Artaxerxes III

After Artaxerxes II, his youngest son becomes Persian rulerArtaxerxes III(Old Persian Artakhshassa, which means “Owner of a righteous kingdom”), reigned from 359 to 338 BC. e.

Youngest son of Artaxerxes II and Queen Stateira.

Before ascending the throne, he bore the name Okh. Having taken the throne, Artaxerxes ordered the extermination of all his closest relatives in order to prevent any future conspiracies. On one day alone, 80 of his brothers were killed. Artaxerxes was a man of iron will and held the reins of government firmly in his hands. He energetically set about restoring the Achaemenid state within its former borders.

Revolt in Asia Minor

The reign of Artaxerxes began with the suppression of numerous revolts and uprisings in Asia Minor, Syria and other countries. The Cadusi tribe, which had once been part of the state and was now raiding Persian territories, was brought into submission. In 356 BC. e. Artaxerxes ordered the governors in Asia Minor, who behaved as independent rulers, to disband the troops. Everyone obeyed this order except the satrap of Hellespont Phrygia Artabazus, who was simultaneously the commander of all Persian troops in Asia Minor. He started a rebellion, which was soon joined by the governor of the Orontes Mission. Athens also supported the revolt of Artabazus. At first, the Athenian army, led by Chares, achieved success, but Artaxerxes threatened to march to Greece. Athens' call for Greek unity against the Persian threat received no response. In response to the Persian ultimatum, they were forced to recall Chares from Asia and recognize the independence of Chios, Kos, Rhodes and Byzantium. The rebel satraps were defeated in 352 BC. e., Orontes surrendered to the mercy of the winner, and Artabazus fled to the Macedonian king Philip.

In 350 BC. e. The Persians made an attempt to conquer Egypt, which sought to expand its influence in Syria, Palestine and Cyprus. But egyptian pharaoh Nectanebo II, having invited talented Greek commanders, the Athenian Diophantus and the Spartan Lamia, with mercenaries, successfully repelled the enemy’s onslaught.

Revolt in Phenicia

In 349 BC. e. Phoenician cities rebelled against the Persians under the leadership of King Tennes of Sidon. The rebels turned to Egypt for help. In 346 BC. e. Nectanebo II sent 4,000 Greek mercenaries at the disposal of Tennos under the command of Mentor from Rhodes. Tennes managed to defeat two Persian armies, commanded by the satrap of Zarechye, Valesius, and the governor of Cilicia, Mazeus. The rebels moved hostilities to enemy territory, and the rebellion spread to Cilicia, Judea and Cyprus. 9 Cypriot cities, led by their kings, united with each other and with the Phoenicians to repel the Persians. In 345 BC. e. Artaxerxes, at the head of a large army and a strong fleet, marched against Sidon. The Sidonians fought bravely, but due to the betrayal of their king Tennes and the commander of the Greek mercenaries Mentor, they were defeated. More than 40 thousand Sidonians died or were executed, and the rest were enslaved. King Tennes, whom Artaxerxes no longer needed, was also executed. The mentor, together with the Greek mercenaries, went into the service of the Persian king. In 344 BC. e. The rest of the Phoenician cities also stopped resisting. Phenicia was united into one satrapy with Cilicia, and Mazeus was appointed governor there. The Jews who rebelled after Sidon were punished, and some of them were resettled to Hyrcania near the Caspian Sea. In the same 344 BC. e. The uprising of the cities of Cyprus was suppressed, except for the rebellion of Pintagoras, king of Salamis, who surrendered at the beginning of 343 BC. e. and managed to retain the throne.

Subjugation of Egypt

Now it is Egypt's turn. At the end of 344 BC. e. Artaxerxes began preparations for a new invasion of Egypt. He recruited mercenaries in the Greek states (Argos, Thebes, Greeks of Asia Minor), and in the winter of 343 BC. e. with a huge army and fleet went to Egypt. The Egyptian army, also supported by a strong navy, awaited the Persians at the heavily fortified border city of Pelusium. However, the plan for the fortifications of Pelusium was given to the Persians by Mentor, who had previously been in the service of the pharaoh. The Persians diverted the flow of the ditch to another place and built embankments from which they fired at the city with siege engines. But despite this, the Egyptians continued to defend themselves staunchly. Then the Persians loaded part of the army onto ships and landed in the rear of the Egyptian army. Nectanebo II returned to Memphis, and after several days of fierce fighting, Pelusium had to be surrendered. During these battles, 5,000 Egyptian soldiers died. The same number of Greek mercenaries who defended Pelusium laid down their arms, receiving a guarantee of free return to Greece, along with all their property. The Persians began to capture the cities of the Delta. Taking advantage of the confusion in the Egyptian army, the Persians managed to lead their fleet up the Nile. The Egyptians retreated to Memphis. The Greek mercenaries who served the pharaoh, having received assurance from the Persian command that their lives would be spared, went over to the side of the Persians. In 342 BC. e. the Persians captured all of Egypt, and Nectanebo II, collecting his treasures, fled to Nubia.

The Egyptians were severely punished for their rebellion. Cities and temples were plundered, the walls of the most important cities were torn down, the country was devastated. Artaserxes appointed the Persian Ferendates as satrap of Egypt. However, the position of the Persians in Egypt was not strong, and unrest and unrest continued in the country. Mentor of Rhodes was awarded the title of supreme commander of the Persian army in the western regions of Asia Minor.

This is how the second conquest of Egypt took place. Other writers also report various details about the atrocities of Artaxerxes. They said (from Dinon) that he, having learned that the Egyptians called him, like other Persian kings, a donkey (that is, Seth, who by that time had finally acquired the features of a hostile god), said: “this donkey will eat your ox”; ordered Apis to be roasted and ate him with his friends, and also killed the sacred ram of Mendes. Aelian adds that instead of Apis he placed a donkey and ordered him to serve, etc.

Under Artaxerxes, the Achaemenid state was restored to its significant extent and Persia once again showed its strength and ability to defend the unity of a huge state, albeit with the help of cruel measures.

In 338 BC. e. an end was put to the energetic policy of Artaxerxes, who was poisoned by his personal physician at the instigation of the court eunuch Bagoi, who enjoyed the greatest confidence of the king. The reign of Artaxerxes lasted more than 20 years.

Tomb of Artaxerxes III in Persepolis

After Artaxerxes III in 338 BC. his youngest son becomes the Persian leader Arses(338 - 336 BC e.).

During his reign, at the end of 338 BC. e. The Egyptians, under the leadership of their leader Hababash, again achieved independence.

In the spring of 336 BC. e. Macedonian king Philip II sent 10 thousand Macedonian soldiers to Asia Minor under the command of the experienced commander Parmenion. The pretext for this campaign was the liberation of the Greek cities of Asia Minor from Persian rule. Some Greek cities greeted the Macedonians enthusiastically. Cities such as Cyzicus, Ephesus, and even the satrap of Caria Pixodarus were ready to cooperate with Macedonia. Moreover, in 336 BC. e. The experienced commander, commander of the Persian troops in the western regions of Asia Minor, Mentor of Rhodes, unexpectedly died. In June 336 BC. e. Arses, like his father, also became a victim of Bagoya's conspiracy, and was killed along with his family. Arces ruled for about 2 years. Despite such a short reign, Arses, apparently, managed to earn the hatred of his subjects. In any case, in one Babylonian text his name is mentioned with curses.

The bloodthirsty and voluptuous Oh took the name of Artaxerxes upon his accession to the throne [Artaxerxes III Oh, 359–338]. During his reign, the eunuch Bagoi, a native of Egypt, an unscrupulous villain who was in charge of the palace and commanded the troops, enjoyed enormous influence on affairs. Uprisings in the regions threatened to destroy the kingdom. But Okh and his terrible assistant suppressed the rebellions with the help of numerous Greek mercenaries and their brave leaders.

Revolts under Artaxerxes III

In Asia Minor, the leaders of the Greek mercenaries, Mentor of Rhodes and his brother Memnon, skilled commanders, but treacherous and evil people, played a role that was equally disastrous for both the Greeks and the barbarians. The supreme ruler of Asia Minor (karan) Artabazus, who married their sister, rebelled against the king several times, relying on their mercenaries; the struggle went on with varying happiness; Finally, Ochus gave 300 talents to the Thebans who were helping Artabazus; they stopped supporting him (II, 921) and he fled to Macedonia. The mentor made peace with the king and gained his favor through his services in suppressing other rebellions. – Hermias, Aristotle’s soulmate (II, 741), who became the independent ruler of Atarneus, died from the treachery of Mentor: he invited Hermias on a date and treacherously arrested him; Having taken his seal, Mentor deceived the Atarneans with it, treacherously took possession of this city and neighboring towns, and restored the power of the Persian king over them. – Even more dangerous than the rebellion of Artabazus was the uprising of Phenicia, which, like Cyprus, took part in the uprising of Egypt. In the first volume (pages 509 et seq.), we did short essay position of Phenicia under Persian rule. As the most important center of trade and navigation Persian kingdom, Phenicia was in a less bad state than other parts of it. Trade and navigation of the Phoenicians continued to flourish, industrial industriousness protected the people from moral relaxation, which quickly led to the decline of other cultural countries under the Persian yoke. A union government was established in Tripoli, consisting of deputations from Sidon, Tire and Arad; it was in charge of the trade administration of Phenicia, and also had judicial power in matters the decision of which was granted to it by the Persians. But the Persian governor, who lived in Sidon, oppressed the Phoenicians; Encouraged by the uprising of Egypt and the rebellions in Asia Minor, they rebelled. Following the example of Sidon, in which the native king Tenn took up arms against the Persians, other Phoenician cities also refused to obey the Persians. All of Phenicia rebelled. The gardens and palaces of the Persian king were destroyed, the Persian supply warehouses were burned, and all the Persians who fell into the hands of the Phoenicians were killed. Sidon entered into an alliance with Nectanebo II, invited Greek mercenaries into his service and prepared for a stubborn defense against a strong army, which the king himself led from Babylon to Syria. There were also Greek mercenaries in this army. The Sidonians themselves destroyed their ships; they abandoned all thoughts of wealth, leaving the only means of salvation for themselves - brave defense; For a long time they repelled all the attacks of the enemy, but their strength was exhausted. Tenn decided to buy forgiveness for himself with betrayal. Artaxerxes, after some hesitation, agreed to promise him impunity, and he allowed the Persians into the city. The fate of Sidon was terrible: for his heroic resistance he was doomed to death. By order of the cruel Artaxerxes and Bagoi, the Persian soldiers killed everyone, giving no mercy to either women or children; one part of the population was exterminated by them; the other, in order not to fall into the hands of the tormentors, set the city on fire and voluntarily died in the flames. The few survivors were sold into slavery. What was not burned in the city was plundered, and the whole city was destroyed. Artaxerxes broke the promise of mercy given to Tennu and ordered him to be killed too. This is how Sidon, which was once the “marketplace of nations,” perished. His fate horrified other Phoenician cities. They surrendered to the Persian king, the Jews were also punished; they probably took part in the uprising. Jericho was destroyed; many Jews were taken into captivity. In addition, we know about the history of the Jewish people during the rule of the Persians only that in the high priestly family one brother killed the other in the temple during a priestly service.

Pacification of the Egyptians

From Phenicia Artaxerxes went to Egypt. The main force of his troops were Theban and Argive mercenaries. The leader of the Argive mercenaries was Nicostratus, a man of gigantic strength, who went into battle with a lion's skin on his shoulders and with a mace, like Hercules. Greek mercenaries, Athenians and Spartans also served in the Egyptian army. Despite all their courage, the uprising was suppressed by the superiority of the number and skill of the enemies; Moreover, some mercenaries treacherously handed themselves over to the Persians. Nectanebo was defeated at Pelusium, near the north-eastern branch of the Nile, and fled to Ethiopia, leaving Egypt to the mercy of the ferocity of Artaxerxes, irritated by the fact that the Egyptians, while their affairs were going well, sarcastically ridiculed him. He surpassed Cambyses in robbery and cruelty, stabbed Apis with his own hand, plundered the temples, took sacred books from them, and the Egyptians were forced to ransom them from him in large sums. He was so furious that he folk speech and in the annals of the temples he is given the nickname “dagger.” The Persian rule, restored by force of arms and terror, was supported in Egypt and Phenicia by the same means; but the irritated population of these countries was only waiting for an opportunity to throw off the heavy yoke. Bagoi and his friend Mentor, who saved his life in the battle with the Greek mercenaries at Bubasta, pacified Egypt with iron severity. They swore an oath to each other to act unanimously in order to rule the state together. The services rendered to Artaxerxes in the war with the Phoenicians and Egyptians by the cunning, courage and military skill of Mentor were so important that the king had very great confidence in him and, at his request, agreed to forgive his brother Memnon and his sister's husband, Artabazus. Returning to Persia, they began to faithfully serve the king and restored his power over those of the indignant regions that had not yet been pacified. Mentor was made commander-in-chief of the land and naval forces in the western part of the Persian kingdom.

Tomb of Artaxerxes III in Persepolis

Death of Artaxerxes Ochos and his sons

Bagoi diligently helped Ohu in the war with the Egyptians, but was irritated by the desecration of his native temples and the murder of Apis. He took revenge on Okh and acted evilly until he himself died. Diodorus talks about it this way. Bribed by Bagoi, the doctor of Artaxerxes poisoned the king. Bagoi ordered the body of the hated despot to be chopped into pieces and thrown into cat food, placed Arses, the youngest son of Artaxerxes, on the throne, and killed Arses’ older brothers. Arses planned to kill the murderer of his father and his brothers, but Bagoi warned the king and killed him and his sons. By this murder the senior line of the royal family was exterminated, and Darius Kodoman became king, whose grandfather was the brother of Artaxerxes Mnemon, and whose mother, Sisigambida, was the daughter of Mnemon.

ARTAXERXES III

Oh, king of the Achaemenid state in 358-338 BC. e. He sought to strengthen the state, weakened under his predecessors; conquered Egypt.

TSB. Modern explanatory dictionary, TSB. 2003

See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what ARTAXERXES III is in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

• ARTAXERXES
  - an honorary title for the kings of Persia. In the Russian translations of the Old Testament books there are three Medo-Persian kings under the indicated name: 1 Ezra 4:7, 7:7 ...
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• ARTAXERXES in the Character Reference Book and places of worship Greek mythology:
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• ARTAXERXES
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• ARTAXERXES in the Modern Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  
• ARTAXERXES in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  I Dolgoruky, king of the Achaemenid state in 465 - 424 BC. The Peace of Callias was concluded with Athens in 449, ending the Greco-Persian...
• ARTAXERXES
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• ARTAXERXES in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  ARTAXERXES II Mnemon, king of the Achaemenid state in 404-358 BC. His reign is a period of weakening...
• ARTAXERXES in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
  ARTAXERXES I Dolgoruky, king of the Achaemenid state in 465-424 BC. He ascended the throne after the murder (as a result of a palace conspiracy) of him...
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  the Greek version of the name Artakshatra, which was borne by three Persian kings from the Achaemenid dynasty. Artaxerxes I (reigned 465-424 BC), according to ...
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(reigned 465–424 BC), nicknamed Dolgoruky. He took the throne after his father Xerxes I and older brother Darius died during a rebellion. During a difficult struggle, Artaxerxes managed to defeat the rebel troops and restore order. In general, his reign was peaceful and the state prospered, although he had to suppress uprisings in Bactria (462 BC), as well as in Egypt, where he defeated Inar, son of Psammetichus III. Another contender for the Egyptian throne, Amirtep, managed to hide in the swamps of the Nile Delta. In 449 BC. Artaxerxes concluded the Peace of Callias with Athens. Artaxerxes I favored the Jews and issued a decree allowing them to rebuild Jerusalem and restore the Jerusalem Temple. In 445 BC he appointed the Jewish leader Nehemiah as governor of Judah. Artaxerxes I died in March 424 BC. All three of his sons - Xerxes II, Sogdian and Okh - ascended the throne and ruled the empire. In the end, as a result of a fratricidal struggle, the supreme power went to Darius II Ochus. A small cuneiform inscription at Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenids, recalls that Artaxerxes I restored the palace built by his father.

Artaxerxes II Mnemon

(ruled 404–358 BC), nicknamed because of his phenomenal memory, inherited the throne after his brother Darius II Ochus in 404 BC. Almost immediately, a war began between him and his brother Cyrus the Younger, who, relying on the Greek army, tried to seize power in the state. The two armies met at Kunaxa, near Babylon, in 401 BC. During the battle, Cyrus was killed and Artaxerxes was wounded. His further reign was accompanied by constant wars with the Greeks and rebellious satraps (governors). Egypt separated, Cyprus rebelled. The war with Sparta initially developed unsuccessfully for Persia, but after the conclusion of the Peace of Antalcides, Artaxerxes managed to restore his power over the Asia Minor satrapies (provinces). Towards the end of his reign, Ariobazarn, the satrap of Mysia and Phrygia, rebelled. But the satraps failed to unite and were defeated separately. Endless harem intrigues and conspiracies posed a constant threat to the life of Artaxerxes II. Shortly before his death, he executed three of his sons on charges of treason. His biography, written by Plutarch, was based on the works of a number of Greek authors, such as Ctesias, Xenophon and Ephorus.

Artaxerxes III Oh

(reigned 358–338 BC), son of Artaxerxes II and his wife Stateira. He began his reign by killing his family in order to secure the throne for himself. Then he began to suppress the rebellions raised by the satraps, among whom was the governor of Phrygia Artabazus, who fled to Macedonia to Philip II. The Persian king forced Athens to make peace with him. Sidon and other cities of Phenicia, as well as Cyprus, raised uprisings, but in the end all the revolts were brutally suppressed. In the same way, the ruler of Egypt, Nectaneb II, was conquered, and Egypt was reduced to the level of a province. In 338 BC Artaxerxes III was killed by the eunuch Bagoi.

Okh (Old Persian Vahukha), the son and successor of the latter (359 - 338), again subjugated Egypt, which had been independent for 63 years (413 - 350), after the battle of Pelusium. Then he pacified Phenicia, inflicting unheard-of cruelties in both countries. A. also ordered Apis to be slaughtered and prepared for the feast. A. was poisoned by his commander Bagoas (338), and his corpse was thrown out to be eaten by cats, and sword handles were made from the bones. He was succeeded by his son Arses (338 - 336). - New Persian. historical the legend united all three A. into one person, to whom she gave the name ArdeschirDerazdest (Long-armed). The founder of the Sassanid dynasty, called A. by the Romans, was also called Ardeshir, with the nickname Babegan.

F. Brockhaus, I.A. Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary.

Artaxerxes III Oh (? - 338 BC) - son of Artaxerxes II, king of Persia from 359. Artaxerxes III tried to restore the integrity of the Achaemenid state. In 356, he ordered the satraps to disband the mercenary detachments. The satrap of Phrygia, Artabazus, and the satrap of Mysia, Orontes, disobeyed the order and rebelled. In 354 they won several victories over the generals of Artaxerxes III, but in 352 they suffered a crushing defeat.
In 350, Artaxerxes III launched a campaign against Egypt, which ended in defeat. In 349, the Phoenician cities rebelled. In 345, Artaxerxes III with a huge army captured and burned Sidon, and two years later the uprising in Phenicia was finally suppressed.
In 343, Artaxerxes III began preparations for his second campaign against Egypt. One Persian army under the command of the mercenary Greek commander Mentor besieged Pelusium, and another landed in the Nile Delta. Pharaoh Nectanebo II fled to Nubia, and Egypt, after sixty years of independence, became Persian again.
In 338, Artaxerxes III was poisoned by his entourage.

Book materials used: Tikhanovich Yu.N., Kozlenko A.V. 350 great. Brief biography of the rulers and generals of antiquity. Ancient East; Ancient Greece; Ancient Rome. Minsk, 2005.

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