1. A nolle and wealthy Persian, son of Pharnaspes. He was the first who suspected the
imposture of Smerdis the MIolaian, and, when his suspicion was confirmed by the report of his
daughter PHAEDIMA (one of the royal wives), he took the chief part
in orgamlizing the conspiracy against the pretender and his faction (B. C.
521). After the slaughter of the Magians, Otanes, according to the statement in
Herodotns, recommended the establishment of democracy, and, when his fellow-conspiraltors came
to the resolution of retaining monarchy, he alban doned all pretensions to the throne on
condition that himself and his descendants should be exempted fiom the royal authority. At the
same time it was decreed that to him and his posterity for ever a Median dress and other gifts
of honour should be annually presented. Not long after this, Otanes was placed in command of
the Persian force which invded Samos for the purpose of placing Syloson, brother of
Polycrates, in the government; and the act of the madman Charilaus in murdering a number of
the most distinguished Persians provoked him to order an indiscriminate massacre of the
Samians. Afterwards, however, in obedience to the warning of a dream, he repeopled the island
which he had thus desolated. (Hdt. 3.68_84, 141_149; camp. Strab. xi. p.638.)