What positions has Bardiya held?

Positions held by Bardiya include: Great King; King of Kings; pharaoh.

Leen van Dorp · CC0

Bardiya

Son of Cyrus the Great (died c. 522 BC)

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Bardiya or Smerdis, also named as Tanyoxarces by Ctesias, was a son of Cyrus the Great and the younger brother of Cambyses II, both Persian kings. There are sharply divided views on his life. Bardiya either ruled the Achaemenid Empire for a few months in 522 BCE, or was impersonated by a magus called Gaumata, whose name is given by Ctesias as Sphendadates, until he was toppled by Darius the Great.

Quick facts

Place of birth: Pasargadae wd
Place of death: Pasargadae wd
Citizenship: Achaemenid Empire wd
Occupation: sovereign wd
Spouse: Atossa, Phaedymia wd

Positions held wd

Great King
King of Kings
pharaoh

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Questions

What positions has Bardiya held?: Positions held by Bardiya include: Great King; King of Kings; pharaoh.

Sources

Last updated 9 November 2026 · facts checked 9 November 2026

Cite this page

"Bardiya". DigiNepal. Last updated 9 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/bardiya. Retrieved 9 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Bardiya, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Gaumata portrait on the Behistun inscription.jpg — Leen van Dorp, CC0.

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