Hystaspes (1)

The father of Darius I of Persia.

Hystaspes was the vice-gerent (manager or overseer) for the first Persian king, Kyrus (Cyrus) the Great; while Kyrus was invading the land of the Massagetae in eastern Asia, he had a dream in which he saw Darius with wings; one of the wings cast a shadow over Europe and the other cast a shadow over Asia; Kyrus interpreted the dream to mean that Darius (then twenty years old) was plotting to depose Kyrus and usurp the throne of the Persian Empire; Kyrus sent Hystaspes back to the capital city Susa with the command that Darius was to appear before the king when he returned from the war with the Massagetae; Kyrus died in battle and the dream and Darius were quickly forgotten; the dream eventually came true, but not in a way that Kyrus or Hystaspes could have ever imagined.

After Kyrus’ brother, Kambyses (Cambyses), nearly destroyed the Persian Empire, Darius ascended the throne and saved the empire that Kyrus had died to create.

• Histories, book 1, chapters 209-210; book 3, chapter 70