Smerdis

Also known as: Smerdis the son of Cyrus · Family: Persian · Role: brother of Cambyses · First appears: Book 3 · §29–35

Smerdis, son of Cyrus and brother of Cambyses, was killed at Susa by Prexaspes, whom Cambyses had sent to carry out the order. Cambyses later revealed that he had commanded the killing after mistaking a vision for a threat to his throne: “I therefore, fool that I was, sent away Prexaspes to Susa to kill Smerdis”.

After Smerdis’s death, Smerdis the Magian usurped his place and became king. At a tower, Prexaspes publicly said that he had killed Smerdis under Cambyses’s command and that the Magians were ruling. Smerdis’s daughter Parmys later married Dareios; their son Ariomardos commanded the Moschoi and Tibarenians.

Relationship record

Life events

• Cambyses sent Prexaspes to kill Smerdis, who was slain at Susa.(Book 3 · §29–35 · 📍 Susa)
  • With: Cambyses Prexaspes
  • “he sent Prexaspes to Persia, the man whom of all the Persians he trusted most, with command to slay him. He accordingly went up to Susa and slew Smerdis”
• Cambyses revealed that he had ordered Smerdis killed after mistaking a vision for a threat to his throne.(Book 3 · §65–70)
  • With: Cambyses
  • “I therefore, fool that I was, sent away Prexaspes to Susa to kill Smerdis”
• The seven pledged faith to one another and began deliberating how to kill the Magian.(Book 3 · §71–77)
  • With: Dareios Otanes Gobryas Hystaspes (father of Dareios) Cyrus Prexaspes
  • “These then having come together, being seven in number, gave pledges of faith to one another and deliberated together;”
• Prexaspes publicly revealed that he had killed Smerdis and that the Magians ruled.(Book 3 · §71–77 · 📍 a tower)
  • With: Prexaspes Cyrus
  • “He proceeded to say how he had himself slain Smerdis the son of Cyrus, being compelled by Cambyses, and that it was the Magians who were now ruling.”
• Dareios married Atossa, Artystone, and Parmys.(Book 3 · §83–90)
  • With: Dareios Atossa Artystone Cambyses Parmys
  • “for he married two daughters of Cyrus, Atossa and Artystone, of whom the one, Arossa, had before been the wife of Cambyses her brother and then afterwards of the Magian, while Artystone was a virgin; and besides them he married the daughter of Smerdis the son of Cyrus, whose name was Parmys”
• Ariomardos commanded the Moschoi and Tibarenians; Artaÿctes commanded the Macronians and Mossynoicoi.(Book 7 · §70–85)
  • With: Ariomardos Dareios Parmys Cyrus Artaÿctes Cherasmis
  • “the Moschoi and Tibarenians under Ariomardos, who was the son of Dareios and of Parmys, the daughter of Smerdis son of Cyrus; the Macronians and Mossynoicoi under Artaÿctes the son of Cherasmis, who was governor of Sestos on the Hellespont.”

Book 3 · §29–35

• siblings with Cambyses (son of Cyrus) “he put to death his brother Smerdis, who was of the same father and the same mother as himself.”
• with Cambyses (son of Cyrus) (interaction) “the first of his evil deeds was that he put to death his brother Smerdis”
• with Prexaspes (interaction) “He accordingly went up to Susa and slew Smerdis”

Book 3 · §58–64

• parent: Cyrus “he had a brother (that one who, as I said, rose up with him against Cambyses), and this man in form very closely resembled Smerdis the son of Cyrus, whom Cambyses had slain, being his own brother.”
• siblings with Cambyses (son of Cyrus) “he had a brother (that one who, as I said, rose up with him against Cambyses), and this man in form very closely resembled Smerdis the son of Cyrus, whom Cambyses had slain, being his own brother.”
• siblings with Patizeithes “Therefore he endeavoured to obtain the kingdom, and he formed his plan as follows:—he had a brother (that one who, as I said, rose up with him against Cambyses), and this man in form very closely resembled Smerdis the son of Cyrus, whom Cambyses had slain, being his own brother.”

Book 3 · §65–70

• siblings with Cambyses (son of Cyrus) “I have both made myself the murderer of my brother, when there was no need”
• parent: Cyrus “Smerdis the son of Cyrus”
• siblings with Atossa “for assuredly it must be that she knows her own brother.”
• with Smerdis the Magian (The Magian usurped Smerdis son of Cyrus's place as king.) “the Magian became king without disturbance, usurping the place of his namesake Smerdis the son of Cyrus”

Book 3 · §71–77

• parent: Cyrus “the Magian who was reigning as king and that Smerdis the son of Cyrus had brought his life to an end”
• with Prexaspes (Prexaspes killed Smerdis.) “He proceeded to say how he had himself slain Smerdis the son of Cyrus, being compelled by Cambyses”

Book 3 · §83–90

• parent: Cyrus “the daughter of Smerdis the son of Cyrus, whose name was Parmys;”
• child: Parmys “the daughter of Smerdis the son of Cyrus, whose name was Parmys;”

Book 7 · §70–85

• child: Parmys “the Moschoi and Tibarenians under Ariomardos, who was the son of Dareios and of Parmys, the daughter of Smerdis son of Cyrus;”
• parent: Cyrus “the Moschoi and Tibarenians under Ariomardos, who was the son of Dareios and of Parmys, the daughter of Smerdis son of Cyrus;”

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Extracted from the original text of The Histories. Made with Rho MD.