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Paktyes' revolt, 546 BC

Συγγραφή : Kitsos Dimitrios (13/7/2002)
Μετάφραση : Kalogeropoulou Georgia , Karioris Panagiotis

Για παραπομπή: Kitsos Dimitrios, "Paktyes' revolt, 546 BC",
Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία
URL: <http://www.ehw.gr/l.aspx?id=8087>
Επανάσταση του Πακτύη, 546 π.Χ. (5/6/2008 v.1) Paktyes' revolt, 546 BC (27/7/2009 v.1) 
 

1. The historical event

After the conquest of Sardis and the abolition of the Lydian kingdom in 546 BC,1 Cyrus entrusted the Lydian Paktyes to accumulate and send the treasury of Croesus and the other Lydians to Persia and departed for his native land to start new expeditions, leaving the Persian Tabalus as a commander. However, when Cyrus left, Paktyes induced the Lydians to revolt, took the treasury to the coastline of Asia Minor, where he convinced the Greek cities to support him and hired mercenaries. Then, he attacked Sardis and besieged Tabalus in the acropolis.2 There is no information available about the forces of Paktyes or the extend of the involvement of the Asia Minor cities. The only certain fact is that Miletus did not participate as the Milesians wanted to respect the treaty they had with Cyrus.3

The news reached Cyrus on his way to Persia and initially he wanted to react in a harsh way, but the captive king Croesus convinced him not to enslave the Lydians or to destroy Sardis. On the contrary, Croesus urged Cyrus to forbid the Lydians to bear arms, to practice trade and music while imposing modifications on their garments, so that he would effeminate them gradually and they would not be a threat. Cyrus agreed and sent against the rebellions an expeditionary force under the command of Mazares to carry out his orders to arrest Paktyes, to implement Croesus’ proposals and sale as slaves those who had helped the Lydians in the siege of Sardis.

As soon as Pactyes realized that the enemy was approaching, he fled to Cyme, while his army was apparently disbanded, since Mazares captured Sardis without resistance. The Medean general imposed on the Lydians behaviour modification and then demanded that the Cymeans should deliver Paktyes. The Cymeans asked twice for the advice of the oracle of Apollo at Didyma in Miletus. Although they received the same reply, that they should give Paktyes over, they finally sent him to Mytilene. The Mytileneans were about to deliver Paktyes to Mazares for a financial reward but the Cymeans helped him escape to Chios. Nevertheless, the Chians turned him over to the Persians and their reward was the town of Atarneas on the Asia Minor coastline. Then Mazares started his expedition to conquer the Greek cities of Asia Minor.4

2. Evaluation of the revolt

Based on the scanty available information, the revolt of Paktyes can be assessed as a military venturous enterprise rather than an organized attempt to react against the Persian occupation. However, the result was devastating for the Lydians, as they found themselves in a worst position than before. It also accelerated the Persian attacks in reprisal against the Greek cities in Asia Minor. Hence, any prospect for an uneventful devolution of authority from the Lydians to the Persians was minimized.

1. The date of the fall of Sardis and the revolt of Paktyes has not been defined accurately. The event took place definitely at any date between 547 and 541 BC and it is usually dated in 547/546 BC. See Cargill, J., ‘The Nabonidus Chronicle and the Chronicle of Lydia’, AJAH 2 (1978), pp. 97-116. Also, CAH IV, pp. 33-34 (T.C. Young); CHI 2, pp. 404-405, n. 5 (M. Mallowan); Mallowan, M., ‘Cyrus the Great’, Iran 10 (1972), p.7, n.34; How, W.W. – Wells, J., A Commentary on Herodotus 1 (Oxford 1912), p. 98.

2. Hdt. 1.153-154.

3. Hdt. 1.141, 143.

4. Hdt. 1.155-161. Plutarch (On the Malice of Herodotus 20) doesn’t accept the events on the deal and surrender of Paktyes by the Greeks, quoting the historian Charondus of Lapsacus who mentions that Paktyes simply fled to Mytilene and then to Chios, where he was arrested by Cyrus. However, it is obvious that the ambiguous evidence provided by Charondus does not contradict Herodotus, who is confirmed by Pausanias (4.35.10) about the event of the surrender by the Chians in return for Atarneas. As far as Paktyes is concerned, it was assumed that he suffered a torturous death, similar to the other rebellions. About the revolt of Paktyes see CAH IV, p. 35 (T.C. Young); CHI 2, p. 293 (A.R. Burn); Olmstead, A.T., History of the Persian Empire (Achaemenid Period) (Chicago 1948), pp. 41-43.

     
 
 
 
 
 

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