Old Persian names of some notable Achaemenid dynasty figures

[transemacabre]

Because we Westerners learn so much of our ancient history through the Greek writers, most of us are familiar with such figures as Artaxerxes, Cyrus, Bagoas, etc. through a peculiarly Greek or sometimes Latin filter. Of course these people spoke to and about one another in Old Persian, and wouldn't have recognized their own names in such a form. In the interest of science, I've compiled a list of some of the common Old Persian names and their corresponding Greek forms, with the meaning if known.

Old Persian | Greek
Vahuka | Ochus
Artafarna | Artaphrenes (with sacred truthfulness)
Artaxshacha | Artaxerxes (ruling through truth)
Bagabukhsha | Megabyzus
Gaumata | Cometes
Parushyatish | Parysatis (much blessing)
Xshayarsha | Xerxes (ruling over heroes)
Bagadata | Bagoas (given by god)
Darayavush | Darius (holding firm to good)
Ishtuvegu | Astyages
Kurush | Cyrus
Kambujiya | Cambyses
Chishpish | Teispes
Amastri | Amestris/Amestrine (strong woman)
Vashtateira | Stateira (beauty of the sign of Mercury
Hakhamanish | Achaemenes
Vishtapa | Hystaspes

Sources:

M.A. Dandamaev. A Political History of the Achaemenid Empire, 1989
Ragozin, Zenaide. Media, Babylon and Persia, 1903

Comments

[curtana.livejournal.com]

Very interesting! Wow, some of them are so different...