Persian satraps

E362766

Persian satraps were provincial governors of the Achaemenid Persian Empire who wielded significant military and administrative power on behalf of the Great King.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Achaemenid administrative office
imperial officials
provincial governors
appointedBy Achaemenid king
collected taxes
tribute
commanded local troops
provincial garrisons
couldBeRemovedBy Achaemenid king
couldRebelAgainst central authority
etymologyFrom Old Persian "khshathrapāvan"
existedDuring Achaemenid Empire
surface form: Achaemenid period

reign of Cyrus the Great
reign of Darius I
reign of Xerxes I
geographicScope Anatolia
Central Asia
Egypt
Mesopotamia
governed provinces of the Achaemenid Empire
satrapies
hadCapitalIn provincial capitals
hadTitle satrap
heldPowerType civil authority
judicial authority
military authority
influenced later Hellenistic provincial administration
usage of term "satrap" in Greek and Roman literature
knownFromSource Achaemenid royal inscriptions
Babylonian chronicles
surface form: Babylonian administrative texts

Greek historians
Herodotus
maintained local courts
meaningOfName protector of the realm
monitoredBy "King’s Ears"
"King’s Eyes"
royal inspectors
partOf Achaemenid Empire
responsibleFor local administration
maintaining roads and communications
security of their province
supplying troops to the imperial army
tax collection
servedUnder Achaemenid kings
Shahanshah of Persia
surface form: Great King of Persia
sometimesEngagedIn power struggles with other satraps
usedLanguage Imperial Aramaic (administration)
Old Persian (royal context)
wereOften members of Persian nobility
wereSometimes local dynasts
relatives of the king

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Asian campaign opponentCommander Persian satraps
Battle of Granicus belligerent Persian satraps
subject surface form: Battle of the Granicus
this entity surface form: Persian satraps of Asia Minor
Dvin governedBy Persian satraps
this entity surface form: Sasanian marzpans
Yehud Medinata ruledBy Persian satraps
Macedonian invasion of Asia Minor opposedBy Persian satraps
this entity surface form: Achaemenid satraps of Asia Minor
Macedonian army opponent Persian satraps
this entity surface form: Persian satrapies