I. A Persian general, son of Pharnaces, lived in the reign of Xerxes I. He commanded the Parthians and Chorasmians in the expedition of Xerxes against Greece, 480 B. C., and returned to Pallene after the king had recrossed the Hellespont, to punish certain cities which had revolted after the battle of Salamis. He besieged and took Olynthus, killed the inhabitants, and gave their city to Chalcidians. He next laid siege to Potidrea, the walls of which were washed on one side by the sea. The water having for a time receded, however, he marched his troops upon the sand thus left bare between the ocean and the fortifications, and the town seemed lost; when suddenly an unusually high tide overwhelmed nearly all his army, while the Potidaeans by a sally defeated the remainder. With the few troops remaining, Artabazus joined Mardonius in Thessaly. He endeavored in vain to dissuade that leader from attempting the battle of Plataea (479 B. C), and after his defeat led the retreat of 40,000 men from the field.

With a remnant of these he reached Asia after many difficulties.

II. A Persian general in the reigns of Artaxerxes II., Artaxerxes III., and Darius Codomannus. In 362 B. C. he was sent by the first-named king against the rebellious satrap of Cappadocia, Datames, but was defeated by him. Artaxerxes III. made Artabazus satrap of western Asia, but he soon revolted, and, aided by Greek and Theban mercenaries, defeated in two battles the armies sent by the king to punish him. Losing the aid of his allies, however, by the successful schemes of his enemies, he was at last defeated and taken prisoner, but liberated by the exertions of his brothers-in-law, Mentor and Memnon. Unsuccessful in another attempt at rebellion, he was compelled to take refuge with Philip of Macedon. But Mentor, who had joined the side of the king and had been of great assistance in the war against Egypt, secured his pardon about 349. He now returned to Persia, and afterward, in the reign of Darius Codomannus, occupied several positions of trust. His daughters married Alexander, Ptolemy, and Eumenes. He resigned his satrapy in 328.