Satrap

Satrap was the governor of a province in the ancient Persian monarchy. Their duties and position were clearly defined by Darius I. in the 6th century B.C., although there had been satraps before his day. They enjoyed the right to command the royal army in the province (though not the troops in the fortresses), to levy mercenaries, and to coin money. Alexander in the 4th century greatly curtailed their power. When the Persian monarchy began to decline some of the satraps founded independent kingdoms, the most famous being that of Pontus.