- Artaphernes
Artaphernes, more correctly Artaphrenes, was the brother of Darius Hystaspis, and satrap of
Sardis .It was he who received the embassy from
Athens sent probably byCleisthenes in 497 BC, and subsequently warned the Athenians to receive back thetyrant Hippias.Subsequently he took an important part in suppressing the Ionian revolt, and after the war compelled the cities to make agreements by which all differences were to be settled by reference. He measured out their territories in
parasang s and assessed their tributes accordingly (Herodotus vi. 42). In 492 he was superseded in his satrapy byMardonius (Herodotus V. 25, 30-32, 35, &c.; Diod. Sic. x. 25).His son, of the same name, was appointed, together with
Datis , to take command of the expedition sent by Darius to punish Athens andEretria for their share in the Ionian revolt. Ten years later, he was in command of theLydia ns andMysia ns (Herod. vi. 94, 119; Vu. 4, sch. "Persae", 21).Aeschylus in his list of Persian kings ("Persae", 775 ff.), which is quite unhistorical, mentions two kings with the name Artarenes, who may have been developed out of these two Persian commanders. [*1911]Etymology
Old Persian : "Arta+Farnah"(endowed with the Glory of Righteousness [cite encyclopedia |last=Lecoq |first=P. | title=ARTAPHRENĒS | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Iranica | accessdate=2008-05-25|url=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/index.isc?Article=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/unicode/v2f6/v2f6a010.html] ) ; Arta's equivalent inMiddle Persian becomes Arda/Ard/Ord that could be seen in names such asArdabil (Arta vila or Arta city) Ardavan( Protected or protecting Arta) and Ordibehesht (the best Arta) Arta is a common prefix of Achaemenid names meaning correctness, rightness, and ultimate truth not so similar to truth vs lie but truth in the way of the way things are and are designed by God.
Farnah is the old Persian cognate of Avestan Xvarənah meaning splendor, glory. Farnah is an important concept to pre islamic Iranians as it signifies a mystic, divine force that is carried with some individuals of greatness.So ArtaFarnah means something like "splendid truth".References
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