Otanes
(Ὀτάνης).
1. A nolle and wealthy Persian, son of Pharnaspes. He was the first who suspected the imposture of Smerdis the MIolaian, and, when his suspicion was confirmed by the report of his daughter Phaedima (one of the royal wives), he took the chief part in orgamlizing the conspiracy against the pretender and his faction (B. C. 521). After the slaughter of the Magians, Otanes, according to the statement in Herodotns, recommended the establishment of democracy, and, when his fellow-conspiraltors came to the resolution of retaining monarchy, he alban doned all pretensions to the throne on condition that himself and his descendants should be exempted fiom the royal authority. At the same time it was decreed that to him and his posterity for ever a Median dress and other gifts of honour should be annually presented. Not long after this, Otanes was placed in command of the Persian force which invded Samos for the purpose of placing Syloson, brother of Polycrates, in the government; and the act of the madman Charilaus in murdering a number of the most distinguished Persians provoked him to order an indiscriminate massacre of the Samians. Afterwards, however, in obedience to the warning of a dream, he repeopled the island which he had thus desolated. (Hdt. 3.68_84, 141_149; camp. Strab. xi. p.638.)
2. A Persian, son of Sisamnines. His father, one of the royal judges, was put to death by Cambyses for an unjust sentence, and his skin was stripped off and stretched on the judicial seat which he had occupied. To this same seat, thus covered, Otanes was advanced as his successor, and was compelled to exercise his functions with a constant memento beneath him of his father's fate. About B. C. 506, being appointed to succeed Megabyzus in the command of the forces on the sea-coast, he took Byzantium, Chalcedon, Antandrus, and Lamponium, as well as the islands of Lemnos and Imbros. (Hdt. 5.25-27 ; Larch. and Schweigh. ad loc.) He was probably the same Otanes who is mentioned as a sonin-law of Dareius Hystaspis, and as one of the generals employed against the revolted lonians in B. C. 499. He joined in defeating the rebels near Ephesus, and, in conjunction with Artaphernes, satrap of Sardis, he took Clazomenae, belonging to the lonians, and the Aeolian town of Cume. He is not again mentioned by name in Herodotus, but he appears to have taken part in the subsequent operations of the war till the final reduction of lonia. (Hdt. 5.102, 116, 123, 6.6, &c.) It seems doubtful whether we should identify either of the two above persons with the father of Patiramphes, the charioteer of Xerxes (Hdt. 7.40), or again with the father of Amastris [No. 1]. (Hdt. 7.61.) [E.E]
(Ὀτάνης). (1) A Persian who was the first to suspect the imposture of Smerdis (q.v.), the Magian, and organized a conspiracy against him in B.C. 521. Later he invaded Samos for the purpose of placing Syloson, brother of Polycrates, at the head of the Samian government (Herod.iii. 68 and 141).
(2) A Persian, the son of Sisamnes, who in B.C. 506 took command of the forces on the coast in place of Megabyzus. He captured Byzantium, Chalcedon, Lamponium, Antandros, and the islands of Lemnos and Imbros (Herod.v. 102; vi. 6).
- father of Xerxes' wife Amestris: Hdt. 7.40, Hdt. 7.61, Hdt. 7.82
- made a judge in place of his father Sisanines by Cambyses: Hdt. 5.25
- his command against the Ionian rebels: Hdt. 5.116, Hdt. 5.123
- son of Pharnaspes, originator of the conspiracy against the Magians: Hdt. 3.68-72
- his advocacy of democracy for Persia: Hdt. 3.80
- surrender of his claim to be king: Hdt. 3.83
- Darius' father-in-law: Hdt. 3.88
- in command in Samos: Hdt. 3.144-147