Otanes | |
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 Otanes son of Sisamnes, according toPeter Paul Rubens. | |
| Native name | Otanes |
| Allegiance | Achaemenid Empire |
| Years of service | c. 500 BC |
| Rank | Judge, later Satrap ofLydia |
| Battles / wars | Ionian revolt |
Otanes (Old Persian:Utāna,Ancient Greek:Ὀτάνης), son ofSisamnes, was anAchaemenid judge and later Satrap ofIonia during the reign ofDarius the Great,c. 500 BC.
Otanes first replaced his father as judge, when the latter was condemned for corruption byCambyses II. He later took on military responsibilities under Darius, that led him to have an important role in suppressing theIonian Revolt. InHistories 5 (Histories 5.25-5.28),[1] Herodotus speaks of an Otanes - a son of a previously mentionedSisamnes (3.31) - who served as a judge underCambyses II and later under Darius I, who followed theEuropean Scythian campaign of Darius I, and became governor inAsia Minor:
First, however, (Darius) made Otanes governor of the people on the coast. Otanes' father Sisamnes had been one of the royal judges, and Cambyses had cut his throat and flayed off all his skin because he had been bribed to give an unjust judgment.
— Herodotus 5.25.[2]
Otanes succeededMegabazus as the governor/supreme commander of the united forces of thepeoples of the Aegean (5.26.1), and subjugatedByzantium and other cities during theIonian revolt (5.123.1, 5.116.1).
According to Herodotus:
This Otanes, then, who sat upon that seat, was now made successor to Megabazus in his governorship. He capturedByzantium,Calchedon,Antandrus in theTroad, andLamponium, and with ships he had taken from theLesbians, he tookLemnos andImbros, both of which were still inhabited byPelasgians.[1]
According toHerodotus, this Otanes also married one of Darius' daughters (5.116.1):
"Daurises, Hymaees, and Otanes, all of them Persian generals and married to daughters of Darius, pursued those Ionians who had marched to Sardis, and drove them to their ships. After this victory they divided the cities among themselves and sacked them."
— Herodotus 5.116[5]
"Otanes" is a name given to several figures that appear in theHistories ofHerodotus. One or more of these figures may be the same person.
Achaemenid Satraps ofLydia(546–334 BC) | |
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Rulers in theAchaemenid Empire | ||
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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 |
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| 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 | ||