Atossa II Shahbanu and Amestris III Shahbanu
Amestris III Shahbanu

Atossa II Shahbanu and Amestris III Shahbanu – The Princesses who were forced to marry their father and became Persian Queens

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 [read more]

Stateira I Shahbanu
Iran

Stateira I Shahbanu – The powerful Queen of the Achaemenid Empire who was murdered by her mother-in-law

Stateira I Shahbanu was queen consort to King Artaxerxes II of the Achaemenid Empire. She was also the mother of Artaxerxes III of the Achaemenid Empire. She was very popular and influential during King Artaxerxes II’s reign. Stateira I Shahbanu was locked in a bitter power struggle with her mother-in-law, Parysatis I Shahbanu. This conflict [read more]