Oebares
(Οἰβάρης).
1. A Persian, an officer of Cyrus. According to Ctesias (apud Phot. Bibl. 72), when Astyages was taken at Ecbatana, whither he had fled front Cyrus, Oebares threw him into chains, from which, however, Cyrus released him, Ctesias farther tell us that, at the siege of Sardis, Oebares advised Cyrus to terrify the citizens by images of Persians placed on high poles and made to look like gigantic soldiers, and that the fear thus caused mainly led to the capture of the town. When Cyrus sent Petisaces to bring Astyages to court from his satrapy (the country of the Barcanii), Oebares instigated the messenger to leave the old king to perish in a desert place, and, when the deed was discovered, starved himself to death to avoid the vengeance of Amytis (Astyages's daughter), in spite of all the assurances of protection which Cyrus cave him.
2. A groom of Dareius Hystaspis. According to Herodotus, when the seven conspirators, after slaying Smerdis, had decided on the continuance of monareny, they agreed to ride forth togetner at sunrise, and to acknowledge as king any one of their number whose horse should be the first to neigh. Oebares, by a stratagem, caused the horse of Dareius to neigh before the rest, and thus secured the throne for his master. (Hdt. 3.84-87.)
3. Son of Megabazus. was viceroy of Daseyleium, in Bithvnia. He received the submission of the Cyzicenes to Dareius Hystaspis, about B. C. 494. (Hdt. 6.33; comp. Aesch. Pers. 980, ed. Schütz.) [E.E]
- his trick to ensure Darius' election as king: Hdt. 3.85-88
- son of Megabazus: Hdt. 6.33