Mazaces

Mazaces, also Mazakes (Old Iranian: Mazdāka, Aramaic: 𐡌𐡆𐡃𐡊 MZDK), was the last Achaemenid satrap of ancient Egypt during the late reign of Darius III of the 31st Dynasty of Egypt.

For the ancient Libyan people, see Mazices.
Mazaces
Satrap of Egypt
Satrap of Mesopotamia
Coin of Mazakes as Satrap of Mesopotamia in the Alexandrine Empire. 331-323-2 BC. Obverse: Athena. Reverse: Athenian owl, MZDK (𐡌𐡆𐡃𐡊 in Aramaic).[1]
PredecessorSabaces
SuccessorCleomenes of Naucratis
Dynasty31st Dynasty
PharaohDarius III

Mazaces succeeded Sabaces after the latter's death at the battle of Issus (333 BCE).[2] His office lasted less than a year: when Alexander the Great invaded Egypt in late 332 BCE, Mazaces did not have enough military force to put up a resistance. Counselled by Amminapes, who knew Alexander well, Mazaces handed the country to the Macedonian without a fight, along with a treasure of 800 talents of gold. This event marked the end of the short–lived second Egyptian satrapy (343–332 BCE).[3][4]

It is unknown what happened to Mazaces after this event, but Alexander assigned the role of satrap of Egypt to the Greek Cleomenes of Naucratis before leaving for the East.[5]

Mazakes may have been nominated as satrap of Mesopotamia in reward for his submission, as coins in his name and in a style similar to his Egyptian predecessor Sabakes, are found in this region, and the satrap of Mesopotamia at that time is otherwise unknown.[6][7][8][9]

The next satrap of Mesopotamia was Bleitor.[10]

References
  1. Spek, R. J. Van der; Zanden, Jan Luiten van; Leeuwen, Bas van (2014). A History of Market Performance: From Ancient Babylonia to the Modern World. Routledge. p. 376. ISBN 9781317918509.
  2. Bresciani, Edda, "EGYPT i. Persians in Egypt in the Achaemenid period," Encyclopædia Iranica, VIII/3, pp. 247-249, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/egypt-i (accessed on 27 May 2018).
  3. Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri 3.1
  4. Heinen, Heinz, "EGYPT iii. Relations in the Seleucid and Parthian periods," Encyclopaedia Iranica, VIII/3, pp. 250-252, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/egypt-iii (accessed on 27 May 2018).
  5. Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri 3.5
  6. CNG: PERSIA, Alexandrine Empire. Mazakes. Satrap of Mesopotamia, circa 331-323/2 BC. AR Tetradrachm (23mm, 17.21 g, 5h). Imitating Athens.
  7. Mitchiner, Michael (1975). Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian Coinage. Hawkins Publications. p. 7. ISBN 9780904173062.
  8. Rider, Georges Le (2007). Alexander the Great: Coinage, Finances, and Policy. American Philosophical Society. p. 217. ISBN 9780871692610.
  9. Praktika tou XII Diethnous Synedriou Klasikēs Archaiologias: Athēna, 4-10 Septembriou 1983 (in French). Hypourgeio Politismou kai Epistēmōn. 1985. p. 246.
  10. CNG: PERSIA, Alexandrine Empire. temp. Mazakes – Bleitor. Satraps of Mesopotamia, circa 331-316 BC. AR Tetradrachm (21mm, 16.44 g, 6h). Imitating Athens.
  11. Stewart, John (2006). African States and Rulers (Third ed.). London: McFarland. p. 83. ISBN 0-7864-2562-8.
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