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CARLO SCARDINO

Heinrich‐Heine‐Universität Düsseldorf

Brother of DARIUS I and uncle of XERXES, two successive kings of PERSIA. During Xerxes’ invasion of Greece in 480 BCE. Artabanus served as regent in Persia. In the Histories he appears above all as an ADVISER and warner‐figure. Thus he unsuccessfully warns Darius in a short, indirect speech before the king’s campaign against the SCYTHIANS in 513 (4.83). Similarly he is Darius’ conversation partner in a longer indirect dialogue at the end of that campaign (4.143).

Most significant is his role in the royal council before Xerxes’ campaign against Greece (7.8–19), where Artabanus serves as a warner‐figure against the warmongering MARDONIUS, akin to SOLON or HECATAEUS earlier in the Histories and reminiscent of similar figures lacking broader CHARACTERIZATION from Athenian TRAGEDY. In his first, clearly structured direct speech (7.10), Artabanus warns Xerxes above all with an analeptic reference to Darius’ failed Scythian campaign, a negative exemplum; his speech is initially unsuccessful, as Xerxes’ angry reaction shows (7.11). During the night Xerxes changes his mind on the basis of Artabanus’ explanation (7.12), and on the following day the king states his agreement with his opinion before the council. After Xerxes’ dream ordering him to proceed with the campaign, Artabanus, though skeptical of the divine origin of DREAMS, nevertheless agrees to an experiment in which he sleeps in Xerxes’ place (7.16). After the same dream appears and threatens him, he approves the campaign despite his doubts (7.18).

Artabanus has one more long conversation with Xerxes before the crossing into EUROPE (7.46–52), in which he warns the king of the danger Nature presents, the problem of supplying the army, and the loyalty of the IONIANS. Xerxes takes note of his judgment and attempts to refute each point, before sending Artabanus back to SUSA to serve as regent during his absence from ASIA. After the sack of ATHENS, Xerxes sends a MESSENGER with the report of victory to Artabanus (8.54).

Herodotus specifies that this Artabanus is father of the Persian general TRITANTAECHMES (7.82; 8.26.2); he may also be the Artabanus named as father of three other Persian commanders: ARTYPHIUS (7.66.2), ARIOMARDUS (7.67.1, implied), and BASSACES (7.75.2). Artabanus may be identical with the Irdabanuš named in the PERSEPOLIS Fortification Tablets (PF 1287 and 1555) as SATRAP of Bactria around 500 BCE (cf. Hallock 1969, 703; Balcer 1993, 69–70).

SEE ALSO: Causation; Decision‐making; Speeches