Aspathines

Aspathines on the tomb of Darius I.[1]

Aspathines (Old Persian: 𐎠𐎿𐎱𐎨𐎴𐎠 Aspacanāʰ; Ancient Greek: Ἀσπαθίνης Aspathínēs) (born and died sometime between 550 BC and 450BC) was a senior official under Darius the Great and Xerxes I of Persia.[2]

Aspathines is illustrated on the tomb of Darius I at Naqsh-e Rostam, with a dedication:[3]

Aspacanâ \ vaçabara \ Dârayavahauš \ xš
âyathiyahyâ \ isuvâm \ dârayatiy
Aspathines, the bowbearer,
holds king Darius' battle-axe.

— DNd inscription of Darius at Naqsh-e Rostam.[4][3]

The only other courtier to be named with a dedication was Gobryas.[3]

Aspathines had a son names Prexaspes, who became an Admiral in the navy of Xerxes during the Second Persian invasion of Greece.[5]

  1. ^ Aspathines - Livius.
  2. ^ "ASPAČANĀ", Encyclopedia Iranica
  3. ^ a b c Kuhrt, Amélie (2013). The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources from the Achaemenid Period. Routledge. p. 450. ISBN 9781136017025.
  4. ^ DNd - Livius.
  5. ^ Aspathines - Livius.