Roxane (Cambyses II)

Roxane ( Persian روشنک Rouschanak , Old Persian Rauḫšna = reading Ara-uchschna ; * before 540 BC Chr .; † 523 BC BC) was the daughter of Cyrus II , wife of Cambyses II and (half) sister of Atossa .

Roxane's maternal line is controversial, since Herodotus only mentions Atossa and Artystone as daughters of Kassandane by name. Ktesias of Knidos calls Atossa's younger sister Roxane. According to the statements of Cambyses II, it is more likely that Roxane was not a daughter of Kassandane, since Atossa is referred to as a half-sister.

The marriage of Cambyses II and Roxane also supports the thesis of an unknown mother. Before the marriage, Cambyses II had to file an application for a declaration of validity with the supreme court, as no sibling marriage was mentioned under current Persian law. Cambyses II therefore referred to Elamite law and tradition in his application . After an expert opinion was drawn up, a diplomatic judgment was made: the king is free in his decision. There are no regulations. Let the king decide how he wants .

525 BC BC Cambyses II set out to conquer Egypt . He probably expected a longer stay from the outset, as he was taking his wife Roxane with him. Two years later, Roxane died in Nubia of complications from a miscarriage .

family tree

Achaimenes 1st King, Regent of Persia

Teispes 2nd King, Regent of Persia

Ariaramna I. 3rd King, Regent of Persis

Cyrus I. 4th King, Regent of Anzhan

Arshama I. Regional Regent

Cambyses I. 5th King, Regent of Anjan

Hystaspes prince

Cyrus II. 6th King, Regent of Persia

Dareios I. 9th King, Regent of Persia

Cambyses II. 7th King, Regent of Persia

Bardiya 8th King, Regent of Persia (or Gaumata as Smerdis)

Artystone princess

Atossa princess

Roxane princess

Xerxes I. 10th King, Regent of Persia

Artaxerxes I. 11th King, Regent of Persia

Notes and individual references

1. ↑ M. Dandamayev also only has two daughters of Kassandane: Cassandane in Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume 5 , p. 62.
2. ↑ Herodotus 2: 1; 3, 2
3. ↑ W. Hinz assigns Roxane Kassandane: Dietz-Otto Edzard: Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Aräologie (RLA), Volume 6, Berlin 1983, p. 402.

literature

• Muhammad Dandamayev: Cassandane . In: Encyclopædia Iranica . Volume 5, p. 62; online .
• Dietz-Otto Edzard : Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Aräologie , (RLA) Volume 5, Erich Ebeling , Bruno Meissner , Ernst F. Weidner and Wolfram von Soden , de Gruyter, Berlin 1980, ISBN 3-1100-7192-4
• Dietz-Otto Edzard: Real Lexicon of Assyriology and Near Eastern Archeology (RLA). Volume 6, Erich Ebeling, Bruno Meissner, Ernst Weidner and Wolfram von Soden, de Gruyter, Berlin 1983, ISBN 3-11-010051-7