Megabazus

Megabazus
Megabazus was son of Megabates.
Native name	Bakabadus
Allegiance	Achaemenid Empire
Battles/wars	European Scythian campaign of Darius I Darius' Thracian campaign Unknown others
Children	Megabates Oebares II Bubares Pherendates
Relations	Megabates(father)

Macedonians were part of the Achaemenid army after the submission obtained by Megabazus. The "Ionians with shield-hats" (Old Persian cuneiform:𐎹𐎢𐎴𐎠𐏐𐎫𐎣𐎲𐎼𐎠,Yaunā takabarā)depicted on the tomb ofXerxes IatNaqsh-e Rustam,were probably Macedonian soldiers in the service of theAchaemenid army,wearing thepetasosorkausia,c.480 BC.

Megabazus became satrap ofHellespontine Phrygia.

Megabazus(Old Persian:BagavazdāorBagabāzu,Ancient Greek:Μεγαβάζος and Μεγάβυζος), son ofMegabates,was a highly regardedPersiangeneral underDarius,to whom he was a first-degree cousin. Most of the information about Megabazus comes fromThe HistoriesbyHerodotus.

Scythian campaign (513 BC)

Megabazus led the army of the Persian KingDarius Iin 513 BC during hisEuropean Scythian campaign.After this had to be discontinued without result, Megabazos was left as commander-in-chief of an 80,000-man army in Europe, with the mission of subjugating the Greek cities on theHellespont.The Persian troops first subjugated gold-richThraceafter capturingPerinthosand the coastal Greek cities, and then defeated the powerfulPaeonians,many of whom he deported toPhrygia.

Subjugation of Macedon

Main article:Achaemenid Macedonia

Finally, Megabazus sent envoys toAmyntas I,king ofMacedon,demanding acceptance of Persian domination, which the king accepted.Megabazus received the present of "Earth and Water"from Amyntas, which symbolised submission to the Achaemenid Emperor.Amyntas then acted ashyparchtoDarius I.

Disagreements arose when the members of the Persian delegation insulting the Macedonians by fraternising with their wives. The Macedonian prince Alexander I reacted to this by murdering several Persian diplomats and their followers. The conflict was later settled with the marriage of one of Megabazus' sons,Bubares,to the Macedonian princessGygaia,a daughter of Amyntas.

After his return to Asia Minor, Megabazus received the governorship of the province (satrapy) ofHellespontine Phrygiaand was based in its capitalDaskyleion.

Rivalry with Histiaeus

Megabazus was suspicious ofHistiaeus,tyrant ofMiletus,and advised Darius to bring him to the Persian capital ofSusato keep a closer eye on him. His suspicions turned out to be well founded as Histiaeus provoked a revolt in the town of which he was formally in charge and later sided with the Greeks against Persia. The successor to Megabazus' command wasOtanes (son of Sisamnes).

Family

According to Herodotus (Herodotus 6.33)Oebareswas a son of Megabazus, and becamesatrapofDaskyleion(Hellespontine Phrygia) in 493 BC.

Megabateswas another son of Megabazus. He was a commander of the Achaemenid fleet that sailed againstNaxosin 500/499 BC. He also was Satrap ofDaskyleionin the early 470s.

Sons

• Oebares:became satrap ofDaskyleionc. 493 BC
• Bubares:managing engineer of theAthos CanalofXerxes I
• Megabates:Achaemenid fleet commander and satrap of Daskyleion
• Pherendates:died c. 485 BC while satrap of Egypt.

See also

• Megabyzus
• Megabates