Darayan I

Darayan I (also spelled Darev I and Darius I; Aramaic: 𐡃‬𐡀𐡓𐡉‬‬𐡅‬ d’ryw) was the first king of Persis, most likely invested with kingship of the region by his overlord, the Parthian monarch Phraates II (r. 132–127 BC) sometime after 132 BC.[1] Darayan I, unlike his predecessors—the fratarakas—used the title of shah ("king"), and laid foundations to a new dynasty, which may be labelled the Darayanids.[1] The title for "king" he uses on his coinage is malik, whilst the legend on the reverse is d’ryw mlk’ ("Darius the King").[2] The reason behind his adoption of the title of Darayan was seemingly because he felt strong enough to do so, and in spite of the difficulties that he and his successors faced, they did not renounce the title until the fall of the kingdom.[3]

Darayan I
Coin of Darayan I, Persepolis mint. Reverse: Aramaic legend: 𐡃‬𐡀𐡓𐡉‬‬𐡅‬ 𐡌𐡋‬𐡊‬ d’ryw mlk’ "Darius the King".
King of Persis
Reignafter 132 BC
PredecessorWadfradad II
SuccessorWadfradad III
Diedafter 132 BC
ReligionZoroastrianism

The style of the silver drachmas under Darayan I was a continual of the one under the fratarakas.[3] On the obverse, the king is wearing a soft cap (bashlyk) with a crescent.[2] On the reverse, the king is facing a fire temple with the Zoroastrian supreme deity Ahura Mazda above, and holding a scepter, and on the other side of the temple an eagle mounted on a pedestal. The reverse has an inscription in the Aramaic script: 𐡃‬𐡀𐡓𐡉‬‬𐡅‬ 𐡌𐡋‬𐡊‬ d’ryw mlk’ ("Darius the King").[2] Parthian influence was notable on the coinage of Darayan I and his successors.[4] Darayan I was succeeded by Wadfradad III.[4]

References
  1. Shayegan 2011, p. 178.
  2. Sellwood 1983, p. 303.
  3. Potts 2017, p. 776.
  4. Wiesehöfer 2009.

Sources
  • Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh (2007), "The Iranian Revival in the Parthian Period", in Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh and Sarah Stewart (ed.), The Age of the Parthians: The Ideas of Iran, 2, London & New York: I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd., in association with the London Middle East Institute at SOAS and the British Museum, pp. 7–25, ISBN 978-1-84511-406-0.
  • Potts, Daniel T., ed. (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran. Oxford University Press. pp. 1–1021. ISBN 9780190668662.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Shayegan, M. Rahim (2011). Arsacids and Sasanians: Political Ideology in Post-Hellenistic and Late Antique Persia. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–539. ISBN 9780521766418.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Sellwood, David (1983), "Minor States in Southern Iran", in Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.), Cambridge History of Iran, 3.1, London: Cambridge UP, pp. 299–322CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Wiesehöfer, Josef (2000). "Frataraka". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. X, Fasc. 2. p. 195.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Wiesehöfer, Josef (2009). "Persis, Kings of". Encyclopaedia Iranica.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Darayan I
Preceded by
Wadfradad II		 King of Persis
after 132 BC		 Succeeded by
Wadfradad III
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