Cassandane
Cassandane | |
---|---|
Queen consort of the Achaemenid Empire | |
Tenure | 559–538 BC |
Coronation | 559 BC |
Died | 538 BC |
Burial | Pasargad |
Spouse | Cyrus the great |
Issue | Cambyses II Bardiya Artystone Atossa Roxane |
House | Achaemenid |
Cassandane or Cassandana (died 538 BC) was an Achaemenian Persian Shahbanu consort and the "dearly loved" wife of Cyrus the Great.
She was a daughter of . She had four children with Cyrus (it may be 5, including Artystone, based on the documented children listed under Cyrus the Great): Cambyses II, who succeeded his father and conquered Egypt; Smerdis (Bardiya), who also reigned as the king of Persia for a short time; a daughter named Atossa, who later wed Darius the Great; and another daughter named Roxana.[1]
Her daughter Atossa later played an important role in the Achaemenid royal family, as she married Darius the Great and bore him the next Achaemenid king, Xerxes I. Atossa had a "great authority" in the Achaemenid royal house and her marriage with Darius I is likely due to her power, influence and the fact that she was a direct descendant of Cyrus.[2]
When Cassandane died, all the nations of Cyrus' Persian empire observed "a great mourning". This is reported by Herodotus. According to a report in the chronicle of Nabonidus, there was a public mourning after her death in Babylonia lasting for six days. Cassandane reportedly stated that it was more bitter to leave Cyrus's side than to die. [3] Cyrus demanded his kingdom mourn her death: [4] according to the Nabonidus Chronicle, this lasted six days (identified as 21–26 March 538 BC).[5] According to a suggestion by M. Boyce, Cassandane's tomb is located at Pasargadae.[1]
Notes[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Dandamaev, M. A. (1992). "Cassandane". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. 5. Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation. ISBN 0-933273-67-3.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^
Schmitt, Rüdiger (1989). "Atossa". Encyclopaedia Iranica. vol. 3. Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation. ISBN 0-7100-9121-4.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ Benjamin G. Kohl; Ronald G. Witt; Elizabeth B. Welles (1978). The Earthly republic: Italian humanists on government and society. Manchester University Press ND. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-7190-0734-7.
- ^ Kuhrt 2013, p. 106.
- ^ Grayson 1975, p. 111.
- 6th-century BC women
- Queens of the Achaemenid Empire
- 6th-century BC Iranian people
- Iranian history stubs