Bagoas

Bagoas

Bagoas (or Βαγώας, Greek transcription of Old Persian "Bagoi"; died 336 BC) was a eunuch who became the confidential minister of Artaxerxes III. He threw in his lot with the Rhodian condottiere Mentor, and with his help succeeded in subjecting Egypt again to the Persian empire (probably 342 BC). Mentor became general of the maritime provinces, suppressed the rebels, and sent Greek mercenaries to the king, while Bagoas administered the upper satrapies and gained such power that he was the real master of the kingdom (Diod. xvi. 50; cf. Didymus, Comm. in Demosth. Phil. vi. 5).

He became very wealthy by confiscating the sacred writings of the Egyptian temples and giving them back to the priests for large bribes (Diod. XVI. 51). When the high priest of Jerusalem murdered his brother Johannes in the temple, Bagoas (who had supported Johannes) put a new tax on the Jews and entered the temple, saying that he was purer than the murderer who performed the priestly office (Joseph. Ant. xi. 7.1).

In 338 BC Bagoas killed the king and all his sons but the youngest, Arses, whom he raised to the throne; two years later he murdered Arses and made Darius III king. When Darius attempted to become independent of the powerful vizier, Bagoas tried to poison him too; but Darius was warned and forced him to drink the poison himself (Diod. xvii. 5; Johann. Antioch, p. 38, 39 ed. Muller; Arrian ii. 14. 5; Curt. vi. 4. 10).

A later story, that Bagoas was an Egyptian and killed Artaxerxes III because he had killed the sacred Apis (Aelian, Var. Hist. vi. 8), is without historical basis.

Bagoas' house in Susa, with rich treasures, was presented by Alexander to Parmenion (Plut. Alex. 39); his gardens in Babylon, with the best species of palms, are mentioned by Theophrastus (Hist. Plant, ii. 6; Plin. Nat. Hist. xiii. 41).

Plutarch reports an angry letter from Alexander to Darius, naming Bagoas as one of the persons that organized the murder of his father, Philip II.

References

*1911

External links

* [http://www.livius.org Livius] , [http://www.livius.org/ba-bd/bagoas/bagoas.html Bagoas] by Jona Lendering


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bagoas — (altpersisch Bagoi; † 336 v. Chr.) war im 4. vorchristlichen Jahrhundert ein Hofminister im persischen Großreich. Bekanntheit erlangte er als „Königsmacher“ der letzten Achämeniden. Er ist nicht mit dem gleichnamigen Günstling Alexanders des… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bagōas — (pers., d.i. ein Verschnittener), 1) (Bagoses), fanatischer Ägyptier, bei dem Perserkönig Artaxerxes Ochos vom größten Einfluß; führte die persischen Truppen nach Judäa u. entweihte den Tempel. Er vergiftete endlich seinen König u. ließ ihn, in… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Bagoas — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Bagoas (en grec ancien Βαγώας / Bagôas, en vieux persan Bagoi). Plusieurs personnages portent ce nom en Perse dans l antiquité. Le mot commun désignait un …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Bagoas — ▪ Achaemenian minister flourished 4th century BC       confidential minister of the Achaemenid king Artaxerxes III of Persia. His name was the Greek form of an Old Persian name often used for eunuchs.       Bagoas was commander in chief of the… …   Universalium

  • BAGOAS — I. BAGOAS Eunuchus Persicus, ab Alex. M. turpiter amatus. Orsinem, Satrapam et Principem nobilissimum, ut qui inter progenitores Cyrum numeraret, quod, aliis magnisice ab ipso donatis, ille praeteritus esset, calumniis apud Regem labefecit,… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Bagoas — (fl. 360–336 BC)    Persian eunuch. He was a close adviser of Artaxerxes III and led his army in the reconquest of Egypt in 343 BC. He quarreled with his Greek mercenaries and was recalled to Persia. Bagoas murdered Artaxerxes III in 338 BC, as… …   Ancient Egypt

  • Bagoas (cortesano de Alejandro) — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Para otros personajes históricos llamados Bagoas, véase Bagoas (desambiguación) …   Wikipedia Español

  • Bagoas (visir) — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Para otros personajes históricos llamados Bagoas, véase Bagoas (desambiguación). Sin imagen disponible Fecha de nacimiento: ¿? Fecha de su muerte: 336 a. C. (ejecutado) Datos históricos relevantes: Visir… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Bagoas (courtier) — Bagoas (in Old Persian Bagoi ) was a eunuch in the Persian Empire in the 4th Century BCE. He was reportedly the lover of Darius III and after Darius death, of Alexander the Great. Another eunuch of the same name, a vizier of the empire, deposed… …   Wikipedia

  • Bagoas (Günstling) — Bagoas (altpersisch Bagoi; † nach 324 v. Chr.), war ein Günstling am persischen Königshof und im Gefolge Alexanders des Großen im 4. vorchristlichen Jahrhundert. Er ist nicht zu verwechseln mit dem gleichnamigen Hofminister. Bagoas bittet bei… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”