Pantheia
Pantheia was, according to a novellist tale in Xenophons partly unhistorical biography of the Persian great king Cyrus II , the Kyrupädie (books 5–7), the extraordinarily attractive wife of Abradatas , an alleged king of Susiana . Their shape should not be historical. According to Xenophon, Abradatas was an ally of the Assyrian king in his fight against Cyrus. When the Persian king succeeded in conquering the Assyrian camp, Pantheia also became his prisoner. Her husband was then on a diplomatic trip to the King of Bactria . Cyrus, portrayed by Xenophon as the ideal ruler, stayed away from the beautiful woman, placed her in the care of his confidante Araspas and defended her against undue attacks, so that she in turn induced her husband to go over to Cyrus. Abradatas was killed during a battle against Croesus (historically the war between Cyrus and Croesus can be dated to around 541 BC). Pantheia was heartbroken over the loss of her husband and committed suicide over his body, whereupon her three eunuchs also killed themselves. The Persian king ordered the construction of a tomb for Abradatas and Pantheia. The history of this royal couple was dealt with several times later, in antiquity among others by Lukian of Samosata and Flavius Philostratos .
literature
- Panthea. In: Bernhard Kytzler : Women of antiquity. 1997, p. 126f.
Web links
- CJ Brunner: Abradatas . In: Ehsan Yarshater (ed.): Encyclopædia Iranica . Volume 1, p. 228 (English, including references)
Remarks
- ↑ Lukian, Imagines 10.