Hystaspas
Hystaspas is known in his later years to have been satrap of Persia, father to the great Darius I and general to Cyrus the Great. According to Darius Hystaspas' account,[1] they were of the same paternal family steaming from Achaemenes and therefore Hystaspas was a cousin to Cyrus the Great. According to the Cyropedia he was one Cyrus' class mates in military school[2] and proved one of his closest friends. Cyrus also played matchmaker[3] and celebrant in his marriage to the daughter of Gobryas.[4]
Character
The Persian Hystaspas features heavily in Xenophon's Cyropedia as one of Cyrus' closest friends and senior officers. While being very diligent and faithful he was still accused by Cyrus as having failed to go the "extra mile"[5] to which he pledged he would do better. It can be observed that it was Hystaspas' son who sought to restore the family's honour after False Smerdis' coup.