Ecbatana

Ecbatana

Ecbatana (Old Persian: "Haŋgmatana", written "Agbatana" in Aeschylus and Herodotus, "Agámtanu" by Nabonidos, and "Agamatanu" at Behistun; modern Hamadan, Iran) (literally: "the place of gathering") is supposed to be the capital of Astyages ("Istuvegü"), which was taken by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great in the sixth year of Nabonidus (549 BC).

The Greeks supposed it to be the capital of Media, and ascribed its foundation to Deioces (the "Daiukku" of the cuneiform inscriptions), who is said to have surrounded his palace in it with seven concentric walls of different colours.

So far no evidence of Median existence in Hagmatana hill has been attested. The only evidence observed in the area belongs to the Parthian era afterwards. [ [http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=6905 CHN | News ] ] There is no mention of Hagmatana/Ecbatana in Assyrian sources at all. Some scholars have suggested the Sagbita/Sagbat frequently mentioned in Assyrian texts in fact has been an earlier form of the Ecbatana/Hagmatana mentioned in later Greek and Achaemenid sources, as Indo-Iranian /s/ turned into /h/ in many Iranian languages. Sagbita mentioned by Assyrian sources was located in proximity of cities of Kishesim (Kar-Nergal) and Harhar (Kar-Sharrukin) [I.N. Medvedskaya, Were the Assyrians at Ecbatana?, Jan, 2002 [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-132797080.html] ] [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SBL/is_16/ai_n13810182/pg_5 Were the Assyrians at Ecbatana? | International Journal of Kurdish Studies | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ] .Under the Persian kings, Ecbatana, situated at the foot of Mount Alvand, became a summer residence. Later, it became the capital of the Parthian kings.

Sir Henry Rawlinson attempted to prove that there was a second and older Ecbatana in "Media Atropatene" on the site of the modern Takht-i-Suleiman, but the cuneiform texts imply that there was only one city of the name, and "Takht-i Suleiman" is the Gazaca of classical geography. Ecbatana was the main mint of the Parthians, it produced drachm, tetradrachm, and assorted bronze denominations. It is also mentioned in the Bible (Ezra, vi. 2).

Ecbatana/Hamedan (Iran) is not to be confused with Ecbatana/Hamath (Syria) where Cambyses II is supposed to have died according to Herodotus.

Notes

References

*See Perrot and Chipiez, "History of Art in Persia" (Eng. trans., 1892); M Dieulafoy, "L'Art antique de Ia Perse", pt. i. (1884); J. de Morgan, "Mission scientifique en Perse", ii. (1894).
*1911 "Please update as needed."

External links

* [http://www.hegmataneh.ir/ Official website of Ecbatana]
* [http://www.newsnet.ir/display/?ID=5329&page=50 Real Hagmatana in Northwestern Iran? (In Persian)]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ecbatana — [ek bat′ n ə] capital of ancient Media, on the site of modern HAMADAN (Iran) …   English World dictionary

  • Ecbatana — Rhyton dorado de Irán perteneciente al período aqueménida. Excavado en Ecbatana. Se encuentra en el Museo Nacional de Irán. Bajo el dominio de los reyes persas, Ecbatana, situado a los pies del Monte Elvend, se convirtió en una residencia de… …   Wikipedia Español

  • ECBATANA — I. ECBATANA plur. num. metropolis Mediae, vel ut quidam existimant, regia quaedam magna a Deioce rege Medorum. Strab. l. 11. Ceterum Echatana Polyb. l. 10. videntur πλούτῳ καὶ τῇ τῆς καταςκευῆς πολυτελείᾳ μέγα τι παρα τὰς ἄλλας διενηνο χέναι… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Ecbatana —    Originally the capital of the Median Empire and later a key city in the Persian, Seleucid, and Parthian empires. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Ecbatana (modern Hamadan), located in the Zagros Mountains directly east of central… …   Ancient Mesopotamia dictioary

  • Ecbatana — /ek bat n euh/, n. ancient name of Hamadan. * * * ▪ ancient city, Iran       ancient city on the site of which stands the modern city of Hamadān (Hamadan) (q.v.), Iran. Ecbatana was the capital of Media and was subsequently the summer residence… …   Universalium

  • ECBATANA Syriae — quae Α᾿γβάτανα proprie, memorat Steph. ex Herod. quum editiones Herod. hodie legant Ε᾿κβατανα. Sed et Mediae metropolim quosdam Α᾿γβάτανα dixisse, ex Isid. Characeno docet Salmas. qua de re vide in voce Ecbatana. Syriae autem urbem hoc nomine… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Ecbatana — geographical name see Hamadan …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Ecbatana — noun /ɛkˈbætənə/ Ancient city in Iran on the site of modern Hamadan. The capital of Media and subsequently a royal residence of Persian and Parthian kings …   Wiktionary

  • Ecbatana —    (Ezra 6:2 marg.). (See Achmetha.) …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Ecbátana — ► Antigua c. de Asia, en el oeste del actual Irán, cap. de la Media (ss. VII VI a C). Es la actual Hamadān …   Enciclopedia Universal

Share the article and excerpts

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