Draft:Ariaspae

The most famous anecdote regarding the Ariaspae involves their interaction with the Achaemenid Persian Empire. According to Arrian and Diodorus Siculus, the people earned the title Euergetae (Ancient greek: Εὐεργέται) meaning "The Benefactors" during the reign of Cyrus the Great.^[3]

The army of Cyrus the Great was reportedly starving and exhausted during the Scythian expedition. The Ariaspae voluntarily provided the Persian army with 30,000 wagon-loads of grain.^[4]

In gratitude, Cyrus granted them special political status. They were declared "free" (exempt from certain imperial tributes) and allowed to maintain their own traditional laws and customs.^[3]

When Alexander the Great arrived in the region around 330 BCE during his pursuit of Bessus, he was impressed by the Ariaspae's unique social and political structure.

The historians of Alexander (like Arrian) noted that the Ariaspae were more "civilized" than the surrounding tribes, with a system of justice and governance that resembled a Greek city-state.

The Ariaspae also provided Alexander's army with supplies and assistance. In return, Alexander kept the privileges granted to them by Cyrus and even added more territory to their domain.^[3]

Historians like W.W. Tarn and A.B. Bosworth have noted that the Greek praise for the Ariaspae was likely a way to contrast them with the "rebellious" Sogdians and Bactrians whom Alexander faced later. By depicting the Ariaspae as civilized and helpful, the sources justified Alexander's decision to grant them autonomy.

"Alexander... bestowed many gifts upon them, seeing that they did not live after the manner of the other barbarians of that quarter, but maintained a system of justice equal to that of the best of the Greeks." — Arrian, Book III

The Ariaspae lived south of the satrapy of Drangiana. Their territory was centered around the lower reaches of the Etymandrus (modern Helmand) River.

Ethnically, they belonged to eastern branch of Iranian and they were likely related to their neighbouring Drangians and Gedrosians. Their capital was a city known as Ariaspe (Ancient Greek: Αριάσπη) situated along the Etymandros River. (the modern Helmand River).^[3][5]

Climate

They lived in a fertile area within a broader desert landscape, which allowed them to become wealthy through agriculture and serve as a vital oasis for passing armies.

The name Ariaspae is a compound word composed of the Indo-Iranian Arya meaning "Noble" or "Excellent" and Avestan Aspa for Horse (Old Persian asa for Horse.). Wilson and Burnouf agree in considering the Greek Ariaspa as equivalent to the Sanskrit Aryáswa, "rearers or riders of excellent horses".^[6][7]

Over time, they were absorbed into the shifting populations of the Sistan region, especially following the arrival of the Saka tribes in the 2nd century BCE, which eventually renamed the region Sakastan which became the modern day Sistan.^[8]

While there are no surviving texts written by the Ariaspae, historical and linguistic evidence suggests they spoke a dialect of Avestan, or perhaps an Eastern Iranian language closely related to it, given their location in the Helmand River valley—a region traditionally associated with the Avesta.

Based on the etymology of their name (Ariyaspa) and the linguistic patterns of the Drangiana region, below is a reconstruction of the Ariaspae Lexicon:

^[9][10]