Otanes

Otanes (Ὀτάνης) appears several times in Herodotus' Histories. It remains debatable if one or more are the same person appearing in different contexts within the volumes.

Most noteably, Otanes was one of the confederates who conspired together with Darius I to assassinate False Smerdis and regain the throne. The same there after became father-in-law and son-in-law to Darius the Great.

Below we shall examine each appearance within Herodotus' Histories.

Otanes, son of Sisamnes[edit]

This Otanes became satrap of what we now know as western Turkey^[1].

He was the son of a judge named Sisamnes whom Cambyses II executed for accepting a bribe. Cambyses II slit Sisamnes throat and flayed his skin to see it made into leather to cover the judgement seat of Sisamnes successor in that role^[2] as a perpetual reminder of duty.^[3] Sisamnes was succeeded by his own son Otanes who was next made satrap "of the people of the coast"^[4] under Darius the Great.

References[edit]

1. ↑ Herodotus, Histories, 5.25.1
2. ↑ Herodotus, Histories, 5.25.1
3. ↑ Herodotus, Histories, 5.25.2
4. ↑ Herodotus, Histories, 5.25.1