Cilicia (satrapy)
Encyclopedia
Cilicia was a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire
, with its capitol at Tarsus
. It was conquered sometime in the 540's by Cyrus the Great
. Cilicia was a vassal, and although it had a vassal king had to pay a tribute of 360 horses and 500 talents of silver, according to Herodotus. The fertile Çukurova
(Cilicia) plains were the most important part of the satrapy.
There were several sanctuaries that remained more or less independent from Persian rule. Some of these included Castabala, Mazaca, and Mallus.
The last vassal king of Cilicia became involved in the civil war between Artaxerxes II and Cyrus the Younger
. Having sided with Cyrus the Younger, who was defeated, the king was dethroned and Cilicia became an ordinary satrapy.
The second to last satrap
(governor) of Cilicia was the Babylonian Mazaeus
. Shortly aftwards, his successor was expelled by Alexander the Great.
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
, with its capitol at Tarsus
Tarsus (city)
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
. It was conquered sometime in the 540's by Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus II of Persia , commonly known as Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much...
. Cilicia was a vassal, and although it had a vassal king had to pay a tribute of 360 horses and 500 talents of silver, according to Herodotus. The fertile Çukurova
Çukurova
Çukurova , historically known as Cilicia, is a geographic, economic and cultural region in south-central Turkey, covering the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay...
(Cilicia) plains were the most important part of the satrapy.
There were several sanctuaries that remained more or less independent from Persian rule. Some of these included Castabala, Mazaca, and Mallus.
The last vassal king of Cilicia became involved in the civil war between Artaxerxes II and Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia and Parysatis, was a Persian prince and general. The time of his birth is unknown, but he died in 401 B.C. The history of Cyrus and of the retreat of the Greeks is told by Xenophon in his Anabasis. Another account, probably from Sophaenetus of...
. Having sided with Cyrus the Younger, who was defeated, the king was dethroned and Cilicia became an ordinary satrapy.
The second to last satrap
Satrap
Satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic empires....
(governor) of Cilicia was the Babylonian Mazaeus
Mazaeus
Mazaeus was a Persian noble and governor of Babylon.He was the second to last satrap of Cilicia. Shortly aftwards, his successor was expelled by Alexander the Great....
. Shortly aftwards, his successor was expelled by Alexander the Great.