Tennes (Tabnit II)
Ruler at a Glance
Overview
Biography
Tennes, sometimes identified as Tabnit II, was king of Sidon during the fourth century BC. His reign took place during the final decades of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, before the conquests of Alexander the Great. Sidon was one of the most important Phoenician cities under Persian rule.
Its ships and sailors contributed to imperial naval operations, while its merchants maintained extensive commercial connections. Although Sidon retained a local king, the city was subject to the authority of the Persian emperor. During the reign of Artaxerxes III, tensions developed between Persia and several territories in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Persian government was attempting to restore control over Egypt and strengthen its authority in the western provinces. These efforts placed heavy demands upon Phoenician cities. Sidon became a center of resistance to Persian rule.
Tennes participated in a revolt that received assistance from Egypt. The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus provides the principal surviving narrative of these events. According to Diodorus, the Egyptian ruler supplied Greek mercenary soldiers under the command of Mentor of Rhodes.
With this assistance, Tennes and the Sidonian forces initially defeated Persian commanders operating in the region. The revolt spread beyond Sidon and became part of a wider crisis involving Phoenicia and Cyprus. Artaxerxes III eventually organized a major military response.
As the Persian army approached, Tennes became concerned that Sidon could not successfully resist the imperial forces. Diodorus reports that Tennes secretly negotiated with Artaxerxes and offered to surrender the city in exchange for his own safety. The account describes Tennes betraying prominent Sidonian citizens and helping the Persians enter the city.
Diodorus presents the surrender as an act of treachery. The surviving account is dramatic and includes details that cannot all be independently verified. Modern historians therefore treat some elements of the narrative cautiously.
Sidon suffered severe destruction during the suppression of the revolt. Ancient sources describe a major fire and extensive loss of life. The precise circumstances of the destruction remain debated, including the degree to which the city was deliberately burned by its inhabitants or destroyed during the Persian conquest.
Despite the devastation, Sidon continued to exist and later recovered its importance. According to Diodorus, Artaxerxes ordered the execution of Tennes after the city had been surrendered. The revolt and its suppression are generally placed within the years around 350–345 BC, although exact chronological reconstructions differ.
Tennes is not personally mentioned in Scripture. His reign occurred after the principal events described in the Old Testament books associated with the Persian period. Nevertheless, his history helps explain the political changes that affected Phoenicia during the final century of Persian rule.
Within a relatively short period after these events, Alexander the Great conquered the eastern Mediterranean territories of the Persian Empire. Sidon subsequently became part of the Hellenistic world. Tennes therefore belongs to the closing phase of Persian political control over the Phoenician cities.
Historical Significance
Tennes is significant because his revolt was one of the major challenges to Persian authority in Phoenicia during the fourth century BC. The rebellion illustrates the tensions between local city kingdoms and the Achaemenid Empire. Sidon possessed considerable commercial wealth and maritime resources, but these advantages did not guarantee independence from Persian military power.
The revolt also demonstrates the close relationship between Phoenician politics and the continuing struggle between Persia and Egypt. The destruction of Sidon was a major event in the final century of Persian rule over the eastern Mediterranean. Although Tennes is not named in the Bible, his reign provides historical background for the transition from the Persian period to the Hellenistic age. His story also illustrates how later Greek historians described the political conflicts of the ancient Near East.
Major Events
Tennes rules Sidon under Persian imperial authority. Tensions increase between Sidon and the Persian government. Sidon joins a revolt against Artaxerxes III.
Egypt supplies Greek mercenary soldiers under Mentor of Rhodes. Sidonian forces initially defeat Persian commanders. Artaxerxes organizes a major military campaign against the rebels.
Tennes reportedly negotiates secretly with the Persian king. Sidon falls to Persian forces. The city suffers severe destruction and loss of life.
Tennes is executed according to Diodorus. Sidon later recovers and enters the Hellenistic period following Alexander's conquests.
Biblical Significance
Tennes is not personally named in Scripture. His reign belongs to the final century of Persian rule over Phoenicia. The Persian Empire also governed Judah during the period described in Ezra and Nehemiah.
Although the events of Tennes's revolt occurred later, they illustrate the political tensions that developed within the empire before its conquest by Alexander the Great. The destruction and recovery of Sidon also provide background for understanding the later history of a city frequently mentioned in the Bible. Tennes therefore contributes to the historical transition between the Persian and Hellenistic periods of the biblical world.