Sabaces

Satrap of Egypt

Portrait of satrap Sabaces from his coinage. Circa 340-333 BC. Achaemenid Egypt.

Predecessor| Pherendates II
Successor| Mazaces
Dynasty| 31st Dynasty
Pharaoh| Darius III
Coin of Sabaces, in imitation of Athenian coinage. Obverse: Head of Athena. Reverse: Athenian owl. To right: Sabaces symbol and Aramaic inscription 𐡎𐡅𐡉𐡊 SWYK. Circa 340-333 BC. Achaemenid Egypt.[1] Coin of Sabaces. Persian Egypt. Circa 335-333 BC

Sabaces (Ancient Greek: Σαβάκης; name variants: Sabakes, Sauaces; Sataces; Sathaces; Diodorus Siculus calls him Tasiaces (Τασιάκης);[2] Aramaic: 𐡎𐡅𐡉𐡊 SWYK, died in 333 BC) was an Achaemenid Persian satrap of the Achaemenid Thirty-first Dynasty of Egypt during the reign of king Darius III of Persia.

## Resistance to Alexander the Great

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Some time before the Battle of Issus (modern-day Turkey), Sabaces left Egypt with his army to join Darius III in Syria and support him in his fight against Alexander the Great. When the Battle of Issus took place (November 333 BC) Alexander and his horsemen fought their way through the enemy troops until they came in close vicinity to Darius III, whose life was therefore threatened. Darius III was protected by the most noble Persians, among them also Sabaces, who was killed:[3]

> Of the Persians were killed Arsames, Rheomithres, and Atizyes who had commanded the cavalry at the Granicus. Sabaces, viceroy of Egypt, and Bubaces, one of the Persian dignitaries, were also killed, besides about 100,000 of the private soldiers, among them being more than 10,000 cavalry.

> — The Anabasis of Alexander by Arrian, translated by E. J. Chinnock, Book II, Chapter XI[4]

The Persian king fled because he feared for his life; therefore the Macedonians won the battle.

## Successor

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Mazaces was probably the successor of Sabaces in Egypt, but because Sabaces had taken with him nearly all occupying forces, Mazaces was not able to organize military resistance against the Macedonians. Therefore, Alexander the Great was able to take Egypt without fighting (332 BC).

## Notes

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1. ^ CNG: EGYPT, Persian Administration. Sabakes. Circa 340-333 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 16.88 g, 9h). Imitating Athens.
2. ^ Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 17.34.5
3. ^ Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri 2.11.8; Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 17.34.5; Quintus Curtius Rufus, Historiae Alexandri Magni 3.11.10 and 4.1.28
4. ^ The Anabasis of Alexander.

## References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sabakes.

* Waldemar Heckel: Who’s who in the age of Alexander the Great. Prosopography of Alexander’s empire. Blackwell, Oxford 2006, ISBN 978-1-4051-1210-9
* Siegfried Lauffer: Alexander der Große. dtv, Munich 1978, third edition 1993, ISBN 3-423-04298-2, p. 78 and 87.

Preceded by

Pherendates II

|  Satrap of Egypt
335 – 333 BCE[1] | Succeeded by

Mazaces

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Rulers in the Achaemenid Empire

Family tree \- Achaemenid Kingdom

Kings of Kings
of the Achaemenid Empire|

* Achaemenes
* Ariaramnes
* Arsames
* Teispes
* Cyrus I
* Cambyses I
* Cyrus the Great
* Cambyses II
* Bardiya
* Darius the Great
* Xerxes I
* Artaxerxes I
* Xerxes II
* Sogdianus
* Darius II
* Artaxerxes II Mnemon
* Artaxerxes III Ochus
* Artaxerxes IV Arses
* Darius III Codomannus
* Artaxerxes V Bessus

Satraps of Lydia|

* Tabalus
* Mazares
* Harpagus
* Oroetus
* Bagaeus
* Otanes
* Artaphernes I
* Artaphernes II
* Pissuthnes
* Tissaphernes
* Cyrus the Younger
* Tissaphernes
* Tithraustes
* Tiribazus
* Struthas
* Autophradates
* Spithridates

Satraps of Hellespontine Phrygia|

* Mitrobates
* Megabazus
* Megabates
* Oebares II
* Artabazus I
* Pharnabazus I
* Pharnaces II
* Pharnabazus II
* Ariobarzanes
* Artabazus II
* Pharnabazus III
* Arsites

Satraps of Cappadocia|

* Datames
* Ariamnes I
* Mithrobuzanes
* Ariarathes I

Greek Governors of Asia Minor cities|

* Miltiades
* Demaratus
* Gongylos
* Eurysthenes
* Prokles
* Histiaeus
* Aristagoras
* Themistocles
* Archeptolis
* Aridolis
* Amyntas II
* Philiscus

Dynasts of Lycia|

* Kheziga
* Kybernis
* Kuprlli
* Harpagus
* Teththiweibi
* Kheriga
* Kherei
* Arbinas
* Artembares
* Artumpara
* Mithrapata
* Perikle

Dynasts of Caria|

* Lygdamis I
* Artemisia
* Pisindelis
* Lygdamis II
* Adusius (satrap)
* Hecatomnus
* Mausolus
* Artemisia II
* Idrieus
* Ada
* Pixodarus
* Orontobates

Kings of Macedonia|

* Amyntas I of Macedon
* Alexander I of Macedon

Kings of Tyre|

* Mattan IV
* Boulomenus
* Abdemon
* Evagoras
* Azemilcus

Kings of Sidon|

* Eshmunazar I
* Tabnit
* Queen Amoashtart (regent)
* Eshmunazar II
* Bodashtart
* Yatonmilk
* Anysos
* Tetramnestos
* Baalshillem I
* Baana
* Baalshillem II
* Abdashtart I
* Tennes
* Evagoras II
* Abdashtart II
* Abdashtart III

Satraps of Armenia|

* Artasyrus
* Orontes I
* Darius III
* Orontes II

Satraps of Egypt|

* Aryandes
* Pherendates
* Achaemenes
* Arsames
* Pherendates II
* Sabaces
* Mazaces

Satraps of Bactria|

* Hystaspes
* Dadarsi
* Masistes
* Bessus

Satraps of Media|

* Hydarnes
* Hydarnes the Younger
* Atropates

Satraps of Cilicia|

* Syennesis III
* Camisares
* Mazaeus
* Arsames

Other known satraps|

* Megabyzus, Abrocomas, Belesys (Syria)
* Ochus (Hyrcania)
* Satibarzanes (Aria)
* Atizyes (Greater Phrygia)
* Phrataphernes (Parthia)
* Ariobarzanes (Persis)
* Abulites (Susiana)
* Mazaeus (Babylon)

In most territories, Achaemenid rulers were succeeded by Hellenistic satraps and Hellenistic rulers from around 330 BC

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1. ^ Stewart, John (2006). African States and Rulers (Third ed.). London: McFarland. p. 83\. ISBN 0-7864-2562-8.

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