Murder Of Bardiya: Son Of Cyrus The Great And The Riddle Of The Impostor
David Tee - AncientPages.com - The fascinating thing about and the weakness of history is that there are so many theories, opinions, and options to choose from when trying to get to the heart of a historical event or person. In the case of the murder of Bardiya, we only have 3 to choose from this time.
Left: Darius the Great showing his feet on the body of Gaumata the false king; while holding his right hand up thanking Ahura Mazda for his triumph in saving his empire. Credit: iranchamber.com - Right: Cyrus the Great. Credit Public Domain
Darius left an account of his rise to the Persian throne on his Behistun inscription; Herodotus wrote about it in his Histories Book III; Ctesias in his work Persika. Yet all three provide a different name to the son and his supposed imitator.
Smerdis is the actual name of the younger brother of Cambyses, but he is sometimes known as Bardiya. If that isn’t confusing enough, then the intrigue surrounding this story will add to it.
Why Was Bardiya Killed?
If we are talking about the real Smerdis, it is possible that Cambyses killed him to prevent what took place—a rebellion and ascension to the throne by someone other than Cambyses.
The real Smerdis was very ambitious and wanted the throne for himself, so Cambyses just tried to solve a problem before it became a problem. Unfortunately for Cambyses, he died of natural causes during or after his battle with Egypt.
But if we are talking about the fake Smerdis, he was killed by Darius, who was only a prince then. He had little claim to the throne except that he married the daughter of Cyrus the Great.
After Cambyses died, supposedly a fake Smerdis rebelled and claimed the throne for himself. This takeover and crowning of the new King are seen in old letters from Babylon, which declared him officially proclaimed King on July 1st.
Darius killed this fraud in about September of the same year in Sikayauvati. The Behistun inscription records all of this and states that Darius killed a man, a Magian from Mede, called Gaumâta.
But there are complications to this story.
One Little Problem
The real Smerdis had a wife. For the fake Smerdis to succeed in his plans, he would have to have some interaction with her and fool her completely. It is a difficult challenge and hints at three possible scenarios. One, the Smerdis that Darius killed, was the real Smerdis who was not killed by his brother Cambyses.
Two, the wife was completely clueless and was fooled by this fraud. Then, three, it is possible that the wife was in on the ruse and helped the fake gain power. Unfortunately, no extant records tell us the whole story of what happened.
What lends credibility to the idea that it was the real Smerdis who was killed by Darius and not Cambyses is the strength Smerdis possessed. Smerdis was the only one in the Kingdom strong enough to pull an Ethiopian bow. Did the fake Smerdis have this strength as well?
We do not know.
Impostor Smerdis Became King For A Day
As alluded to earlier, the fake Smerdis did get to the throne. The unfortunate early demise of Cambyses opened the door for the fraud to gain control of the Kingdom. But rebellion does not always equal longevity. Someone is always waiting in the wings, holding the same ambition.
In this case, it was Darius, and this prince would only rest once he had control of the Persian empire. The real or fake Smerdis’ rule lasted but a moment in time. A few months before, he was deposed and killed.
What makes this tale all the more confusing is that no one in the King’s court, no royal family member or friend, no attendant, and so on, noticed that the real Smerdis disappeared.
Cambyses may have approved the royal switch, but we cannot be sure as the extant records do not say. What does matter is that the three accounts seem to agree in all details except for the names of the Smerdis and his supposed replacement.
Written by – David Tee AncientPages.com
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesThe False Smerdis: A Detective Story of Ancient Times: The Reconstruction by Ilya Gershevitch reviewed by Simonetta Schiena East and West Vol. 58, No. 1/4 (December 2008), pp. 87-106
More From Ancient Pages
-
Fascinating Slavic Mythology Offers Surprising Insight Into The Mystery Of Reincarnation
Featured Stories | Oct 13, 2015
-
Stolen Antique Tamil Nadu Statues Have Been Returned By Britain To India
Artifacts | Sep 23, 2020
-
10 Ancient Chinese Musical Instruments You Didn’t Know About
Featured Stories | Jan 20, 2016
-
Lost Viking Village Borgund And Its 45,000 Artifacts Hidden In A Basement Examined By Experts
Archaeology | Apr 22, 2022
-
3,000-year-old knight discovered at the Palidli necropolis
Civilizations | Aug 22, 2015
-
Early Toilets Reveal Dysentery In Old Testament Jerusalem
Archaeology | May 26, 2023
-
More Greek Gods’ Heads And A Life-Sized Statue Of A Man Unearthed In The Ancient City Of Aizanoi
Archaeology | Dec 28, 2022
-
Genetic Links Between Traits Are Often Overstated – UCLA Study
Archaeology | Nov 28, 2022
-
Chaneques: Mischievous Legendary Tricksters In Mexican Folklore
Featured Stories | Apr 14, 2020
-
Amage: Sarmatian Warrior Queen/Regent Who Impressed With Remarkable Military Skills
Featured Stories | May 23, 2023
-
Irkalla – Underworld With No Return Ruled By Ereshkigal, Granddaughter Of Enlil And Sister Of Inanna
Featured Stories | Oct 20, 2021
-
Three 17th Century Shipwrecks Discovered In Central Gothenburg, Sweden
Archaeology | Oct 8, 2019
-
Marriage And Divorce In Ancient Egypt Were Different But Uncomplicated
Ancient History Facts | Dec 12, 2018
-
Just 7% Of Our DNA Is Unique To Modern Humans – We Are Not Much Different From The Neanderthals
Archaeology | Jul 27, 2021
-
Are Bones Of Apostle Peter Hidden Inside A 1000-Year-Old Roman Church?
Archaeology | Sep 16, 2017
-
Georgia Guidestones Damaged By An Explosive Device – By Whom And Why?
News | Jul 7, 2022
-
Tiresias – Unusual Prophet Who Turned Into A Woman For Seven Years
Featured Stories | May 16, 2020
-
Lamashtu Plaque: Assyrian Healing Device Against The Evil Goddess
Artifacts | Mar 16, 2023
-
Why Is A Biscuit Named After Giuseppe Garibaldi – Italy’s Military Leader And Hero?
Ancient History Facts | Feb 19, 2017
-
Arimaspians: Mysterious Mighty Warriors With One-Eye
Featured Stories | Mar 9, 2021