ARDUMANIŠ, a Persian, son of Vahauka. In the Bīsotūn (Behistun) inscription, he is one of the six men who helped Darius to kill Gaumata, the False Smerdis (DB 4.86). The list of the conspirators given by Herodotus (3.70.78) has Aspathines instead of Ardumaniš. The latter was introduced by the Greeks into the list because he was an important dignitary: He appears at Naqš-e Rostam as Darius’ bow-bearer (cf. M. A. Dandamaev, Persien unter den ersten Achameniden, Wiesbaden, 1976, pp. 157-158 and n. 666; G. G. Cameron, Persepolis Treasury Tablets, Chicago, 1948, p. 103). The same can be said about Ctesias’ Barisses (Persica 29.14).
The meaning of the name is not clear. Kent, Old Persian, p. 171, proposes “upright-minded” (from ardu-“upright” and manah- “mind”). But Ardumaniš is conjectural: The Bīsotūn inscription gives ar [....]n [..] and a better reading would be Ardimaniš (the Akkadian has A-ar-di-ma-ni-iš) to be translated “with a burning mind” (cf. H.S. Nyberg, Die Religionen des alten Irans, Leipzig, 1938, p. 352). R. Schmitt compares Av. arədra “loyal,” and explains it as “loyally minded,” (Beiträge zur Namenforschung, 1971 , p. 7).
(P. Lecoq)
Originally Published: December 15, 1986
Last Updated: August 11, 2011
This article is available in print.
Vol. II, Fasc. 4, pp. 388-389
