Princess Barsine was a princess of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. She was the great-granddaughter of King Artaxerxes II.[1] Princess Barsine is most famous for being King Alexander the Great’s mistress.[2] Their love affair would last six years.[3] Princess Barsine would bear King Alexander the Great an illegitimate son named Prince Heracles.[4] However, King Alexander the Great would abandon her to marry Roxane.[5] Even though her son was illegitimate, Princess Barsine would eventually learn that having a son with King Alexander the Great was dangerous.[6]
In circa 357 B.C.E., Princess Barsine was born.[7] She was a member of the Pharnacid dynasty and the Achaemenid Persian Empire.[8] Her father was Prince Artabazus II (the satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia).[9] Prince Artabazus II was a grandson of King Artaxerxes II.[10] Her mother was a Greek Rhodian woman.[11] Princess Barsine had eleven brothers and nine sisters.[12] Princess Barsine was very educated.[13] She had both Greek and Persian tutors.[14]
Prince Artabazus II rebelled against King Artaxerxes III Ochus by hiring Greek mercenaries, including his two brothers-in-law named Menton and Memnon.[15] He was initially successful, but ended up having to live in exile at the court of King Philip II of Macedonia.[16] Therefore, Prince Artabazus II became a guest and friend of King Philip II.[17] Modern historians believe that Princess Barsine may have known Alexander the Great as a child.[18] They also believe that Princess Barsine must have known the women in Alexander the Great’s family.[19]
In 342 B.C.E., Princess Barsine married her uncle, Mentor.[20] Mentor was Commander-in-Chief of the Asian Minor coast.[21] Princess Barsine bore Mentor a daughter, whose name is not recorded.[22] In 340 B.C.E., Mentor died.[23] Immediately after Mentor’s death, Princess Barsine married her other uncle, Memnon.[24] Memnon already had children from an earlier marriage and lived in Troad.[25] He expected to be made the supreme commander of the western Persian army, but none of the Persian kings gave him the post.[26]
When King Alexander the Great invaded the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Memnon fought against him under King Darius III.[27] To keep Memnon loyal to him, King Darius III had Princess Barsine stay in his court.[28] Memnon and Princess Barsine’s brother, Prince Pharnazbaus, were originally successful in the war against King Alexander the Great.[29] However, Memnon suddenly died, which left Princess Barsine a widow for the second time.[30] Princess Barsine, along with other members of the Persian royal family and other Persian noblewomen, were captured at Damascus by General Parmenio after King Darius III was defeated at the Battle of Issus.[31]
After Princess Barsine was captured, she had a love affair with King Alexander the Great that lasted for six years.[32] Historians believe that their love affair was most likely romantic.[33] This is because Princess Barsine and King Alexander the Great may have been childhood friends.[34] Princess Barsine spoke Greek, which helped her communicate with King Alexander the Great.[35] Also, King Alexander the Great found her more attractive than other Persian women.[36] King Alexander the Great was very faithful to Princess Barsine until he had to marry for political reasons.[37] King Alexander the Great and Princess Barsine then went to Hyrcania.[38] Upon arrival, Princess Barsine was reunited with her father, Prince Artabazus II.[39]
In 327 B.C.E., King Alexander the Great pacified Sogdia.[40] Princess Barsine bore King Alexander the Great his firstborn son, Prince Heracles.[41] Almost immediately after his birth, King Alexander the Great married Roxane.[42] The marriage was for political purposes.[43] It was intended to keep Sogdia under his control while he went to India.[44] King Alexander the Great’s marriage ended their love affair.[45] Princess Barsine and her son, Prince Heracles, were sent to live in Pergamum.[46] Her unnamed daughter married King Alexander the Great’s admiral, Nearchus, in 324 B.C.E.[47]
In 323 B.C.E., King Alexander the Great suddenly died in Babylon. His death left his generals to fight over his vast territories.[48] However, Princess Barsine and Prince Heracles are not mentioned in historical records until 311 B.C.E.[49] In 311 B.C.E., Nearchus advocated for Prince Heracles to become King of Macedonia.[50] However, his attempts were unsuccessful because he was an illegitimate son of King Alexander the Great.[51] Polyperchon also thought that Prince Heracles should be king because of his prestigious bloodline.[52] In 310 B.C.E., Queen Roxane and King Alexander IV were killed under Cassander’s orders.[53] The death of King Alexander IV left Prince Heracles as the only surviving son of King Alexander the Great.[54] Therefore, Cassander viewed Prince Heracles as a threat to his kingship and needed to eliminate him.[55] In 309 B.C.E., Cassander finally persuaded Polyperchon to kill Prince Heracles and support him as king.[56] Thus, Polyperchon killed Prince Heracles and his mother, Princess Barsine.[57] Prince Heracles’s death ended King Alexander the Great’s line.[58] Cassander became King of Macedonia, where he reigned until 297 B.C.E.
Princess Barsine was famous for being a mistress of King Alexander the Great.[59] King Alexander the Great was very faithful to her until he had to marry for political reasons.[60] She even bore him an illegitimate son.[61] Her son would eventually be killed because he was a direct descendant of King Alexander the Great.[62] Her association with King Alexander the Great forced her to meet a tragic and violent end.[63] Nevertheless, Princess Barsine was a very important historical figure during the Macedonian Empire.[64] This was because her son’s death left King Alexander the Great with no surviving descendants.[65]
Sources:
Carney, E. D. (2000). Women and Monarchy in Macedonia. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.
Chugg, A. (2012). Alexander’s Lovers (2nd Edition). Houston: AMC Publications.
Lendering, J (2020, September 23). “Barsine (1)”. Livius.org. Retrieved May 14, 2025 from https://www.livius.org/articles/person/barsine-1/.
[1] Chugg, 2012
[2] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[3] Chugg, 2012
[4] Carney, 2000
[5] Carney, 2000
[6] Carney, 2000
[7] Carney, 2000
[8] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[9] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[10] Chugg, 2012; Carney, 2000
[11] Carney, 2000
[12] Carney, 2000
[13] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[14] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[15] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[16] Carney, 2000
[17] Carney, 2000
[18] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[19] Carney, 2000
[20] Carney, 2000
[21] Carney, 2000
[22] Carney, 2000; Lendering, September 23, 2020
[23] Carney, 2000
[24] Carney, 2000
[25] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[26] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[27] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[28] Carney, 2000
[29] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[30] Carney, 2000
[31] Carney, 2000
[32] Chugg, 2012
[33] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[34] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[35] Carney, 2000
[36] Carney, 2000
[37] Carney, 2000
[38] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[39] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[40] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[41] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[42] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[43] Carney, 2000
[44] Carney, 2000
[45] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[46] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[47] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000
[48] Carney, 2000
[49] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[50] Lendering, September 23, 2020
[51] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Chugg, 2012
[52] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[53] Carney, 2000
[54] Carney, 2000
[55] Carney, 2000
[56] Carney, 2000
[57] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[58] Carney, 2000
[59] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[60] Carney, 2000
[61] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[62] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[63] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[64] Lendering, September 23, 2020; Carney, 2000; Chugg, 2012
[65] Carney, 2000
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