The Satrapies of the Persian Empire in Asia Minor

Abstract

Abstract The administration of Asia Minor within the Persian Empire was delegated to satraps who governed and controlled a specific area of jurisdiction, of administrative and military responsibility, and of official action, dubbed “satrapies” in the Greek literary sources. The satraps of Lydia, Hellespontine Phrygia, Greater Phrygia, and Caria (including Lycia and Cappadocia) were high-ranking imperial officials whose political influence and importance depended on the economic power of the areas they governed, as well as their personal closeness to the Persian king. The positions of the Lydian and the Hellespontine satraps were the most prestigious offices in Asia Minor, traditionally combined with additional imperial powers, in particular of a military nature. The need to safeguard the empire’s stability made regional adjustments necessary in order to check the increasing power of individual satraps, and this led to the creation of new satrapies (Caria and Lycia). It is generally challenging to outline the exact topography and administrative definition of the individual satrapies. The details of the internal administrative structures of the satrapies are almost entirely unknown, particularly as local particularities, be they cultural or political, continued and were supported under Persian imperial rule. What is beyond doubt, however, is that the satrapies of Asia Minor were important and dynamic hubs for the Persian Empire’s diplomatic, economic, cultural, and military activities on its western border, oriented toward the Aegean and the Black Sea.