Ariaramnes

Ariaramnes (Old Persian: 𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹𐎠𐎼𐎶𐎴[1] Ariyāramna,[2] "He who brings peace to the Aryans (i.e. Iranians)"[3]) was a great-uncle of Cyrus the Great and the great-grandfather of Darius I, and perhaps the king of Parsa[4], the ancient core kingdom of Persia.

Position of Ariaramnes in the Achaemenid lineage according to Darius the Great in the Behistun inscription.

Ariaramnes was most likely the brother of Cyrus I of Anshan and son of Teispes, but this is not certain. In any case, he was a member of the Achaemenid House. As supported by the relief at Behistun he was the first king of a separate Achaemenid branch that ran parallel to the reigns of Cyrus I and his son Cambyses I. As the great-grandfather of Darius the Great, this line ultimately absorbs the Dynasty and dominates the Persian Empire.

Hamadan Tablet

Sometime in the first half of the 20th Century two gold tablets relating to Ariaramnes were found in Ecbatana, modern Hamadan. These gold tablets allegedly documented the reigns of Ariaramnes and his son Arsames and were written in Old Persian in the first person. This is the only evidence we have from the time documenting his reign and thus this branch of the Achaemenid royal family.

Another attestation of his reign is the later Behistun Inscription, where his great-grandson Darius I states that eight Achaemenid kings preceded him - and then, he must be counting Ariaramnes as a king.

His English name is derived - via Latin - from the Greek Ἀριαράμνης. In Modern Persian, his name is spelled اریارمنه.‎[5]

References
  1. Akbarzadeh (2006), page 56
  2. Kent (1384 AP), page 393
  3. See Shahbazi (1987). Shahbazi believes this interpretation is problematic.
  4. "ARIYĀRAMNA – Encyclopaedia Iranica". www.iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  5. Kent (1384 AP), page 391

Bibliography
  • Akbarzadeh, D.; A. Yahyanezhad (2006). The Behistun Inscriptions (Old Persian Texts) (in Persian). Khaneye-Farhikhtagan-e Honarhaye Sonati. ISBN 964-8499-05-5.
  • Kent, Ronald Grubb (1384 AP). Old Persian: Grammar, Text, Glossary (in Persian). translated into Persian by S. Oryan. ISBN 964-421-045-X. Check date values in: |year= (help)
  • A. Sh. Shahbazi (1987): "Ariyaramna", in Encyclopaedia Iranica.
Ariaramnes
Born: ?? Died: ??
Preceded by
Teispes		 King of Persia Succeeded by
Arsames
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