Otanes is a Persian nobleman mentioned in the Histories of Herodotus as a defender of the idea of democracy and architect of a successful conspiracy to remove a kingly usurper.
As an early defender of democracy in Greek literature, Otanes has been used as a point of reference in a number of subsequent political discussions. Jean-Jacques Rosseau refers to Otanes in his notes to Discourse on the Origin of Inequality. Otanes is also mentioned in Isaiah Berlin's seminal lecture "Two Concepts of Liberty": "As for Otanes, he wished neither to rule nor to be ruled — the exact opposite of Aristotle's notion of true civic liberty"
In a speech from the famous Persian political debate that was described by Herodotus in Histories 3.80-82, Otanes states that“rule by the majority” is favorable because it has the most beautiful name, ἰσονομία, or equalityof rights. In this, Otanes was supporting the Herodotean concept of equality as a foundation for agood society. In addition, Otanes also notes that democratic rule does not share any of themalice of a tyranny. In a democracy, one man is not put above the rest, and every ruler is heldaccountable for his actions.
Herodotus tells us the seven men discussed the future constitution of Persia. Otanes said that Persia ought to be a democracy; Megabyzus argued for an oligarchy and Darius said that monarchy was the best kind of rule.
The important place that Athenian ideology has in Herodotus’ writings is also evident inOtanes’ speech on democracy. In the speech, Otanes praises a democratic system, which“determines offices by lot, and holds power accountable, and conducts all deliberating publicly”(3.80.6). For Otanes, the rule by lot and the general assembly of all the citizenry are not onlyhallmark characteristics of Athenian democracy, but the only form of true democracy.
Otanes and Darius argued for opposite ideas on two occasions: should the seven wait or strike immediately and should Persia be a democracy or a monarchy?
Saxonhouse argues that,while Otantes ultimately did not win the Persian political debate, his speech was the mostrhetorically pleasing and convincing (1996, 42). As was mentioned before, the system ofgovernment which Otantes lays out is the exact system instituted by Cleisthenes, the father ofAthenian democracy.