The King on Paper, The King Who Died Charging, and The King Who Was Spared: The Revolts of Amyrtaeus, Cyrus, and Evagoras

The Revolt of Amyrtaeus (404–399 BC) and the Paper Trail to Power

Most rebellions against the Persian Empire were crushed. But this one in Egypt actually worked. The best proof of Amyrtaeus’s success isn’t some grand story of a final battle. It’s the boring stuff. For the first time in decades, official documents in Egypt were being dated with the name of a native Egyptian pharaoh instead of the Persian king. This showed he wasn’t just some guerrilla fighter hiding out in the Nile Delta. He had taken over the actual machinery of government.

Find out about the first historical mentions of the Revolt of Amyrtaeus

The Revolt of Cyrus the Younger (401 BC) and the All-or-Nothing Charge

Cyrus the Younger bet everything on a single, incredibly risky move. At the Battle of Cunaxa, he decided to personally charge at his older brother, the Persian King Artaxerxes II. He broke through the lines and actually managed to get to the king. But in that chaotic, close-quarters fight, Cyrus was killed. And in that one moment, his entire rebellion collapsed. The most famous part of this war is what happened next. Cyrus’s army of 10,000 Greek mercenaries had won their part of the battle, but now their employer was dead, and they were stranded deep inside enemy territory with no way home.

See the earliest records detailing the Revolt of Cyrus the Younger

The War against Evagoras of Salamis (c. 386–380 BC) and the Smart Surrender

Evagoras was the king of the city of Salamis on Cyprus, and he was getting too powerful for the Persians’ liking. So they sent a fleet and defeated him in a big naval battle. But after they won, they didn’t destroy his city or execute him. They made a practical deal. Evagoras could stay on his throne, but he had to accept that the Persian king was his superior. For the Persians, it was a smart move. They didn’t need to completely wipe him out. They just needed to put him back in his place.

Discover when the War against Evagoras of Salamis was first documented in ancient texts