A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

Smith, William

A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. William Smith, LLD, ed. 1890

(Τιθραύστης), a Persian, who was commissioned by Artaxerxes II. (Mnemon), in B. C. 395, to put Tissaphernes to death, and to succeed him in his satrapy. On his arrival at Colossae in Phrygia, he caused Tissaphernes to be slain, and sent his head to the king. He then opened negotiations with Agesilaus, representing to him that, as the chief promoter of the war was dead, there was no longer any occasion for the presence of a Spartan army in Asia, and proposing peace on condition that the Asiatic Greeks should be independent, only paying their ancient tribute to Persia. To this Agesilaus would not consent in the absence of instructions from home, and Tithraustes then persuaded him to remove the war from his satrapy into that of Pharnabazus, and even supplied him with money for the expedition. Being soon after convinced that Agesilaus had no intention of leaving Asia, Tithraustes sent Timocrates, the Rhodian, into Greece with fifty talents, which he was ordered to distribute among the leading men in the several states, to induce them to excite a war against Sparta at home (Xen. Hell. 3.4. §§ 25, &c., 5.1; Diod. 14.80; Paus. 3.9; Plut. Art. 20, Ages. 15). Tithraustes had been superseded in his satrapy by B. C. 393, when Antalcidas was sent to negotiate with his successor, Tiribazus. (Xen. Hell. 4.8.12.)

It was probably the same Tithraustes whom we find joined with Pharnabazus and Abrocomas in the command of the unsuccessful expedition of the Persians to Egypt, which seems to have occurred between B. C. 392 and 390 [PHARNABAZUS]. We may perhaps identify him also with the Tithraustes who is mentioned as holding the office of Chiliarch (Vizier) at the time of the embassy of Pelopidas and Ismenias to Susa in B. C. 367 (Ael. VH 1.21; see, however, C. Nep. Conon 3). We hear, moreover, of a certain Tithraustes, who was sent to act against the rebel Artabazus in B. C. 356, and was defeated by the Athenian general, Chares (Schol. Aug. ad Dem. Phil. i. p. 45). [CHARES.]

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