Atropates (c.370 BC – after321 BC) was aPersian[1][2][3][4][5] nobleman who servedDarius III and thenAlexander III of Macedon. He made an independent kingdom. A dynasty was named after him.Diodorus Siculus calls him 'Atrapes'.Quintus Curtius wrongly names him 'Arsaces'.
At the end of theAchaemenid Empire, Atropates was governor (satrap) of the Achaemenid province ofMedia. In theBattle of Gaugamela (October331 BCE) betweenDarius and Alexander, Atropates was in charge of the Achaemenid troops ofMedia.
WhenDarius lost he went to the Median capital ofEcbatana. Atropates helped him. Darius tried to get a new army but could not. He left Ecbatana in June330 BCE. After Darius' death a month later at the hands ofBessus,[2] Atropates surrendered to Alexander. Alexander first chose Oxydates as satrap ofMedia. In 328-327 BCE Alexander did not trust in Oxydates' loyalty. Atropates was made satrap again. In 325-324, Atropates gave Baryaxes (a rebel of the area) to Alexander. Alexander thought highly of Atropates.
Alexander died on June 10,323 BCE. Atropates' new son-in-lawPerdiccas was named regent of Alexander's half-brotherPhilip III. After the "Partition of Babylon" in323 BCE,Media was divided into two parts. The greater portion in the south-east was governed byPeithon, a general ofPerdiccas. The smaller portion in the north west was given to Atropates. At some point, Atropates made his part of Media an independent kingdom. His son-in-lawPerdiccas was murdered byPeithon in the summer of320 BCE.
The dynasty Atropates made would rule the kingdom for several centuries. They became vassals of theSeleucids, then as vassals of theArsacids.
The area of Atropates' kingdom was known to the Greeks as "Media Atropatene" after Atropates. Then as simply "Atropatene". TheArsacids called it 'Aturpatakan' inParthian, as did also theSassanids. EventuallyMiddle Iranian 'Aturpatakan' became 'Azerbaijan'. This is where theRepublic of Azerbaijan and theIranian province of Azerbaijan get their name.[6]