Datames, the son of Kamisares and a Scythian mother, served as a member of the Persian king's bodyguard before he became satrap of Cilicia and Cappadocia upon his father's death in 384 BC. In the course of his early career he put down a revolt in Lydia, defeated the rebel governor Thyos in Paphlagonia, and briefly occupied the city of Sinope. Because of these successes, the Persian king placed him in charge of the second war against Egypt, along with Pharnabazos and Tithraustes, satrap of Caria. Datames was first, however, detained by a local revolt in Kataonia, a territory within his satrapy. This time, his success incurred the king's jealousy, and he was removed both from his command of the Egyptian expedition as well as the rule of his satrapy. Refusing to relinquish his authority, Datames himself revolted and became a virtually independent ruler. His initial success in this endeavor prompted the revolt of other satraps across the empire. Datames' success, however, was short-lived. Distrust among the satraps rendered them unable to cooperate, their rebellion disintegrated, and Datames himself was assassinated by Mithradates, the son of Ariobarzanes, satrap of Phrygia, in 362 BC.
CILICIA, Tarsos. Datames, Satrap of Cilicia and Cappadocia. 384-362 BC. AR Stater (10.33 gm). Struck during the Satraps' Revolt, circa 369-362 BC. Baaltars seated right, torso facing, holding grain ear, grape-bunch, and eagle-tipped sceptre; 'BLTRZ' in Aramaic to left, thymiaterion to right; all within crenellated wall / Ana, nude, facing Datames; both have their right arms raised; between them, thymiaterion; 'TRDMW' in Aramaic to right; all within square dotted border within linear border. SNG Levante 84; SNG France 291 var. ('TRDMW' in center); SNG von Aulock 5945.
