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TISSAPHERNES (Pers. Cithrafarna)

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Originally appearing in Volume V26, Page 1015 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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TISSAPHERNES (Pers. Cithrafarna) , See also:Persian soldier and statesman, son of Hydarnes. In 413 he was See also:satrap of See also:Lydia and See also:Caria, and See also:commander in See also:chief of the Persian See also:army in See also:Asia See also:Minor (Thuc. viii. 5). When See also:Darius II. ordered the collection of the outstanding See also:tribute of the See also:Greek cities, he entered into an See also:alliance with See also:Sparta against See also:Athens, which in 412 led to the See also:conquest of the greater See also:part of See also:Ionia. But Tissaphernes was unwilling to take See also:action and tried to achieve his aim by astute and often perfidious negotiations; See also:Alcibiades persuaded him that See also:Persia's best policy was to keep the See also:balance between Athens and Sparta, and rivalry with his See also:neighbour See also:Pharnabazus of Hellespontic See also:Phrygia still further lessened his See also:energy. When, therefore, in 408 the See also:king decided to support Sparta strenuously, Tissaphernes was removed from the generalship and limited to the satrapy of Caria, whereas Lydia and the conduct of the See also:war were entrusted to See also:Cyrus the Younger. On the downfall of Athens, Cyrus and Tissaphernes both claimed See also:jurisdiction over the Ionian cities, most of which acknowledged Cyrus as their ruler; but Tissaphernes took See also:possession of See also:Miletus, where he was attacked by Cyrus, who gathered an army under this pretence with the purpose of using it against his See also:brother See also:Artaxerxes II. The king was warned by Tissaphernes, who took part in the See also:battle of Cunaxa, and afterwards tried to destroy the Greek mercenaries of Cyrus by treachery. He was then sent back to Asia Minor to his old position as See also:general in chief and satrap of Lydia and Caria. He now attacked the Greek cities, to punish them for their See also:allegiance to Cyrus. This led to the war with Sparta in 399.

Tissaphernes, who once again had recourseto subtle See also:

diplomacy, was beaten by Agesilaus on the Pactolus near See also:Sardis (395); and at last the king yielded to the representations of Pharnabazus, strongly supported by the chiliarch (See also:vizier) Tithraustes and by the See also:queen-See also:mother See also:Parysatis, who hated Tissaphernes as the See also:principal cause of the See also:death of her favourite son Cyrus. Tithraustes was sent to execute Tissaphernes, who was lured to See also:Colossae and slain in 395. (ED.

End of Article: TISSAPHERNES (Pers. Cithrafarna)

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TISSERAND, FRANCOIS FELIX (1845-1896)

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