Spargapises

Spargapises (Birth unknown-530 B.C.E.) was a Massagetae general and son of the rebellious Massagetae queen Tomyris. Most of what history recounts of him is based on Herodotus's The Histories. Spargapises is part of the Massagetae forces that battled against Cyrus the Great. Little is known of his life aside from his contact with Cyrus during Cyrus's campaign to Araxes. Spargapises is eventually captured by the Persians and is granted freedom and a pardon by Cyrus the Great after a short period of incarcation. He would however eventually commit suicide after having learned of his blunder.

Background

Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II of Persia) and Croesus offered the Massagetae, a treaty of peace via the marriage of Cyrus to the Massagetae queen Tomyris. Tomyris having turned down the offer, would then send a strongly worded letter to Cyrus warning him from any advancement. Cyrus would however in an attempt to bring peace and order to the northern territories of the growing Persian empire advance toward Araxes with the Persian army around 530 B.C.E. With the advice of Croseus, Cyrus would leave behind a small group of Persians and set up a banquet. The Massagetians would attack and slaughter this small pocket of Persian resistance and would then gorge themselves on the food and wine. Among them is Spargapises who also drinks himself to inebriation and satiation.

Once Cyrus and Croesus return, they battle the Massagetian force defeating them and capturing Spargapises. When Spargapises realizes of his army's blunder and his own mistake, he begs Cyrus for freedom, to which Cyrus responds and orders that he is set free. Once free, Spargapises, commits suicide by impaling himself having learned of his intoxication and defeat. Spargapises's behavior, including his intoxication, suicide, and lack of maturity when compared to that of Cyrus the Great, has led some scholars to term him adulescentulum filium.

Sources

• Herodotus, Histories, book 1, chapters 204-215.