Masistius
Encyclopedia
Masistius was a Persian cavalry commander best known for his role in the second Persian invasion of Greece
.
invasion of Greece and gained great popularity among the troops. He died shortly before the Battle of Plataea
, placing his death somewhere during 479BC. His death was keenly felt by the Persians.
At this stage, it appears that Masistius was not of any especially great significance to the invasion force as he appears in Herodotus
simply as "Masistius, the son of Siromitras" with no further description, and as part of Herodotus's detailed description of Xerxes's army, the infantry section alone of which lasts from chapter 61-83 of book VII. However by 479BC in the buildup to the Battle of Plataea, Masistius's fortunes seem to have changed and he had become a senior and distinguished cavalry commander in the Persian forces which had remained in Greece under Mardonius
. On two occasions, Herodotus notes the fine quality of Masistius's possessions, further suggesting his successes before Plataea.
As the Greek forces at Plataea under Pausanias
did not want to attack the Persians for fear of the Persian cavalry and the Persians did not want to attack the Greeks who held the high-ground, Mardonius sent Masistius to harry the Greek forces. Masistius performed well, causing considerable casualties on the Greek forces through a series of hit and run attacks. However as Masistius led from the front, the Greeks were able to kill him, inflicting a considerable blow to the Persians.
from Athens led by Olympiodorus along with a contingent of Athenian archers. One of these archers managed to shoot Masistius's horse in the flank, causing Masistius to fall from his mount. Once down, the Athenians set upon him, finally killing him by stabbing him through the eye. When the Persian cavalry fell back, they noticed Masistius was missing and attempted to recover his body. They temporarily achieved this until still more Greek forces arrived to support the beleaguered Athenians and Megarians, at which point the cavalry were forced to retreat and the Greeks were left in control of the body.
Masistius's loss was felt keenly by the Persians who shaved their heads and cut the manes of their horses as signs of mourning. The death was reported to Mardonious who expressed grief at the loss. For the Greeks this was a considerable triumph and did much to boost the morale of the Greek allied forces. The Greeks put Masistius's body on a cart and paraded it in front of the Greek forces so they could see him. The Persian forces only advanced towards Plataea in response to the Greek maneuvers after they had finished mourning Masistius's death.
Second Persian invasion of Greece
The second Persian invasion of Greece occurred during the Greco-Persian Wars, as King Xerxes I of Persia sought to conquer all of Greece. The invasion was a direct, if delayed, response to the defeat of the first Persian invasion of Greece at the Battle of Marathon which ended Darius I's attempts...
.
Biography
Masistius was the son of a man named Siromitras. He was reportedly a very tall and handsome man. He became a distinguished officer in the Persian army during Xerxes'sXerxes I of Persia
Xerxes I of Persia , Ḫšayāršā, ), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fifth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire.-Youth and rise to power:...
invasion of Greece and gained great popularity among the troops. He died shortly before the Battle of Plataea
Battle of Plataea
The Battle of Plataea was the final land battle during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place in 479 BC near the city of Plataea in Boeotia, and was fought between an alliance of the Greek city-states, including Sparta, Athens, Corinth and Megara, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes...
, placing his death somewhere during 479BC. His death was keenly felt by the Persians.
Role in the Second Persian Invasion
Masistius is first mentioned as the commander of the Saspirian and Alarodian contingents of Xerxes's army which had been gathered for the second invasion of Greece. Masistius would have been appointed to this position by the senior commanders of the Persian army. It would have been Masistius's responsibility to appoint officers to command the squads into which the Saspirian and Alarodian contingents would have been divided. Interestingly, these contingents commanded by Masistius were probably infantry contingents equipped with small rawhide shields, short spears and swords, rather than cavalry.At this stage, it appears that Masistius was not of any especially great significance to the invasion force as he appears in Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
simply as "Masistius, the son of Siromitras" with no further description, and as part of Herodotus's detailed description of Xerxes's army, the infantry section alone of which lasts from chapter 61-83 of book VII. However by 479BC in the buildup to the Battle of Plataea, Masistius's fortunes seem to have changed and he had become a senior and distinguished cavalry commander in the Persian forces which had remained in Greece under Mardonius
Mardonius
Mardonius was a leading Persian military commander during the Persian Wars with Greece in the early 5th century BC.-Early years:Mardonius was the son of Gobryas, a Persian nobleman who had assisted the Achaemenid prince Darius when he claimed the throne...
. On two occasions, Herodotus notes the fine quality of Masistius's possessions, further suggesting his successes before Plataea.
As the Greek forces at Plataea under Pausanias
Pausanias (general)
Pausanias was a Spartan general of the 5th century BC. He was the son of Cleombrotus and nephew of Leonidas I, serving as regent after the latter's death, since Leonidas' son Pleistarchus was still under-age. Pausanias was also the father of Pleistoanax, who later became king, and Cleomenes...
did not want to attack the Persians for fear of the Persian cavalry and the Persians did not want to attack the Greeks who held the high-ground, Mardonius sent Masistius to harry the Greek forces. Masistius performed well, causing considerable casualties on the Greek forces through a series of hit and run attacks. However as Masistius led from the front, the Greeks were able to kill him, inflicting a considerable blow to the Persians.
Death
During Masistius's conflict with the Greeks in the buildup to the Battle of Plataea, Masistius engaged the Megarians. He was so successful against them that the Megarians called for help from the other Greeks. The result was that the Megarians were supported by 300 hoplitesHoplite
A hoplite was a citizen-soldier of the Ancient Greek city-states. Hoplites were primarily armed as spearmen and fought in a phalanx formation. The word "hoplite" derives from "hoplon" , the type of the shield used by the soldiers, although, as a word, "hopla" could also denote weapons held or even...
from Athens led by Olympiodorus along with a contingent of Athenian archers. One of these archers managed to shoot Masistius's horse in the flank, causing Masistius to fall from his mount. Once down, the Athenians set upon him, finally killing him by stabbing him through the eye. When the Persian cavalry fell back, they noticed Masistius was missing and attempted to recover his body. They temporarily achieved this until still more Greek forces arrived to support the beleaguered Athenians and Megarians, at which point the cavalry were forced to retreat and the Greeks were left in control of the body.
Masistius's loss was felt keenly by the Persians who shaved their heads and cut the manes of their horses as signs of mourning. The death was reported to Mardonious who expressed grief at the loss. For the Greeks this was a considerable triumph and did much to boost the morale of the Greek allied forces. The Greeks put Masistius's body on a cart and paraded it in front of the Greek forces so they could see him. The Persian forces only advanced towards Plataea in response to the Greek maneuvers after they had finished mourning Masistius's death.