Teispes

Teispes was a ruler of Anshan from 675 to 640 BC. He was the son of Achaemenes from Persis and an important ancestor of Cyrus the Great. Some records suggest that Cyrus I and Ariaramnes were both his sons. Cyrus I was the grandfather of Cyrus the Great, and Ariaramnes was the great-grandfather of Darius the Great.

Historical documents from the 7th century BC tell us that Teispes captured the Elamite city of Anshan. This likely happened after the Persians gained freedom from Median control. Even though Teispes expanded his small kingdom, it remained a vassal state of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, which ruled from 911 to 605 BC. After Teispes' rule ended, his second son, Cyrus I, took over as the new leader.

Name

The Old Persian version of the name is Čišpiš. Scholars have different ideas about what this name means and where it comes from. Some think it might be Iranian, while others think it could be Elamite. However, the exact meaning and origin of the name remain unclear.

Some researchers have suggested possible meanings connected to old Indian or Sogdian languages, like "growing well" or "leader," but these ideas are not widely accepted. There are also ideas about possible Elamite meanings related to "renewing the beautiful," but these are still uncertain. The name appears in old records from Persepolis as well, where another person with the same name received grain in around 503 and 502 BCE.

Old Persian Rüdiger Schmitt Hurrian Tešup Cimmerian Teušpa Vasily Abayev Old Indian János Harmatta Sogdian Wojciech Skalmowski Persepolis tablets