Amastris

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Amastris as embossed on a 2 drachma coin

Amastris († 284 BC ) was the daughter of Oxyathres , the brother of Darius III. , a Persian noblewoman.

Life

After his victorious battle of Issus (333 BC), Alexander the Great captured the family of Darius III, including Amastris, whom he held at the great wedding celebration at Susa in 324 BC. Married to Krateros . After Alexander's death, many of his comrades in arms looked for new wives, including Krateros, who married Phila out of love (322 BC) and Amastris ceded to the tyrant of Heraclea Pontike , Dionysius . From the marriage of Dionysius and Amastris three children emerged: Clearchus , Oxathres and Amastris.

After Dionysius in 305 BC Amastris took over the guardianship government for her eldest son Klearchus as queen. But they had to recognize the supremacy of Antigonus , which they had in 302 BC. By marrying the Diadochus Lysimachos . This happy marriage resulted in the birth of a son Alexander, but for political reasons it did not last long. After the battle of Ipsos (301 BC) Lysimachus left her to be able to marry Arsinoë II , the daughter of Ptolemy I. By merging ( Synoikismos ) the four places Sesamos, Kytoros, Kromna and Tios, the Persian princess, abandoned for the second time, founded 300 BC. The city named after her Amastris (today Amasra ) on the coast of Paphlagonia . This is where she probably lived and minted coins with the inscription "Queen Amastris".

When the sons of the Amastris were old enough, they took over the government under their mother's suzerainty, but soon there was disagreement between them. Allegedly, Amastris was born in 284 BC. Drowned at the instigation of her sons; In any case, Lysimachus used this suspicion to have Clearchus and Oxathres executed and to take over their kingdom as a province.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Their name is in Diodorus (20, 109, 7) and Polyainus (6, 12) Amestris ; at Arrian ( Anabasis 7, 4, 5) Amastrine .
  2. ↑ Memnon at C. Müller, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) III p. 529; Diodorus 20, 109, 7; Arrian, Anabasis 7, 4, 5.
  3. ↑ Strabo 12, p. 544; Memnon, FHG III p. 529; Stephanos of Byzantium , s. Amastris .
  4. ↑ Polyainus 6, 12.
  5. ↑ Strabo 12, p. 544; Memnon, FHG III p. 530; Skymnos 962ff .; Stephanos of Byzantium, s. Amastris .
personal data
SURNAME Amastris
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Amestris; Amastrine
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Daughter of Oxyathres, wife of Kraterus, Dionysius of Herakleia and Lysimachus
DATE OF BIRTH 4th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 284 BC Chr.