The territorial gains made by Cambyses in the eastern Mediterranean

Vol.20,No.1(2015)

Michal Habaj

Stable URL (handle):
http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/133964

PDF
Abstract
The Persian king Cambyses is most often mentioned in the context of his successful expedition to Egypt. Both antique sources and modern scholarly research tend to focus on the success of Cambyses in Egypt, which is undoubtedly deserved of attention. As a result however, scholarly interest in Cambyses' other territorial gains is marginal. His successful Egyptian expedition required extensive preparation. For example, one crucial factor was his ability to seize control over the eastern Mediterranean in preparation for the naval part of the campaign. These territorial gains, as well as his control over the sea in the region, inspired Herodotus to refer to Cambyses as 'the master of the sea'. This is an important epithet which Herodotus grants Cambyses, since it seems to suggest that it was Cambyses who expanded the Persian empire to the eastern Mediterranean. Based on the aforementioned reference by Herodotus, the following study provides an analysis of the process of incorporation of these areas into the Persian Empire, insofar as the sources differ on whether these territories were annexed under Cyrus, Cambyses or Darius. In so doing, the analysis attempts to shed more light on the meaning of Herodotus' words, and gives an account of Cambyses' territorial gains in the Mediterranean.

Keywords:
Achaemenid Persia; Cambyses II; Cyprus; Samos; Cilicia; Phoenicia

Pages:
33–46
References

Asheri, D. & Lloyd, A. & Corcella, A. (2007). Commentary on Herodotus Books I‒IV. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Austin, M. (1990). Greek Tyrant and the Persians, 546–497 B.C. Classical Quarterly, 40, 289 –306. | DOI 10.1017/S0009838800042889

Balcer, J. (1995). The Persian conquest of the Greeks 545–450 B.C. Konstanz: Universität Konstanz.

Bedford, P. (2001). Temple Restoration in early Achaemenid Judah. Leiden: Brill.

Bing, J. (1969). A History of Cilicia during the Assyrian Period. Ann Arbor: Indiana University Press (Diss.).

Boffo, L. (1983). La conquista Persiana delle citta greche d'Asia Minore. Roma: Accademia Naz. dei Lincei.

Briant, P. (2002). From Cyrus to Alexander. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.

Casabonne, O. (1996). Presence et influence Perse en Cilicie a l'Epoche Achéménide. Anatolia Antiqua, 4, 121‒145. | DOI 10.3406/anata.1996.1195

Casabonne, O. (2004). La Cilicie à l'Époque Achéménide. Paris: De Boccard.

Cawkwell, G. (2005). The Greek Wars. The Failure of Persia. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Dandamaev, M. (1989). A Political History of the Achaemenid Empire. Leiden: Brill.

Elayi, J. (2013). Histoire de la Phénicie. Paris: Perrin.

Farkas, A. (1974). Achaemenid Sculpture. Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten.

Fried, L. (2010). Because of the Dread upon them. In J. Curtis – J. Simpson, (Eds.), The World of Achaemenid Persia. (457‒471). London – New York: I. B. Tauris.

Gershevitch (Ed.), Cambridge History of Iran. (volume 2, 529‒588). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gjerstad, E. (1948). The Swedish Cyprus Expedition. Stockholm: Swedish Cyprus Expedition.

Godley, A. D. (Ed. et Transl.) (1928). Herodotus in four volumes. (volume 2). London: William Heinemann.

Grabbe, L. (2006). Judah and Judeans in the Persian Period. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.

Grote, G. (2001). A History of Greece: From the Time of Solon to 403 B.C. Condensed and ed. by J. M. Mitchell and M. O. B. Caspari. With a new introduction by Paul Cartledge. London – New York: Routledge.

How, W. & Wells, J. (1912). A Commentary on Herodotus. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Irwin, E. (2009). Herodotus and Samos: Personal or Political? Classical World, 102, 395‒416. | DOI 10.1353/clw.0.0115

Jacobs, B. (2010). From Gabled Hut to Rock-Cut Tomb: A Religious and Cultural Break between Cyrus and Darius? In J. Curtis – J. Simpson, (Eds.), The World of Achaemenid Persia. (91‒103). London – New York: I. B. Tauris.

Karageorghis, V. (1982). Cyprus. In J. Boardman – N. Hammond, (Eds.), Cambridge Ancient History. (volume III/3, 57‒70). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lecoq, P. (1997). Les Inscriptions de la Perse achéménide. Paris: Gallimard.

Lipinski, E. (2004). Itineraria Phoenicia. Leuven – Paris – Dudley: Peeters.

Markoe, G. (2003). Die Phöenizier. Stuttgart: Theiss.

Metzler, D. (1987). Stilistische Evidenz für die Benutzung persischer Quellen durch griechischer Historiker. In H. Sancisi-Weerdenburg – A. Kuhrt, (Eds.), The Greek Sources. (89‒91). Leiden: Nederlands Instituut vor het Nabije Oosten.

Mitchell, B. M. (1975). Herodotus and Samos. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 95, 75‒91. | DOI 10.2307/630871

Oppenheim, L. (1985). The Babylonian Evidence of Achaemenian Rule in Mesopotamia. In I. Pelling, Ch. (2011). Herodotus and Samos. Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, 54, 1‒18.

Petit, T. (1990). Satrap et satrapies dans l'empire achéménide de Cyrus le Grand à Xerxès Ier. Paris: Les Belles Lettres.

Piepkorn, A. (1933). Historical Prism Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal I. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Pritchard, J. (Ed.) (1969). Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

San Nicolò, M. (1941). Beiträge zu einer Prosopographie der neubabylonischen Beamten der Zivil- und Tempelverwaltung. Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften.

Sancisi-Weerdenburg, H. (1985). The death of Cyrus: Xenophon's Cyropaedia as a source for Iranian history. Acta Iranica, 25, 459‒471.

Stronach, D. (1978). Pasargadae. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Tuplin, C. (1996). Achaemenid studies. Stuttgart: Steiner.

Wallinga, H. (1991). Polycrates and Egypt: the testimony of the samaina. In H. Sancisi- Weerdenburg – A. Kuhrt, (Eds.), Asia Minor and Egypt: Old Cultures in a New Empire. (179‒197). Leiden: Nederlands Instituut vor het Nabije Oosten.

Watkin, H. (1987). The Cypriote surrender to Persia. Journal of Hellenic Studies, 107, 154‒163. | DOI 10.2307/630076

Metrics

19

Views

0

PDF views

PDF