Arbinas | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Arbinas wearing the satrapal headdress, from his coinage. | |
| Native name | Erbinas |
| Allegiance | .svg) Achaemenid Empire |
| Rank | Satrap |
Arbinas, alsoErbinas,Erbbina, was aLycian Dynast who ruled circa 430/20-400 BCE. He is most famous for his tomb, theNereid Monument, now on display in theBritish Museum.[1] Coinage seems to indicate that he ruled in the western part of Lycia, aroundTelmessos, while his tomb was established inXanthos.[2] He was a subject of theAchaemenid Empire.[3]
He was the son of the previous Lycian kingKheriga.[4] On his inscriptions, Erbinas is described as atyrannos, and "the man who rules over the Lycians".[4]
It seems the Lycia kingdom started to disintegrate during the rule of Arbinas, as numerous smaller rulers started to mint coinage throughout Lycia during his reign and after.[3]
His monumental tomb, theNereid Monument, now in theBritish Museum, was the main inspiration for the famousMausoleum at Halicarnassus.[5] Using the design of aGreek Temple for the building of a tomb was unheard of in mainland Greece. According to Melanie Michailidis, though bearing a "Greek appearance", the Nereid Monument, theHarpy Tomb and theTomb of Payava were built according mainZoroastrian criteria "by being composed of thick stone, raised on plinths off the ground, and having single windowless chambers".[6] The Nereid Monument was the main inspiration for the famousMausoleum at Halicarnassus.[5]
Rulers in theAchaemenid Empire | ||
|---|---|---|
Family tree - Achaemenid Kingdom | ||
| Kings of Kings of theAchaemenid Empire |  | |
| Satraps ofLydia | ||
| Satraps ofHellespontine Phrygia | ||
| Satraps ofCappadocia | ||
| Greek Governors ofAsia Minor cities | ||
| Dynasts ofLycia | ||
| Dynasts ofCaria | ||
| Kings ofMacedonia | ||
| Kings of Tyre | ||
| Kings of Sidon |
| |
| Satraps ofArmenia | ||
| Satraps ofEgypt | ||
| Satraps ofBactria | ||
| Satraps ofMedia | ||
| Satraps ofCilicia | ||
| Other known satraps | ||
In most territories, Achaemenid rulers were succeeded byHellenistic satraps andHellenistic rulers from around 330 BC | ||