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|image = Rython boz.jpg
|image = Rython boz.jpg
|imagealttext =
|imagealttext =
|caption = Golden [[rhyton]] from Iran's [[Achaemenid]] period, excavated at Ecbatana. Kept at [[National Museum of Iran]].
|caption = Golden [[rhyton]] from Iran's [[Achaemenid]] period, excavated at Ecbatana ([[Tell Hagmatana]]). Kept at [[National Museum of Iran]].
|map_type = Iran
|map_type = Iran
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|map_alt =
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|notes =
|notes =
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[[File:Hegmataneh1.jpg|thumbnail|300px|Underground excavations in Ecbatana]]
[[File:Hegmataneh1.jpg|thumbnail|300px|Underground excavations in Ecbatana ([[Tell Hagmatana]])]]
[[File:Excavations in Ecbatana.jpg|300px|thumbnail|Excavations in Ecbatana]]
[[File:Excavations in Ecbatana.jpg|300px|thumbnail|Excavations in Ecbatana ([[Tell Hagmatana]])]]


'''Ecbatana''' ({{lang-peo|𐏃𐎥𐎶𐎫𐎠𐎴}} ''Haŋgmatāna'', literally "the place of gathering", {{lang-grc|Ἀγβάτανα}} ''Agbatana'' in [[Aeschylus]] and [[Herodotus]], elsewhere {{lang|grc|[[wikt:Ἐκβάτανα|Ἐκβάτανα]]}} ''Ekbatana'', ''Agámtanu'' by [[Nabonidos]], and ''Agamatanu'' at [[Behistun]]; {{Hebrew name|אַחְמְתָא|Aẖmeta|ʼAḥməṯā}}; {{lang-la|Ecbatana}}) is the supposed capital of [[Astyages]] (''Istuvegü''), which was taken by the Persian emperor [[Cyrus the Great]] in the sixth year of Nabonidus (549 BC).
'''Ecbatana''' ({{lang-peo|𐏃𐎥𐎶𐎫𐎠𐎴}} ''Haŋgmatāna'', literally "the place of gathering", {{lang-grc|Ἀγβάτανα}} ''Agbatana'' in [[Aeschylus]] and [[Herodotus]], elsewhere {{lang|grc|[[wikt:Ἐκβάτανα|Ἐκβάτανα]]}} ''Ekbatana'', ''Agámtanu'' by [[Nabonidos]], and ''Agamatanu'' at [[Behistun]]; was an ancient city in [[Media]] in the east of [[Iran]]. It is believed that Ecbatana is in [[Tell Hagmatana]] (Tappa-ye Hagmatāna), near [[Hamedan]].<ref name="Iranica">{{cite web | url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ecbatana | title=ECBATANA | publisher=Iranica | accessdate=10 April 2014}}</ref> but the history of the city is Controversial.


Under the [[Persian Kings|Persian kings]], Ecbatana, situated at the foot of Mount Alvand, became a summer residence. Later, it became the capital of the [[Parthian Empire|Parthia]]n kings, at which time it became their main mint, producing [[drachm]], tetradrachm, and assorted [[bronze]] denominations. It is also mentioned in the [[Hebrew Bible]] ([[Book of Ezra|Ezra]] 6.2) under the name ''Achmetha'' (also spelled ''Ahmetha'', e.g. JTS Bible).
According to [[Herodotus]], Ecbatana was chosen as the [[Median]] capital in the late 8th century B.C.E. by [[Deioces]].<ref name="Iranica"/>
Under the [[Persian Kings|Persian kings]], Ecbatana, situated at the foot of Mount Alvand, became a summer residence. Later, it became the capital of the [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] kings, at which time it became their main mint, producing [[drachm]], tetradrachm, and assorted [[bronze]] denominations. It is also mentioned in the [[Hebrew Bible]] ([[Book of Ezra|Ezra]] 6.2) under the name ''Achmetha'' (also spelled ''Ahmetha'', e.g. JTS Bible).


In 330&nbsp;BC, Ecbatana was the site of the murder of the [[Macedon]]ian general [[Parmenion]] by order of [[Alexander the Great]].
In 330&nbsp;BC, Ecbatana was the site of the murder of the [[Macedon]]ian general [[Parmenion]] by order of [[Alexander the Great]].
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[[Sir Henry Rawlinson]] attempted to prove that there was a second and older Ecbatana in ''Media [[Atropatene]]'' on the site of the modern [[Takht-e Soleymān|Takht-i-Suleiman]]. However, the cuneiform texts imply that there was only one city of the name, and that ''Takht-i Suleiman'' is the [[Ganzak|Gazaca]] of classical geography.
[[Sir Henry Rawlinson]] attempted to prove that there was a second and older Ecbatana in ''Media [[Atropatene]]'' on the site of the modern [[Takht-e Soleymān|Takht-i-Suleiman]]. However, the cuneiform texts imply that there was only one city of the name, and that ''Takht-i Suleiman'' is the [[Ganzak|Gazaca]] of classical geography.

Ecbatana is the supposed capital of [[Astyages]] (''Istuvegü''), which was taken by the Persian emperor [[Cyrus the Great]] in the sixth year of Nabonidus (549&nbsp;BC).


==See also==
==See also==
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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.hegmataneh.ir/ Official '''Ecbatana''' website]
*[http://www.hegmataneh.ir/ Official Ecbatana website]


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Revision as of 16:12, 10 April 2014

Ecbatana
Golden rhyton from Iran's Achaemenid period, excavated at Ecbatana (Tell Hagmatana). Kept at National Museum of Iran.
Ecbatana is located in Iran
Ecbatana
Shown within Iran
LocationHamedan, Hamadan Province, Iran
RegionZagros Mountains
TypeSettlement
Underground excavations in Ecbatana (Tell Hagmatana)
Excavations in Ecbatana (Tell Hagmatana)

Ecbatana (Old Persian: 𐏃𐎥𐎶𐎫𐎠𐎴 Haŋgmatāna, literally "the place of gathering", Ancient Greek: Ἀγβάτανα Agbatana in Aeschylus and Herodotus, elsewhere Ἐκβάτανα Ekbatana, Agámtanu by Nabonidos, and Agamatanu at Behistun; was an ancient city in Media in the east of Iran. It is believed that Ecbatana is in Tell Hagmatana (Tappa-ye Hagmatāna), near Hamedan.[1] but the history of the city is Controversial.

According to Herodotus, Ecbatana was chosen as the Median capital in the late 8th century B.C.E. by Deioces.[1] Under the Persian kings, Ecbatana, situated at the foot of Mount Alvand, became a summer residence. Later, it became the capital of the Parthian kings, at which time it became their main mint, producing drachm, tetradrachm, and assorted bronze denominations. It is also mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (Ezra 6.2) under the name Achmetha (also spelled Ahmetha, e.g. JTS Bible).

In 330 BC, Ecbatana was the site of the murder of the Macedonian general Parmenion by order of Alexander the Great.

Archaeology

Ecbatana was first excavated in 1913 by Charles Fossey.[2] Another excavation was conducted in 1977.

Controversies

The Greeks thought Ecbatana to be the capital of Media and ascribed its foundation to Deioces (the Daiukku of the cuneiform inscriptions). It is alleged that he surrounded his palace in Ecbatana with seven concentric walls of different colours. In the 5th century BC, Herodotus wrote of Ecbatana:

"The Medes built the city now called Ecbatana, the walls of which are of great size and strength, rising in circles one within the other. The plan of the place is, that each of the walls should out-top the one beyond it by the battlements. The nature of the ground, which is a gentle hill, favors this arrangements in some degree but it is mainly effected by art. The number of the circles is seven, the royal palace and the treasuries standing within the last. The circuit of the outer wall is very nearly the same with that of Athens. On this wall the battlements are white, of the next black, of the third scarlet, of the fourth blue, the fifth orange; all these colors with paint. The last two have their battlements coated respectively with silver and gold. All these fortifications Deioces had caused to be raised for himself and his own palace."

However, this association remains problematic. There is currently no evidence of Median existence in Hagmatana hill[Is this the geographical location? clarification needed] prior to the Parthian era afterwards.[3] Similarly, Assyrian sources never mention Hagmatana/Ecbatana. Some scholars believe the problem can be resolved by identifying the Ecbatana/Hagmatana mentioned in later Greek and Achaemenid sources with the city Sagbita/Sagbat frequently mentioned in Assyrian texts, since the Indo-Iranian sound /s/ became /h/ in many Iranian languages. The Sagbita mentioned by Assyrian sources was located in the proximity of the cities Kishesim (Kar-Nergal) and Harhar (Kar-Sharrukin).[4][5]

Sir Henry Rawlinson attempted to prove that there was a second and older Ecbatana in Media Atropatene on the site of the modern Takht-i-Suleiman. However, the cuneiform texts imply that there was only one city of the name, and that Takht-i Suleiman is the Gazaca of classical geography.

Ecbatana is the supposed capital of Astyages (Istuvegü), which was taken by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great in the sixth year of Nabonidus (549 BC).

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b "ECBATANA". Iranica. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  2. ^ N. Chevalier, Hamadan 1913, Une mission oublie?e, Iranica Antiqua, vol. 24, pp. 245–53, 1989
  3. ^ CHN | News
  4. ^ I.N. Medvedskaya, Were the Assyrians at Ecbatana?, Jan, 2002
  5. ^ Medvedskaya, I.N. (2002). "Were the Assyrians at Ecbatana?". International Journal of Kurdish Studies.

References

  • Perrot and Chipiez, History of Art in Persia (Eng. trans., 1892);
  • M Dieulafoy, L'Art antique de Ia Perse, pt. i. (1884);
  • J. de Morgan, Mission scientifique en Perse, ii. (1894).
  • Peter Knapton et al., Inscribed Column Bases from Hamadan, Iran, vol. 39, pp. 99–117, 2001

Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) Please update as needed.

External links

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