Amestris or Amastris (Friend in Old Persian) was the wife of Xerxes I of Persia, mother of king Artaxerxes I of Persia. Her reputation is very bad among ancient Greek historians.
Amestris was the daughter of Otanes, one of the seven conspirators who killed the Persian rebel king Gaumâta (September 22, 522 BCE). After this, Darius I the Great of Persia started his reign. According to the Greek researcher Herodotus (5th century BC), Otanes was hono...
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Amestris or Amastris (Friend in Old Persian) was the wife of Xerxes I of Persia, mother of king Artaxerxes I of Persia. Her reputation is very bad among ancient Greek historians.
Amestris was the daughter of Otanes, one of the seven conspirators who killed the Persian rebel king Gaumâta (September 22, 522 BCE). After this, Darius I the Great of Persia started his reign. According to the Greek researcher Herodotus (5th century BC), Otanes was honored with a diplomatic marriage. The new king married Otanes' daughter Phaedymia, and Otanes married a sister of Darius, who gave birth to Amestris.
When Darius died in 486 BC, Amestris was married to the crown prince, Xerxes and must have been in her thirties. Herodotus describes Queen consort Amestris as a cruel despot:
It is not clear what lies behind this strange story. According to known records and accounts, human sacrifices were not permitted within the Persian religion. On the other hand, the subterranean god may be identical to Angra...
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