Hystaspes
(
Ὑστάσπης; in Persian, Goshtasp, Gustasp, Histasp, or Wistasp).
1. The son of Arsames, and father of Dareius I., was a member of the Persian royal house of the Achaemenidae.
He was satrap of Persis under Cambyses, and probably under Cyrus also.
He accompanied Cyrus on his expedition against the Massagetae; but he was sent back to Persis, to keep watch over his eldest son Dareius, whom Cyrus, in consequence of a dream, suspected of meditating treason. [DAREIUS.] Besides Dareius, Hystaspes had two sons, Artabanus and Artanes. (
Hdt. 1.209,
210,
3.70,
4.83,
7.224.) Ammianus Marcellinus (
23.6) makes him a chief of the Magians, and tells a story of his studying in India under the Brahmins. His name occurs in the inscriptions at Persepolis. (Grotefend,
Beilage zu Heeren's Ideen.)