ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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The revolt of the satraps, or great revolt of the satraps, was a rebellion of some Persian satraps by the authority of the Grand King Artaserse II.

Casus beautiful
The rebellion (although it is not unanimously accepted) began in 370/369 BC with the rebellion of the satrape of Cilicia Datame. Cornelio Nepote (Vita di Datame) is the only source that tells the story of the satrapo; the biographer writes that the court (composed by the advisers sent by the king), jealous of the continuous victories of Datame, organized a rebellion while the satrapo was in Egypt. Receiving a letter from some collaborators, Datame rushed to Cilicia and, in an attempt to keep the revolt hidden, reunited his troops by resisting rebel attacks; later conquered Paflagonia.

To understand the motivations that led other satraps to join the rebellion of Datame (which opposed the king's advisers and, therefore, to his will) we must analyze all available sources, namely the writings of Plutarco (Vita di Artaserse), Nepote (Vita di Datame) and Diodoro Siculo (Bibliotheca historica, XV, 90-93).

Plutarch writes that Artaserse, ten years before the revolt of the satraps (380 BC), after having suffered a disastrous defeat against the Cadus said to "become suspicious to the men he entrusted with the charges" (also putting them to death some, and promising very hard punishment to those who opposed his orders). In this climate, he writes the scholar Moysey, whatever satrape would have had good reasons to detached himself from the king and not be subject to him anymore. In the meantime, Artaserse, who began to approach the 60-70 years (in fact, he ruled from 405/404 BC) was beginning to choose the successor to the throne, which excavated a struggle for succession (which led to the death of his sons Dario, Ariaspe, Arsame). Oronte (husband of a daughter of Artaserse), who had helped the king against Evagora of Cyprus, with the failure of the expedition of 380 BC lost his satrapia in Armenia for that of Misia (a "under"-satrapy, placed between those of Frigia and Lidia as a bearing). Greece was also interested in Anatolia's affairs (first with Agesilao and then with Timoteo) which could be a solid ally to defeat the Persian Empire. The first to ally with Datame was Ariobarzane, who, rather than losing his satrapia (on order of the Grand King) by Artabazo, joined the revolt (366 BC). Taking advantage of the rebellion of Datame and Ariobarzane (as mentioned, in a context of dynastic crisis) can appear likely to be the participation of Oronte, and the subsequent of Autofradate (which, otherwise, would remain the only faithful to the king in Anatolia).

The revolt
With the union of Ariobarzane to the revolt (366 BC), it began to extend in the satrape of Anatolia and also to Sparta, where King Agesilaus had agreed to send aid. Ariobarzane, ch