Atossa II Shahbanu and Amestris III Shahbanu were the daughters of King Artaxerxes II of the Achaemenid Empire. They were forced to marry their royal father and became queens.[1] The father-daughter marriage was highly unusual in the Achaemenid Empire.[2] However, King Artaxerxes II married them himself to ensure that his imperial bloodline would remain pure and to strengthen the Achaemenid royal dynasty.[3]
The birthdates of Atossa II Shahbanu and Amestris III Shahbanu are unknown.[4] They were the daughters of King Artaxerxes II of the Achaemenid Empire (r. 404-358 B.C.E.).[5] Atossa II Shahbanu’s mother was Stateira I. Amestris III Shahbanu’s mother is unknown.[6] Some of their known brothers were Prince Darius, Prince Ariapses, Prince Ochus (the future King Artaxerxes III), and Prince Arsames.[7]
Late in King Artaxerxes II’s reign, King Artaxerxes II married his daughter, Princess Atossa II.[8] Atossa II became queen of the Achaemenid Empire.[9] King Artaxerxes II betrothed his daughter, Princess Amestris III, to Tiribazus (the satrap of Armenia).[10] However, King Artaxerxes II cancelled the betrothal and married Princess Amestris III himself.[11] Amestris III also became Queen of the Achaemenid Empire.[12] After Amestris III Shahbanu became queen, nothing more is known of her.[13] The marriage between King Artaxerxes II and his daughters was considered highly unusual.[14] However, King Artaxerxes II married his daughters to keep the bloodline pure and to strengthen his dynasty.[15]
Atossa II Shahbanu played a major role during the succession of her father-husband, King Artaxerxes II.[16] King Artaxerxes II made his eldest son, Prince Darius, his successor.[17] However, Atossa II Shahbanu preferred Prince Ochus as the next king instead.[18] She made a deal with Prince Ochus that if she helped him become the next king, then he should marry her.[19] Atossa II Shahbanu believed that her brother Prince Ochus was the most capable successor who could let her keep her power.[20] Atossa II Shahbanu reached out to the nobles to support Prince Ochus.[21] The nobles agreed because Prince Ochus was younger and a warrior.[22]
Prince Darius conspired with Tiribazus to assassinate King Artaxerxes II. King Artaxerxes II learned about the conspiracy.[23] He executed Prince Darius and Tiribazus.[24] With the heir apparent position vacant, King Artaxerxes II preferred his second eldest son, Prince Ariaspes.[25] However, Atossa II Shahbanu and Prince Ochus ordered their servants to send messages to Prince Ariaspes with false messages that their father was displeased with him.[26] Prince Ariaspes felt depressed that King Artaxerxes II did not want him as the next king, and he committed suicide.[27] Prince Ariaspes’s suicide moved Prince Ochus closer to the Achaemenid throne.[28] Still, King Artaxerxes II did not want to make Prince Ochus his heir apparent.[29]
King Artaxerxes II appointed his most loyal son, Prince Arsames, to be his heir.[30] He sent Prince Ochus to stop the Egyptians from invading the southwestern region of the empire.[31] Atossa II Shahbanu hired Arpates (Tiribazus’s son) to kill Prince Arsames.[32] Prince Arsames’s death caused King Artaxerxes II of the Achaemenid Empire’s health to deteriorate.[33] In 358 B.C.E., King Artaxerxes II of the Achaemenid Empire died. Prince Ochus ascended the throne as King Artaxerxes III of the Achaemenid Empire.[34]
King Artaxerxes III married his stepmother and sister, Atossa II Shahbanu.[35] He made her his queen.[36] Therefore, Atossa II Shahbanu became queen for a second time.[37] Atossa II Shahbanu bore King Artaxerxes III his youngest son named Prince Arses.[38]
In 338 B.C.E., Artaxerxes III was poisoned by his eunuch, Bagoas.[39] Modern historians believe that Atossa II Shahbanu may have perished when Bagoas assassinated the entire royal family except for Prince Arses in 338 B.C.E.[40] Prince Arses ascended the throne as King Artaxerxes IV of the Achaemenid Empire.[41] King Artaxerxes IV tried to poison Bagoas.[42] However, Baogoas poisoned him and placed his cousin, Darius III Codomanus, on the Achaemenid throne.[43]
Atossa II Shahbanu and Amestris III Shahbanu were princesses of the Achaemenid Empire.[44] They ended up becoming queens through an incestuous marriage with their father, King Artaxerxes II.[45] Amestris III Shahbanu was once betrothed to a nobleman, but King Artaxerxes II decided he should keep his bloodline pure and strengthen his dynasty by marrying his daughters himself.[46] While it is unclear if Amestris III Shahbanu wielded immense power during her husband and father’s reign, it is clear that Atossa II Shahbanu was very powerful.[47] Through her influence, Atossa II Shahbanu helped her brother, Artaxerxes III, become king.[48] Atossa II Shahbanu became Artaxerxes III’s queen and was the mother of the next king, Artaxerxes IV.[49] Therefore, Atossa II Shahbanu was the last queen of the Achaemenid Empire to wield immense power and influence.[50]
Sources:
Culley, Trevor. (2023, February 9). “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”. The Collector. Retrieved on December 13, 2024 from https://www.thecollector.com/ancient-persian-empire-queens/.
Llewellyn-Jones, L. (2022). Persians: The Age of the Great Kings. NY: Basic Books.
LeCoq, P. (1986). “Arses”. Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume II/5: Armenia and Iran IV–Art in Iran I. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 548. Retrieved on December 13, 2024 from https://iranicaonline.org/articles/arses-greek-rendering-of-an-old-persian-name-used-as-a-hypocoristic.
Schmitt, R. (1989). “AMESTRIS”. Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume I/9. pp. 935-936. Retrieved on December 13, 3024 from https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/amestris-gr.
[1] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[2] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[3] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[4] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[5] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[6] Schmitt, 1989, “Amestris”
[7] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[8] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[9] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[10] Schmitt, 1989, “Amestris”
[11] Schmitt, 1989, “Amestris”
[12] Schmitt, 1989, “Amestris”
[13] Schmitt, 1989, “Amestris”
[14] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[15] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[16] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[17] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[18] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[19] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[20] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[21] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[22] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[23] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[24] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[25] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[26] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[27] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[28] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[29] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[30] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[31] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[32] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[33] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[34] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[35] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[36] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[37] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[38] LeCoq, 1986, “Arses”
[39] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[40] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
[41] LeCoq, 1986, “Arses”
[42] LeCoq, 1986, “Arses”
[43] LeCoq, 1986, “Arses”
[44] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[45] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[46] Schmitt, 1989, “Amestris”
[47] Schmitt, 1989, “Amestris”; Llewellyn-Jones, 2022
[48] Llewellyn-Jones, 2022;
[49] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”; LeCoq, 1986, “Arses”
[50] Culley, February 9, 2023, “5 Powerful Queens of the Persian Empire”
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