Mixedmedia artwork made on black background canvas inspired by the ancient figure of persian, mesopotamic Satraps.

Satraps, generally chosen among nobles or members of the royal family, had the task of administering justice, collecting tributes and recruiting troops for the “Great King” army.

Their work was monitored annually by itinerant royal officials, called “the eyes” and “ears” of the Great King.

Equipped with extensive administrative, military and juridical powers within their provinces, satraps were in fact true princes vassals.

In particularly critical moments and especially in the peripheral regions, they tried to obtain (and sometimes, like Mausolus of Caria, they obtained) ever greater independence from the central power, not infrequently reaching open rebellion, as in the case of the revolt, precisely called “of satraps”, whose around 360 BC. spreads from Asia Minor to Egypt.

With the conquest of the Achaemenid Empire, by Alexander the Great, the system of satrapies was maintained, but the every Satrap retained only civil powers, while military powers were transferred to strategists of Macedonian or Greek origin.

This organization was also maintained in various Hellenistic kingdoms, in which Persian term Satrapo was joined by the Greek equivalent ἐπαρχεία, eparchy.