Amestris

Amestris (Greek: Άμηστρις, Amēstris, perhaps the same as Άμαστρις, Amāstris, from Old Persian Amāstrī-, "strong woman")¹ was an Achaemenid queen, wife of king Xerxes I and mother of king Artaxerxes I.²³ She was one of the influential women of the Achaemenid era, extremely powerful and vindictive.⁴

She was poorly regarded by ancient Greek historians.⁵⁶⁷

Life

Amestris was the daughter of Otanes, one of the seven noblemen reputed to have killed the magus who was impersonating King Bardiya in 522 BC. After this, Darius I the Great of Persia assumed the throne. According to Herodotus, Otanes was honoured with royal marriages. Darius I married Otanes' daughter Phaedymia while 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. Herodotus describes Amestris as a cruel despot:

I am informed that Amestris, the wife of Xerxes, when she had grown old, made return for her own life to the god who is said to be beneath the earth by burying twice seven children of Persians who were men of renown.

— Herodotus, Histories 7.114

However, the story is not supported by any primary source. The origin of this story is unclear, since known records and accounts indicate that were not permitted within . Also since most accounts of the time are from Greek sources, and due to the involvement of Greece as an opponent of Persia, it is possible that not all accounts are accurate.