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HENRY P. COLBURN

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Amasis was a Persian general placed in charge of the army dispatched by ARYANDES to attack the Greek city of BARCA in LIBYA c. 513 BCE (4.167.1). After capturing Barca by means of a deceitful exchange of OATHS, Amasis refused to allow the Persian naval commander BADRES of PASARGADAE to attack CYRENE as well (4.201–3).

As given by Herodotus, Amasis’ name matches the Greek rendering of the Egyptian name “Ahmose.” Yet Herodotus identifies Amasis as a member of the Persian Maraphian tribe. There are several possible explanations. First, Amasis may be an Iranian name which has become corrupted or confused, either in Herodotus’ source or subsequently (Schmitt, IPGL 69–70 (no. 16)). It is also possible that it was his given name; the name Ahmose (in Egyptian) occurs on a seal attested in the PERSEPOLIS Fortification Archive (Garrison and Ritner 2010, 28–33, 47–49), suggesting it had some currency there during this period. A third possibility is that Amasis assumed this name in addition to his own, in accordance with the Egyptian practice of “double naming” (Briant 2002, 482). Amasis is sometimes identified with the Arsames who, according to Polyaenus (Strat. 7.28.1), led an expedition against Barca, but there is no good reason for this identification (Chamoux 1953, 164–66).

SEE ALSO: Amasis (king of Egypt); Deception; Maraphians; Pheretime