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Barsine ( el, Βαρσίνη; c. 363–309 BC) was the daughter of a Persian father, Artabazus,
"Barsine (1)"
Boston, (1867) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barsine Mistresses of Alexander the Great Phrygia Iranian people of Greek descent People who died under the regency of Cassander 4th-century BC women 360s BC births 309 BC deaths Women of the Achaemenid Empire 4th-century BC Iranian people
Barsine ( el, Βαρσίνη; c. 363–309 BC) was the daughter of a Persian father, Artabazus, satrap
A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires.
The satrap served as viceroy to the king, though with consid ...
of Hellespontine Phrygia, and a Greek Rhodian
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...
mother, the sister of mercenaries Mentor of Rhodes and Memnon of Rhodes. Barsine became the wife of her uncle Mentor, and after his death married her second uncle, Memnon.
In 334 BC, the year of Alexander's invasion of Asia, she and her children were sent by Memnon to the king Darius III
Darius III ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ; c. 380 – 330 BC) was the last Achaemenid King of Kings of Persia, reigning from 336 BC to his death in 330 BC.
Contrary to his predecessor Artaxerxes IV Arses, Dar ...
as hostages for his fidelity; and in the ensuing year, when Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
was betrayed to the Macedonians, she fell into the hands of Alexander, by whom it is argued that she became the mother of Heracles. The relationship with Alexander is highly doubtful – of the five main sources, only Plutarch and Justin mention Barsine as Alexander's mistress. Arrian does mention Barsine once – not that she was Alexander's mistress, but that Alexander gave the daughter of Barsine and Mentor in marriage to Nearchus
Nearchus or Nearchos ( el, Νέαρχος; – 300 BC) was one of the Greek officers, a navarch, in the army of Alexander the Great. He is known for his celebrated expeditionary voyage starting from the Indus River, through the Persian Gulf and e ...
at the Susa weddings. It is probable that the relationship of Barsine and Alexander was made up to justify the parentage of Heracles.
Twelve years after Alexander's death in 323, Nearchus, who was Barsine's son-in-law, unsuccessfully advocated for Heracles' claim to the throne, who was, then, seventeen, which meant he was born about five years after Barsine and Alexander supposedly met in Damascus, in 333 BC. From a comparison of the accounts of Diodorus and Justin, it appears that he was brought up at Pergamum under his mother's care, and that she shared his fate when in 309 BC Polyperchon was induced by Cassander to murder him. Barsine is sometimes confused with Stateira II, wife of Alexander, and who also may have been called "Barsine".
Notes
References
* Smith, William (editor); '' Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology''"Barsine (1)"
Boston, (1867) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barsine Mistresses of Alexander the Great Phrygia Iranian people of Greek descent People who died under the regency of Cassander 4th-century BC women 360s BC births 309 BC deaths Women of the Achaemenid Empire 4th-century BC Iranian people