Bardiya either ruled the Achaemenid Empire for a few months in 522 BCE, or was impersonated by a magus called Gaumata (Old Persian: 𐎥𐎢𐎶𐎠𐎫 Gaumāta), whose name is given by Ctesias as Sphendadates (Old Persian: *Spantadātah; Ancient Greek: Σφενδαδάτης Sphendadátēs), until he was toppled by Darius the Great.

…had to fight a usurper, Gaumata the Magian, who pretended to be Bardiya, the son of Cyrus the Great and brother of the king Cambyses. This Magian had destroyed cultic shrines, āyadanas, which Darius restored. One possible explanation of these events is that Gaumata had adopted Zoroastrianism, a doctrine that… Read More

Jun 1, 2013 · GAUMĀTA, according to the Bīsotūn inscriptions (q.v.), the Magian pretender who seized the Achaemenid throne by claiming to be Bardiya (Smerdis), the son of Cyrus the Great (qq.v.).No event has been more abundantly documented and more bitterly discussed in the rich history of the Achaemenids than the transition of power from Cambyses (Kambūjiya) to Darius I (522 B.C.E., qq.v.).

Gaumata being trampled upon by Darius. According to several ancient sources, Smerdis was the only one who was strong enough to draw a bow sent to the Persian court by an enemy; the Greek researcher Herodotus says that this enemy was the Kushite king (from Sudan), others state that it was a leader of the nomads living in Central Asia.

Dec 7, 2018 · Left: Darius the Great showing his feet on the body of Gaumata the false king; while holding his right hand up thanking Ahura Mazda for his triumph in saving his empire. Credit: iranchamber.com - Right: Cyrus the Great.

Gaumata, also known as false Smerdis, was an impostor who briefly usurped the throne of the Achaemenid Empire in ancient Persia. His rise to power is a significant event in Persian history and is primarily documented by the Greek historian Herodotus.

The duplication of the usurper in the Greek sources—which contrasts with the Bisotun inscription’s single “usurper”—is commonly believed to derive from the erroneous interpretation of Gaumāta’s titles as appellations of secondary persons. [] The names of the pair transmitted by Herodotus, namely, Patizeithēs and Smerdis, could be …

Smerdis/Gaumâta Smerdis (Old Persian Bardiya): Persian prince, son of king Cyrus.According to ancient sources, he was the only one who was strong enough to draw a bow sent to the Persian court by an enemy; some say that the enemy was the Ethiopian king, others state that it was a leader of the nomads living in Central Asia.

"usurper," Bardiya in Herodotus, and Gaumata upasta-. He then falsely ascribed Gaumäta's epi in Justin, the combined evidence of the two thet to the second protagonist.

This article examines the contested historical events surrounding the Achaemenid succession crisis of 522-521 BCE, focusing on the figures of Bardiya and Gaumata. It reconciles two opposing scholarly interpretations: one viewing Gaumata as a usurper impersonating Bardiya, and the other asserting the existence of a legitimate Bardiya.