
Despite sharing culinary and aesthetic tastes, Assyria and Phrygia
are on bad terms. Although there are no relevant sources prior to
Sargon's reign, his own inscriptions describe Midas of Phrygia as
having long been a thorn in the empire's side, having never submitted
to Sargon's predecessors and refusing diplomatic contacts. Now,
Sargon's army conquers some fortresses in western Que which Midas
of Phrygia had taken 'very long ago', indicating that Midas must
have been in power for some time. This campaign results in an Assyrian
foray deep into Phrygia but does not stop Midas from his continuing
intervention in Que and Tabal.
714
- 713 BC :
Much to Sargon's shock, while the main Assyrian army is occupied
in the east, probably in Elamite lands, Ambaris of Tabal allies
himself with Midas of Phrygia and Rusa of Urartu as well as the
local Tabalean rulers in an attempt to invade Que. Sargon reacts
quickly, invading Tabal and capturing Ambaris, his family and the
nobles of his country, all of whom are taken to Assyria. Tabal is
annexed as an Assyrian province. Sargon is noted for using Cimmerians
within his army on this campaign, possibly for their knowledge of
the Urartuan hills as much as their ability as mounted warriors.
Cimmerians have been raiding into Anatolia and Mesopotamia for decades.
711
BC :
The creation of the province of Tabal has only further escalated
the situation and Assyria now finds itself at war with assorted
Tabalean principalities and Phrygia, and moreover increasingly on
the losing side. Despite huge investments in the protection of the
new border, including the fortification of Til-Garimmu (modern Gürün)
and the construction of the so-called Cappadocian Wall, the province
of Tabal is now lost, never to be retaken.
![Bronze figurines from Phrygia or Caria](Phrygia_Figurines01_full.jpg)
Bronze
figurines from Phrygia or Caria between the eighth to sixth centuries
BC, depicting western or central Anatolians of this period, from
left to right, a naked man in pointed cap, and two trumpeters also
in pointed caps
695
- 626 BC :
Phrygia loses the territory of Pergamum
to Lydia
about 695 BC, seemingly upon the defeat and suicide of King Midas
III. Five years later, nomadic Cimmerian warriors overrun Phrygia
and sack the capital, Gordion. However, this Cimmerian sacking is
also stated to be the cause of Midas committing suicide, so the
situation seems to be mildly confused. Either way, Lydia becomes
the dominant power in western Anatolia whilst Phrygia is eclipsed.
695
- 670 BC :
Gordios
IV
c.670
BC :
Midas
IV
c.645
- 614 BC :
In
conjunction with Urartu, it seems that Phrygia (or at least its
Cimmerian masters) supports anti-Assyrian rebellions in northern
Syria and southern Anatolia.
c.626
- 590 BC :
Lydia seizes control of the kingdom.
c.590
- 570 BC :
Midas
V : Partially invented by Herodotus.
c.570
- 546 BC :
Gordios
V
549
- 547 BC :
The
Persian defeat of the Medes opens the floodgates for Cyrus with
a wave of conquests, beginning with Cilicia in 549 BC. Harpagus,
a Median of the royal house and the main cause of the defeat of
the Medes, commands Cyrus' army in Anatolia, conquering it between
547-546 BC. Taken during this campaign are Karkâ
(Caria), Lycia,
Lydia,
Paphlagonia,
Phrygia, and Tabal (Cappadocia), and Harpagus and his descendants
reign thereafter in Karkâ and Lycia as satraps of the empire, normally
within the satrapy of Karkâ.
Pharnacid
(Persian) Satraps of Phrygia (Daskyleion) :
The attempt in 549 BC by the kingdom of Lydia to invade Anatolian
lands which now belonged to the Persian empire saw an appropriate
Persian response. Cyrus the Great invaded Lydia and crushed it,
and then proceeded to capture the rest of Anatolia too. The kingdom
of Phrygia and the minor city states of Caria also fell between
549-546 BC. Following that, a Persian layer of administration was
introduced to replace the lost kingships.
The new great satrapy of Sparda initially controlled not only the
land of the former kingdom of Lydia, but also Katpatuka which had
been the initial target of Lydia's aggression, the reason that Lydia
had been conquered in the first place. More specifically, the great
satrapy of Sparda consisted of the central minor satrapy of Lydia
around its capital of Sardis, and the more peripheral minor satrapies
of Hellespontine Phrygia, Greater Phrygia, Karkâ,
and Skudra (the last of these between 512-479 BC at which time Persian
control was shrugged off there). The Ionian and Aeolian regions
did not strike the Persians as clearly defined geopolitical entities,
with the result that various descriptions are used for them. The
former kingdom and now-region of Mysia itself was rarely important
enough to warrant many further mentions in history, but subsequent
references to it are handled under the satraps of Sparda.
A reorganisation of about 480 BC seems to have given Phrygia more
self-control, although it remained divided into Hellespontine Phrygia
(satraps shown below in red) and Greater
Phrygia. The capital of Hellespontine Phrygia was at Daskyleion
(also shown as Dascylium), near modern day Ergili in Turkey and
about thirty kilometres from the coast of the Propontis. Probably
founded by the Phrygians, the town was lost to history until archaeologists
rediscovered it in 1952. A governor (satrap) was appointed to oversee
control of the Phrygian territories, but if this happened during
the early days, when the two Phrygias were minor satrapies of Sparda,
then there seems to be little record of its satraps. Selected for
the post around 480 BC was Artabazus, a member of the Iranian Pharnacid
family and the son of its founder, Pharnaces I. The family was directly
related to the ruling Achaemenids themselves via Arsames, father
of Pharnaces, a possible Persian king in his own right. Artabazus
had served as a commander in Greece during Xerxes ill-fated campaign
in 480-479 BC before gaining the post at Daskyleion.
The geographical area of the Hellespontine Phrygia satrapy can be
defined fairly exactly by reference to the cities attested as falling
under the authority of its satrap, especially Pharnabazus in the
second half of the fifth century BC. Located in the north-western
corner of Anatolia, and sometimes referred to as Lesser Phrygia,
to the south its territory reached Pergamum and Gordium. In the
east the province included Bithynia and bordered on Paphlagonia.
Mysia was included within its area of authority, but was autonomous
as a subordinate administrative unit. Governed by a local dynasty,
each successive ruler had to gain approval from Daskyleion.
The minor satrapy of Greater Phrygia in the south also included
Lycaonia, Pisidia, and Pamphylia,
and reached as far as the sea. This can be deduced from appointments
made in Alexander's time, in the context of which Pamphylia and
Greater Phrygia were again managed together. The coastal area of
Greater Phrygia extended from the region between Celenderis and
Coracesium in the east to Phaselis in the west. The course of the
border from the latter point into the interior is largely uncertain,
although Colossae was definitely still in Greater Phrygia. Further
north the province was adjacent to Lydia. Indications about the
province's northern border come from the facts that Gordium was
already in Hellespontine Phrygia, whereas Ancyra was south of the
Paphlagonian border. In the east the River Halys marked the frontier
that further south met the Taurus ranges and followed them westwards
around the edge of Khilakku.
(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from
The Persian Empire, J M Cook (1983), from The Histories,
Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from Anabasis Alexandri, Arrian
of Nicomedia, from Ctesias' Persica in its Near Eastern Context,
Matt Waters, from Beiträge zur Geschichte und Sage von Iran,
J Markwart (Marquart) (ZDMG 49, 1895, in German), from Alexander
the Great, Krzysztof Nawotka (Cambridge Scholars Publishing,
2009), and from External Link: Encyclopaedia Iranica.)
547
- 546 BC :
The defeat of the Medes opens the floodgates for Cyrus the Great
with a wave of conquests, beginning with Cilicia in 549 BC. Harpagus,
a Median of the royal house and the main cause of the Median defeat,
commands Cyrus' army in Anatolia, conquering it between 547-546
BC. Taken during this campaign are Armenia, Caria, Lycia, Lydia,
Paphlagonia, Phrygia, and Tabal (Cappadocia), and Harpagus and his
descendants reign thereafter in the satrapy of Karkâ (Caria) and
Lykia (Lycia), and apparently Khilakku too, as satraps. Harpagus
also takes on the satrapy of Sparda following the death of its satrap
around 544 BC.
![Cyrus the Great](Persia_CyrusGreat_01_full.jpg)
Cyrus
the Great freed the Indo-Iranian Parsua people from Median domination
to establish a nation that is recognisable to this day, and an empire
that provided the basis for the vast territories that were later
ruled by Alexander the Great
? - c.520 BC :
Mitrobates
: Satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia. Removed. Province seized.
c.520 BC :
Oroetus, satrap of Sparda, has remained entirely unmoved during
the many revolts against the new Persian king, Darius, providing
neither help nor hindrance. However, he has already lured Polycrates,
tyrant of the island of Samos, to his death and now takes the opportunity
to avenge an insult by removing Mitrobates, satrap of Hellespontine
Phrygia, and seizing the province for himself. When Darius sends
him orders Oroetus kills the messenger, so Darius dispatches a 'volunteer',
Bagaeus, who assassinates the rogue satrap.
c.520
BC :
Oroetus
/ Oroites : Satrap of Sparda. Seized Phrygia. Assassinated.
c.520 - ? BC :
Ariaramnes?
: Satrap of Katpatuka? Not verified.
513 BC :
Ariaramnes is claimed by the unreliable Ctesias as satrap of Katpatuka
while Herodotus, who is very reliable on Anatolia, does not mention
him. The claim is that Darius orders Ariaramnes to cross the Black
Sea to conduct a preliminary reconnaissance of the Scythian territories
there. Ariaramnes brings back prisoners which include the brother
of the Scythian king, and the resultant protests give Darius his
excuse to go to war in Scythia. It is possible that Ariaramnes is
instead based in Hellespontine Phrygia, as Katpatuka may not even
be a satrapy at this time.
c.510 - ? BC :
Bagabadush
/ Megabazus : First cousin to Darius I. Satrap of Daskyleion.
c.510 BC :
This Megabazus has successfully commanded the Persian forces in
the west and is subsequently granted the satrapy of Daskyleion
(Hellespontine Phrygia, as noted by Herodotus). It could also be
the Bagabadush (the Old Persian form of his Greek-translated name)
who had previously been satrap in Gadara
and Harahuwatish,
and possibly Thatagush
too.
![Darius the Great of Persia](Persia_DariusI_01_full.jpg)
The
central relief of the North Stairs of the Apadana in Persepolis,
now in the Archaeological Museum in Tehran, shows Darius I (the
Great) on his royal throne (External Link: Creative Commons Licence
4.0 International)
by 493 - ? BC :
Oibares
/ Oebares : Son. Satrap of Daskyleion.
? BC :
Megabates
: Brother. Satrap of Daskyleion. Previously in Gandhara?
c.480s
BC :
This Megabates, son of Megabazus, would seem to be the same as the
Megabates who, perhaps two decades before, had been satrap of Gandhara,
Harahuwatish, and Paricania in the east of the empire. He is father
to another Megabazus who in 480 BC is one of the Persian fleet commanders
during the campaign against the Greek states. While Herodotus appears
not to know where to place Paricania (attributing it to 'Asiatic
Ethiopians'), Arrian links it with the Ichthyophagi and Oritans
of Gedrosia.
c.480
- 450 BC :
Artabazus
I / Artabazos / Irdumazda : Son of Pharnaces of Persis.
Satrap of Phrygia.
Artabazus is the son of Pharnaces (Pharnakes, or Old Persian Parnaka),
who is the brother of Hystaspes, satrap of Parthawa and father of
Darius the Great according to Darius' own Behistun inscription.
It is Artabazus who turns the satrapy at Daskyleion into an hereditary
post which is held by his descendants - the Pharnacids. In 521 BC,
Darius kills the usurper Gaumata (Smerdis) and seizes control of
the Persian empire. Hystaspes and Pharnaces are the sons of Arsames
(Arshama), son of Ariaramnes, son of Teispes, son of Achaemenes,
founder of the Parsua dynasty in Persis.
![Phrygian caps](Phrygia_Caps01_full.jpg)
A
mosaic dated to about AD 565 in the Byzantine style shows the Magi
(named as Balthassar, Melchor, and Caspar) in Persian attire with
so-called Phrygian caps (possibly the same thing as the loose caps
that Herodotus called tiaras)
Ariaramnes
and Arsames have been assumed to be a junior (cadet) line of the
royal house, although their spans would seem to be rather long for
the age in which they lived. Darius claims that both Hystaspes and
Arsames are alive when he becomes king (as is Pharnaces, who becomes
the king's chancellor in Persis). Whilst this is possible for Hystaspes,
could he be speaking figuratively in terms of Arsames? If he is
indeed alive, he would be very old indeed, possibly approaching
a hundred.
c.450
- 430 BC :
Pharnabazus
I / Parnadumazda : Son. Served with father before possibly
succeeding.
c.430
- 420 BC :
Pharnaces
II / Parnaka : Son. (Pharnaces I was chancellor of Persis.)
c.420
- 387 BC :
Pharnabazus
II : Son.
387
- 363 BC :
Ariobarzanus
/ Arayabardumazda : Former aide. Rebelled, replaced in
363 BC, and executed.
367
- 360 BC :
Ariobarzanus joins Datames, satrap of Khilakku and Katpatuka, in
revolt against Artaxerxes II. Autophradates, satrap of Sparda, is
ordered to suppress the rebellion and he manages to expel Ariobarzanes
from the greater part of his satrapy. In 365 BC, Athens sends thirty
ships and 8,000 mercenaries to aid Ariobarzanus. He rewards Athens
with the gift of Sestos and Crithote, cities on the Thracian Chersonesus.
In 364 BC, Mithridates (sometimes shown as Mehrdad), a son of Ariobarzanus,
occupies Heracleia, the most important Greek city on the Black Sea
coast. Soon all of Asia Minor (Anatolia) revolts against Artaxerxes
II and, in 362 BC, even Autophradates is driven to join the rebels.
Sparta, and also Takhôs, pharaoh of Egypt, send substantial help
to the rebels. Two years later, having already been replaced as
satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia, in 360 BC Ariobarzanes is betrayed
by his son, Mithridates, and is executed.
![Phrygian horseman attacking a Greek psiloi](Phrygia_Horseman300sBC_01_full.jpg)
Turkey's
Çanakkale Archaeological Museum contains the Altıkulaç Sarcophagus
which depicts a Phrygian horseman of the early fourth century BC
attacking a floored Greek psiloi (skirmisher)
363
- 353 BC :
Artabazus
/ Artabazos II : Son of Pharnabazus? Satrap of Bactria
(329-328 BC). Executed.
353/352 BC :
Artabazus II falls out with Artaxerxes III and takes refuge at the
court of Philip II of Macedonia. When Artabazus discovers Philip's
designs to invade Persia, he returns there with his family, is pardoned,
and is enrolled amongst the closest companions of the great king.
His sons are given distinguished commands, with one son, Ariobarzanes,
becoming satrap of part of Persis until 331 BC (at least, according
to Arrian of Nicomedia, who calls him 'satrap' of Persis).
353
- 333 BC :
Arsites
: Satrap of Paphlagonia. Non-Pharnacid. Committed suicide.
333
- 320 BC :
Pharnabazus
III : Son of Artabazus. Continued to oppose Alexander for
a time.
334 BC :
Alexander the Great launches his campaign into the Persian empire
by crossing the Dardanelles. The first battle is fought on the River
Graneikos (Granicus), eighty kilometres (fifty miles) to the east.
The Persian defeat forces Arsites to commit suicide while the region
is incorporated into Alexander's growing Greek empire. Sparda surrenders
but Karkâ's satrap holds out in the fortress of Halicarnassus with
the Persian General Memnon. The fortress is blockaded and Alexander
moves on to fight the Lykian mountain folk during the winter when
they cannot take refuge in those mountains. Calas is made satrap
of Hellespontine Phrygia while Greater Phrygia is handed to Antigonus.
Argead
Dynasty in Phrygia :
The
Argead were the ruling family and founders of Macedonia who reached
their greatest extent under Alexander the Great and his two successors
before the kingdom broke up into several Hellenic sections. Following
Alexander's conquest of the Persian holdings in Anatolia and Syria
between 334-331 BC, the Greek empire ruled the region until Alexander's
death in 323 BC and the subsequent regency period which ended in
310 BC. Alexander's successors held no real power, being mere figureheads
for the generals who really held control of Alexander's empire.
Following that latter period and during the course of several wars,
Anatolia was divided between Cassander of Macedonia, the Lysimachian
empire, and the Antigonid empire.
Formerly overseen by the Persians of the satrapy of Sparda, Phrygia
had been divided into two minor provinces, those of Hellespontine
Phrygia (also known as Lesser Phrygia) and Greater Phrygia. The
latter was even more minor than the former. A reorganisation of
about 480 BC seems to have given Phrygia more self-control, although
it remained divided. The capital of Hellespontine Phrygia was at
Daskyleion (also shown as Dascylium), near modern day Ergili in
Turkey and about thirty kilometres from the coast of the Propontis.
Greater Phrygia in the south also included Lycaonia, Pisidia, and
Pamphylia, and reached as far as the sea. It was here, at Celaenae,
the capital of Greater Phrygia, that Alexander settled the satrapal
succession by placing Calas in command of Hellespontine Phrygia
and Antigonus Monophthalmus in Greater Phrygia.
(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from
The Persian Empire, J M Cook (1983), from The Histories,
Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from Anabasis Alexandri, Arrian
of Nicomedia, from Ctesias' Persica in its Near Eastern Context,
Matt Waters, from Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and
Mythology, William Smith (Ed, 1867), from Beiträge zur Geschichte
und Sage von Iran, J Markwart (Marquart) (ZDMG 49, 1895, in
German), from Alexander the Great, Krzysztof Nawotka (Cambridge
Scholars Publishing, 2009), and from External Link: Encyclopaedia
Iranica.)
334
- 323 BC :
Alexander III the Great : King of Macedonia. Conquered
Persia.
323 - 317 BC :
Philip
III Arrhidaeus : Feeble-minded half-brother of Alexander
the Great.
317 - 310 BC :
Alexander
IV of Macedonia : Infant son of Alexander the Great and
Roxana.
334
- 323 BC :
Calas
: Greek satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia & Paphlagonia.
Died?
334
- 323 BC :
Antigonus
Monophthalmus (One Eye) : Greek satrap of Greater Phrygia.
Gained Lycia & Pamphylia.
332 - 331 BC :
Balacrus, son of Nicanor, satrap of Cilicia, is killed fighting
the herdsman inhabitants of Isaura and Laranda, possibly in support
of Antigonus Monophthalmus who is campaigning in Lycaonia. This
mountainous region near Caria has long been at odds with the more
placid farming communities of the Colician plain, with the two groups
even coming to blows in the fourth century BC (and probably earlier).
Even now the Isaurians remain unbowed and undefeated.
![Map of Central Asia & Eastern Mediterranean 334-323 BC](Map_Bactria-&-India-334-324BC_full.jpg)
The
route of Alexander's ongoing campaigns are shown in this map, with
them leading him from Europe to Egypt, into Persia, and across the
vastness of eastern Iran as far as the Pamir mountain range
323
- 322 BC :
Leonnatus
: Greek satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia. Killed in action.
323
- 322 BC :
Following the death of Alexander the Great, Leonnatus is appointed
satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia. Then, a coalition of Greek cities
springs up with the intention of detaching Greece from the Macedonians,
including Athens and the Aetolian League.
Despite
two impressive victories in battle on land, the allies are undone
when the Athenian navy fails to secure control of the seas. The
Macedonians are able to bring in reinforcements and the war ends
in victory for the Macedonians
and their Boeotian allies. General Leonnatus has been killed in
the process of gaining it, however, so Lysimachus gains this territory
in the subsequent settlement of titles.
322
- 301 BC :
Lysimachus
: Greek satrap of all Phrygia & Thrace.
315 BC :
Eumenes is defeated in Asia and is murdered by his own troops, and
Seleucus is forced to flee Babylon by Antigonus. The result is that
Cassander controls the European territories (including Macedonia),
while the Antigonids
control those in Asia (Asia Minor, centred on Lycia and extending
as far as Susiana), and also temporarily some of the eastern territories,
including Aria, Drangiana,
and Parthia, where Stasander is removed from office and replaced
by Euitus.
![Eumenes of Cardia](Macedonia_Eumenes01_full.jpg)
Eumenes
of Cardia, Macedonian general and one of Alexander the Great's 'successors'
between whom a series of wars were fought
305 - 301 BC :
During the Fourth War of the Diadochi, the diadochi
generals proclaim themselves king of their respective domains following
a similar proclamation by Antigonus the year before. In 302 BC,
Lysimachus enters western Asia Minor, governed as part of Greater
Phrygia, and gains (or regains) control of much of it. Following
the death of Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC, his territories
are carved up by the other diadochi. As part of his Lysimachian
empire, Lysimachus gains Ionia, Lydia, Phrygia, and the southern
Black Sea coast of Asia Minor.
Source
:
https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/
KingListsMiddEast/AnatoliaPhrygia.htm
#Argeads