Atossa (

Old Persian Old Persian is one of two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of the Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native speakers as (I ...

: ''Utauθa'', or Old Iranian: ''Hutauθa''; 550–475 BC) was an

Achaemenid The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the large ...

empress. She was the daughter of

Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia ( ; 530 BC), commonly known as Cyrus the Great, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Achaemenid dynasty (i. The clan and dynasty) Hailing from Persis, he brought the Achaemenid dynasty to power by defeating the Media ...

, the sister of

Cambyses II Cambyses II () was the second King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning 530 to 522 BCE. He was the son of and successor to Cyrus the Great (); his mother was Cassandane. His relatively brief reign was marked by his conquests in North Afric ...

, the wife of

Darius the Great Darius I ( ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE. He ruled the empire at its territorial peak, when it included much of West A ...

, the mother of Xerxes the Great and the grandmother of

Artaxerxes I Artaxerxes I (, ; ) was the fifth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, from 465 to December 424 BC. He was the third son of Xerxes I. In Greek sources he is also surnamed "Long-handed" ( ''Makrókheir''; ), allegedly because his ri ...

Name

The Persian name "Atossa" (or "Atusa") means "bestowing very richly" or "well trickling" or "well granting". Atossa is the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

() transliteration of the

name ''Utauθa.'' Her name in

Avestan Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family and was First language, originally spoken during the Avestan period, Old ...

is ''Hutaosā''. Queen Atossa is the most famous bearer of this name, however, the name Atossa appears to have been a traditional one within the Achaemenid clan. According to the genealogy of the Kings of Cappadocia, the name Atossa was also borne by a sister of Cambyses I and sister-wife of

Artaxerxes II Arses (; 445 – 359/8 BC), known by his regnal name Artaxerxes II ( ; ), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 405/4 BC to 358 BC. He was the son and successor of Darius II () and his mother was Parysatis. Soon after his accession, Ar ...

Early life

Atossa was born in 550 BCE as the eldest daughter of

and his wife Cassandane. Cassandane, an Achaemenian and the daughter of Pharnaspes, bore Cyrus two sons,

and Bardiya, as well as three daughters: Atossa, Artystone, and Roxane. Cyrus and Cassandane were known to share a deeply loving relationship. Following the death of Cyrus, both Atossa and Artystone were married to

Marriage

Atossa was first married to her brother,

, the son and successor of

, as his first consort. In Achaemenid Persia, marriages between close family members, such as half-siblings, nieces, and cousins, were not uncommon and were not regarded as incestuous, yet brother-sister and father-daughter marriages were frowned upon. According to

Herodotus Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...

, Cambyses supposedly married two of his sisters, Atossa and Roxane. This would have been regarded as illegal. However, Herodotus also states that Cambyses married Otanes' daughter Phaidyme, whilst his contemporary

Ctesias Ctesias ( ; ; ), also known as Ctesias of Cnidus, was a Greek physician and historian from the town of Cnidus in Caria, then part of the Achaemenid Empire. Historical events Ctesias, who lived in the fifth century BC, was physician to the Acha ...

names Roxane as Cambyses' wife, but she is not referred to as his sister. Hence it remains problematic to determine the reliability of these accounts. Accusations against Cambyses for committing incest are used as a way to vilify him: painting him as mad and vain. This is a common historiographical issue faced in many older historical texts on Persia. For example, one of the primary records of his incestuous acts is from an Egyptian text which antagonizes many of his actions, far beyond incest. However, many of the allegations within the text, such as the killing of the Apis bull, have been confirmed as false, which means that the report of Cambyses' supposed incestuous acts are also contestable. Atossa bore no children with Cambyses, and his reign concluded abruptly with his death in the spring or summer of 522 BCE.Brosius, Maria (2000). "Women i. In Pre-Islamic Persia"
Archived copy
Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. London et al. Archived fro
the original
on 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2019-09-21. Following Cambyses’ death, the empire entered a period of political instability. A usurper named Gaumata , who claimed to be Bardiya (Cambyses’ younger brother and the son of Cyrus the Great), seized power. Bardiya’s death was not known to the public, which allowed Gaumata, a Magian priest from Media, to proclaim himself king near the Persian town of Paishiyauvada. During this tumultuous period, Atossa was passed into Gaumata’s harem. This situation was short-lived however, as

overthrew Gaumata, took possession of the harem and claimed the throne. To legitimize his rule, Darius took wives from the noblest houses of Persia, marrying Cyrus' daughters Atossa and Artystone, as well as Parmys, Atossa’s niece. Atossa was granted the status of Darius’ primary consort and queen. In '' Histories'', Herodotus referred to Atossa as a woman who had been a wife of her brother Cambyses and afterwards of the Magus, while he described Artystone as a virgin. According to Herodotus, Artystone was Darius’ favourite wife, yet Atossa wielded considerably more influence in the Achaemenid Court, and it was Atossa’s son

Xerxes I Xerxes I ( – August 465 BC), commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was a List of monarchs of Persia, Persian ruler who served as the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 486 BC until his assassination in 465 BC. He was ...

who succeeded Darius’ throne. Darius the Great and Atossa shared a common great-great grandfather Teispes, the King of Anshan, who ruled from 675 to 640 BCE. Teispes was the son of Achaemenes, the eponymous founder of the Achaemenid dynasty. Darius himself was a distant relative with the family of Cryus but not a direct descendant. Darius and Atossa’s union was politically significant, as it connected Darius to the lineage of

, thereby reinforcing his claim to the throne. Scholars have argued that Darius’ marriage to Atossa was motivated by a desire to legitimize his collateral

line by aligning himself with the family of Cyrus, the empire’s founder. Atossa and Darius had four sons: Xerxes, Hystaspes, Masistes, and Achaemenes. Xerxes, the eldest, succeeded Darius as King of Kings, ruling the Achaemenid Empire from 486 to 465 BCE. Hystaspes commanded the Bactrian and Saka troops in Xerxes’ army, Masistes served as one of Xerxes’ leading generals, and Achaemenes was appointed admiral of the Egyptian fleet. According to Herodotus in Histories IX, Atossa’s sons Xerxes and Masistes shared a deeply troubled and deteriorated relationship as Xerxes fell in love with the wife of Masistes, but eventually brutally ordered her to be mutilated and killed. This prompted Masistes to start a revolt against Xerxes in 478 BC, which eventually led to his execution along with his followers and three sons. Atossa remained married to Darius until his death in 486 BCE. Both were buried at

Naqsh-e Rustam Naqsh-e Rostam (; , ) is an ancient archeological site and necropolis located about 13 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars province, Iran. A collection of ancient Iranian rock reliefs are cut into the face of the mountain and the mountain ...

, the royal necropolis of the Achaemenid kings.

Political Influence

Atossa wielded significant influence due to her lineage, intelligence, and status as the daughter of

and wife of

Darius I Darius I ( ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE. He ruled the empire at its territorial peak, when it included much of West A ...

. According to Herodotus, Atossa, motivated by her desire to acquire Attic, Argive, and Corinthian maidservants, induced Darius I to launch an expedition against the Greeks. At her instigation a Persian expedition reconnoitered the Greek coasts and surveyed Greek naval power. This expedition, guided by Democedes of Croton—Atossa’s personal physician who treated her breast tumor and Darius’ trusted healer—was successful in gathering intelligence. However, Democedes seized the opportunity to escape, as recounted by Herodotus and Timaeus. Atossa’s influence extended beyond military strategy to the realm of succession politics. Around 487 BCE, she secured Darius’ support for the succession of her son,

, despite him not being the eldest of Darius’ children. Darius had at least twelve sons in total and three sons by his first wife, the daughter of Gobryas, but Atossa’s advocacy ensured Xerxes’ appointment as commander-in-chief of the Persian army, solidifying his position as the heir apparent. The succession was further reinforced by symbolic gestures, such as the placement of a frieze near the northern stairs of the Audience hall (

Apadana Apadana (, or ) is a large hypostyle hall in Persepolis, Iran. It belongs to the oldest building phase of the city of Persepolis, in the first half of the 5th century BC, as part of the original design by Darius I, Darius the Great. Its cons ...

) of

Persepolis Persepolis (; ; ) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (). It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by the southern Zagros mountains, Fars province of Iran. It is one of the key Iranian cultural heritage sites and ...

as early as 495 BCE, depicting Darius with Xerxes as the crown prince. All Persians who went to celebrate the New Year’s Festival could see the intended successor through the public display. Following Darius’ death, the transition of power to Xerxes was remarkably smooth. While there was minor unrest in Egypt and Babylonia, there were no significant rebellions comparable to those at the end of Cambyses’ reign. The absence of large-scale civil war can be attributed in part to Atossa’s authority and the legitimacy of her offspring for rulership. During Xerxes’ reign, Atossa held the esteemed position of queen-mother. Atossa’s unparalleled position in Persian history is underscored by her title as “Lady,” a religious honorific previously granted only to Anahita. Since Atossa, this title was gradually yet still rarely granted to Persian queens. Atossa’s dignified presence is immortalized in

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...

’ tragedy ''

The Persians ''The Persians'' (, ''Persai'', Latinised as ''Persae'') is an ancient Greek tragedy written during the Classical period of Ancient Greece by the Greek tragedian Aeschylus. It is the second and only surviving part of a now otherwise lost trilog ...

'', where she is portrayed as a central and respected figure. Aeschylus first described Atossa during her entrance in the play as having “light in her eyes like that of gods,” and the chorus referred to her as “supreme among deep-girdled Persian women.” In the play, the late Darius I, summoned from Hades by the chorus, explicitly endorses her influence over Xerxes.

Old Age and Death

Nothing is known about Atossa’s death, however,

’ ''

'' indicates that she was still alive when Xerxes invaded Greece. (The absence of her name in the Persepolis fortification tablets does not necessarily indicate her death at that time, as argued by W. Hinz.) Hence it can be inferred that Atossa lived a long life well into her seventies, until or after Xerxes returned from the Iran-Greece war front in 479 BCE. She was buried at

, the same royal burial site as Darius the Great and Xerxes I.

Role in the history of cancer

records in '' The Histories'' that Atossa was troubled with a bleeding lump in her breast. Greek slave and renowned physician, Democedes, excised the tumor. This is the first recorded case of

mastitis Mastitis is inflammation of the breast or udder, usually associated with breastfeeding. Symptoms typically include local pain and redness. There is often an associated fever and general soreness. Onset is typically fairly rapid and usually occ ...

, sometimes interpreted as a sign of an inflammatory breast cancer. In '' The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer'' by

Siddhartha Mukherjee Siddhartha Mukherjee ( Bengali: সিদ্ধার্থ মুখার্জী; born 21 July 1970) is an Indian-American physician, biologist, and author. He is best known for his 2010 book, '' The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of ...

, an Indian-born American physician and oncologist, he imagines Atossa travelling through time, encountering various diagnoses and treatments for her breast cancer. Today, Queen Atossa continues to be the emblematic figure of breast cancer sufferers across history.

Literary references

Atossa's life and history is recorded by

in '' The Histories'' as a strong woman with considerable influence within the Achaemenid court. Atossa is a central character in

's tragedy ''

''. She is also one of the major characters in the

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( ; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...

's epic historical fiction novel '' Creation''. Atossa is represented as a breast cancer patient in

's book ''The Emperor of All Maladies''. Dr. Jason Fung references Atossa's inflammatory breast cancer in his book ''The Cancer Code''.

Legacy

Minor planet 810 Atossa discovered by

Max Wolf Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf (21 June 1863 – 3 October 1932) was a German astronomer and a pioneer in the field of astrophotography. He was the chairman of astronomy at the University of Heidelberg and director of the Heidelberg-K� ...

is named in her honor. Poet

Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold (academic), Tom Arnold, literary professor, and Willi ...

named his Persian cat "Atossa". She is celebrated in his 1882 poem ''Poor Matthias'', which is about the death of a pet canary.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atossa 6th-century BC women 5th-century BC women Queens consort of the Achaemenid Empire 6th-century BC Iranian people 5th-century BC Iranian people Family of Darius the Great Cambyses II Teispids 475 BC deaths Daughters of kings Queen mothers