Satraps and satrapies |
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Satraps (Old Persian khšaçapâvâ): the governors of the satrapies
(provinces) of the ancient
Achaemenid empire.
The title satrap is older than the Persian empire: the word khšaçapâvâ is Median (it means 'protector of the realm') and was used to describe the vassal kings of the Median empire. The Median and Persian kings sent out inspectors with the title "eye of the king" to control and supervise their satraps. |
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A satrap receiving a
visitor. |
There are several catalogues of the satrapies of the Achaemenid empire. The best known are Darius' famous Behistun inscription, the tribute list that is included in the Histories of the Greek researcher Herodotus and the list of the Persian armed forces in the same work (more...). Other catalogues are the inscription on Darius' tomb at Naqš-i Rustam and the Daiva inscription of Xerxes. Finally, there are many satrapies mentioned in a book about Alexander the Great, the Anabasis by Arrian of Nicomedia. These texts allow us to see how the territorial units of the Persian empire slowly changed in the course of two centuries. |
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Darius, Behistun |
Herodotus, Histories
3.90-94 |
Darius, Naqš-i Rustam
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Herodotus, Histories
7.61-96 (army list) |
Xerxes, XPh |
Arrian, Anabasis |
Persia |
Persians |
Persis |
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Elam |
district VIII:
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Elam |
Cissians |
Elam |
Susiana |
Assyrians and Chaldaeans |
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district X/b: Orthocorybantians |
Sacae with pointed caps |
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Sacae with pointed caps |
Sacae |
district I/a: |
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district I/b: |
Lycia, Doris, Ionia, Ionians from the islands, Aiolia, Milyans with Cabalians and Lasonians |
Yaunâ by the sea |
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Yaunâ across the sea |
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district I/c: |
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Sardes |
district II: |
Sardes |
Lydia and
Mysians, |
Sardes |
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district XVIII/a: |
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Alarodians and Saspires |
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district XVIII/b: Matienians |
Matienians |
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district III/a: |
Paphlagonians |
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Countries by the sea |
district III/b: Hellespontines, Asian Thracians, Mariandynians |
Hellespontines, |
Greater Phrygia |
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district III/c: Syrians, Phrygians |
Syrians |
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district XIII: |
Phrygians and Armenians, Pactyans |
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district IV: |
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Beyond the river |
district V: |
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Phoenicia and Palestina, Cyprus |
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Syria, Palestina |
Egypt |
district VI/a: |
Egypt |
Egypt |
Egypt |
Egypt |
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district VI/b: Libya, Cyrene, Barca |
Libya |
Libyans |
Libya |
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district XX: |
India |
Indians and Asiatic Ethiopians |
India |
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district VII/a: |
Gandarians and Dadicae |
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district VII/b: Sattagydians |
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district XVII: |
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Paricanians |
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Oreitians, Ichthyophagi |
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district XI: |
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Caspians, |
men of Âkaufaciyâ? |
Mardians, Hyrcanians |
district XIV/a: Myci |
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district XIV/b:
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Sarangians, Utians and deported ones, Sagartians |
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district XII: Bactrians |
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district XV: |
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The Dahae |
The Dahae |
district XVI/a: Parthians |
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district XVI/b: Arians |
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district XVI/c: Chorasmians |
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Sogdia |
district XVI/d: Sogdians |
Sogdia |
Sogdians |
Sogdia |
Sogdia |
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district XIX: |
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Moschi, Tibareni, Macrones, Mossynoeci, Mares |
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Colchians and the tribes of the Caucasus |
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Colchians |
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Ethiopians |
Kush |
Ethiopians |
Kush |
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European Sacae |
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Thrace |
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Thrace |
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source:
http://www.livius.org/sao-sd/satrap/satrap.htm
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History Site of Mirhadi hoseini
Teacher Training University
Tehran - IRAN