Libya (Old Persian:𐎱𐎢𐎫𐎠𐎹,romanized: Putāyaʰ) was asatrapy of theAchaemenid Empire, that corresponded to the current region of eastern Libya (Cyrenaica), according to KingDarius I of Persia Naqshe Rustam and KingXerxes I of Persia' Daiva inscription. It is also mentioned as being part of the 6th district byHerodotus, which also includedCyrene, a Greek colony in Libya.[1]
When KingCambyses II of Persia conquered Egypt, the king of Cyrene,Arcesilaus III, sided with Persia. When he was killed trying to maintain power, QueenPheretima invited the Persians to take Cyrene. The satrap of Egypt,Aryandes, accepted, sending an army under two Persians to support Pheretime. The expedition lasted nearly a year and resulted in the subjugation of the Libyans; the Persians penetrated as far west as the Euhesperides (Benghazi). A puppet king,Battus IV, was installed, and the current region of eastern Libya (Cyrenaica) was made into a Persian satrapy. It is possible that Cyrene gained independence with the rebellion of Egypt in 404 BCE, but certainly, Achaemenid control of the region was lost afterAlexander's conquests.[2][3]
The region's integration into theAchaemenid sphere began withCambyses II’s conquest ofEgypt in 525 BCE. Recognizing the growing power of the Persians,Arcesilaus III, king ofCyrene, sought an alliance with them. However, his efforts to consolidate power within the city led to his assassination, throwing Cyrene into political turmoil. Seizing the opportunity, his mother,Queen Pheretima, called upon the Persiansatrap of Egypt,Aryandes, to restore order and avenge her son’s death.[4]
Aryandes responded with a military expedition, dispatching a force led by two Persian commanders to suppress resistance inCyrenaica. Over the course of a year, the Persians subdued the Libyan cities, reportedly advancing as far west as Euhesperides (modernBenghazi). The campaign was characterized by brutal reprisals, particularly against those who had opposed Pheretima. According toHerodotus, she exacted a horrific vengeance upon her enemies, displaying the corpses of the city's ruling elite in a gruesome spectacle ofimpalement.[5][6]
Following the conquest, thePersians installed a client ruler,Battus IV, from the established GreekBattiad dynasty, ensuring Cyrene’s subservience to the empire. The broader region ofCyrenaica was then formally incorporated as a satrapy under Achaemenid control, likely administered fromEgypt.[7][8]
The exact duration of Persian rule in Libya remains uncertain. With Egypt’s rebellion against Persian authority in 404 BCE, it is possible thatCyrene and the surrounding territories regained independence, though no definitive records confirm this.Achaemenid influence in the region came to a permanent end in the late fourth century BCE whenAlexander the Great’scampaigns dismantled Persian hegemony acrossNorth Africa and theNear East.[9]
While brief,Achaemenid rule over Libya reflected the empire’s far-reaching ambitions and its ability to extend control deep into theMediterranean world. The Persian presence in Cyrenaica left a legacy of political upheaval and cultural interactions between theGreek settlers, nativeLibyans and the imperial forces of the east.
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See alsoTaxation districts of the Achaemenid Empire(according toHerodotus) | ||