Latest / The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History / Artaxerxes II and the Rise of the Anahita Cult
Transcript
- Lucas: So far in this series we've talked a lot about Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes — the big names. But today I want to go a bit later, into a period that doesn't get as much attention but is really fascinating: the reign of Artaxerxes the Second. Luna: Artaxerxes II — I think I've heard of him mostly in the context of the Greek wars. Lucas: Exactly. He reigned from 404 to 358 BCE, a full 46 years, and it was a time of both consolidation and change. One of the most striking changes he made was in religion. Up until then, the Achaemenid kings had emphasized Ahura Mazda as the supreme god, with maybe a nod to other deities. But Artaxerxes II officially introduced the cult of Anahita, a goddess associated with water, fertility, and healing. Luna: So he basically added a major goddess to the state pantheon? That seems like a big deal. Lucas: It was huge. We have inscriptions from his reign — at Susa and Ecbatana — where he invokes Ahura Mazda, Anahita, and Mithra together. This is a break from the formula used by Darius and Xerxes, who only mentioned Ahura Mazda. Some scholars think this reflects a shift in Zoroastrian practice, maybe integrating older pre-Zoroastrian deities. Luna: Why would he do that? Political reasons? Lucas: Almost certainly. The empire was vast, and by promoting Anahita, he might have been trying to appeal to different regions where goddess worship was strong — like in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Armenia. Plus, he faced challenges: a rebellion by his brother Cyrus the Younger, and later revolts by satraps in the western provinces. Strengthening religious unity could help tie the empire together. Lucas: We actually have a detailed account of Cyrus the Younger's rebellion from the Greek historian Xenophon, in his work the Anabasis. Cyrus raised a huge army of Greek mercenaries and marched on Babylon, but Artaxerxes II defeated him at the Battle of Cunaxa in 401 BCE. Cyrus was killed in the fighting. Luna: That's the famous 'March of the Ten Thousand' story, right? Lucas: Exactly. The Greek mercenaries were stranded after Cyrus's death and had to fight their way back to the coast. It's an incredible story of survival. But for Artaxerxes, it was a victory that secured his throne. Still, he learned that the western satrapies were restless. He tried to manage them through diplomacy and marriage alliances, but it wasn't always successful. Lucas: On the religious front, Artaxerxes II built or restored temples to Anahita. One of the most famous is the sanctuary at Kangavar, in modern-day Iran. Greek sources mention a magnificent temple there, possibly with a golden statue of the goddess. The ruins today are often identified as a later Seleucid structure, but the site likely goes back to Achaemenid times. Luna: So he was putting money where his mouth was — funding actual temples. Lucas: Absolutely. And this cult of Anahita spread widely. In Armenia, she was identified with the goddess Anahit, and temples were dedicated to her. In Anatolia, she was sometimes syncretized with Cybele or Artemis. So it had a lasting impact. Some scholars even argue that later Zoroastrianism, as we know it, was shaped by these developments under Artaxerxes II. Luna: I remember from earlier episodes that Zoroastrianism was more dualistic — Ahura Mazda vs. Angra Mainyu. Where does Anahita fit in? Lucas: Great question. In the earlier Yashts of the Avesta, Anahita appears as a powerful yazata, or divine being, but not necessarily as a creator deity. Under Artaxerxes, she seems to have been elevated almost to the level of a major goddess, perhaps as a counterpart to Ahura Mazda. This may reflect a move toward a more inclusive polytheism within the empire, even if the official religion remained Zoroastrian. Lucas: Another major event of his reign was the Peace of Antalcidas, also called the King's Peace, in 387/386 BCE. This was a treaty with the Greek city-states, brokered by the Spartan general Antalcidas. The terms were that all Greek cities in Asia Minor would belong to Persia, and the Greeks agreed to stop interfering in Persian affairs. Luna: So the Persians essentially got the Spartans to sell out the Ionian Greeks. Lucas: Pretty much. It was a diplomatic victory that secured Persian control over the Aegean coast for decades. It also shows how Artaxerxes used diplomacy and bribery — gold, essentially — to divide the Greeks and keep them from uniting against Persia. It's a strategy that had worked since the time of his predecessors. Lucas: But internally, the empire was not stable. The 'Great Satraps' Revolt' in the 360s BCE saw several western satraps rebel simultaneously. Artaxerxes had to use a combination of force and negotiation to put it down. The empire held together, but the cracks were showing. It's a sign that the Achaemenid system, while resilient, was under strain. Luna: So Artaxerxes II kept the empire going, but it was a more fragile empire than under Darius I. Lucas: Exactly. And after his death, his son Artaxerxes III came to power and had to reconquer Egypt and suppress more revolts. The seeds of decline were already there. But Artaxerxes II's religious innovations are really interesting because they show how a king could shape state religion to meet political needs, and in doing so, change the religious landscape of an entire region for centuries. Luna: So when we think about the Achaemenid legacy, we should think not just of Cyrus and Darius, but also of Artaxerxes II and his goddess. Lucas: Absolutely. He's a reminder that the empire evolved, and that its cultural and religious impact went far beyond the famous early kings. It makes you wonder what other stories from the later Achaemenid period are waiting to be told.