Bardiya

Bardiya
𐎲𐎼𐎮𐎡𐎹
Portrait of the Achaemenid ruler toppled by Darius, as appearing on the Behistun inscription: he was either the legitimate Bardiya, or, as claimed by Darius, an imposter named Gaumāta.
King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire,
Pharaoh of Egypt
Reign522 BC
PredecessorCambyses II
SuccessorDarius the Great
Burial522 BC
SpousePhaedymia
IssueParmys
DynastyAchaemenid
FatherCyrus the Great
MotherCassandane
ReligionZoroastrianism

Bardiya or Smerdis (Old Persian: 𐎲𐎼𐎮𐎡𐎹[1] Bardiya;[2] Ancient Greek: Σμέρδις Smérdis;[3] possibly died 522 BCE), also named as Tanyoxarces (Old Persian: *Tanūvazraka; Ancient Greek: Τανυοξάρκης Tanuoxárkēs) by Ctesias, was a son of Cyrus the Great and the younger brother of Cambyses II, both Persian kings. There are sharply divided views on his life. Bardiya either ruled the Achaemenid Empire for a few months in 522 BCE, or was impersonated by a magus called Gaumata (Old Persian: 𐎥𐎢𐎶𐎠𐎫 Gaumāta), whose name is given by Ctesias as Sphendadates (Old Persian: *Spantadātah; Ancient Greek: Σφενδαδάτης Sphendadátēs), until he was toppled by Darius the Great.[4][2]

  1. ^ Akbarzadeh, D.; A. Yahyanezhad (2006). The Behistun Inscriptions (Old Persian Texts) (in Persian). Khaneye-Farhikhtagan-e Honarhaye Sonati. p. 59. ISBN 964-8499-05-5.
  2. ^ a b Kent, Roland G. (1950). Old Persian: Grammar, Texts, Lexicon.
  3. ^ "Bardiya | king of Persia". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  4. ^ Akbarzadeh, D.; A. Yahyanezhad (2006). The Behistun Inscriptions (Old Persian Texts) (in Persian). Khaneye-Farhikhtagan-e Honarhaye Sonati. p. 60. ISBN 964-8499-05-5.