Amytis(559 av. J.-C. — 600 av. J.-C.)
Amytis
5 min read
Achaemenid queen presented by certain ancient sources, notably Ctesias of Cnidus, as the daughter of the Median king Astyages and the wife of Cyrus II the Great, founder of the Persian Empire. Her union is said to have sealed the alliance between the Medes and the Persians in the 6th century BC.
Key Facts
- According to Ctesias of Cnidus, she was the daughter of the Median king Astyages (6th century BC)
- Wife of Cyrus II the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire (reigned c. 559–530 BC)
- Her marriage symbolizes the political union of the Medes and the Persians after the fall of Media around 550 BC
- A figure known mainly through Greek sources; Herodotus instead names Cassandane as Cyrus's wife, making her identity historically disputed
Works & Achievements
Her marriage to Cyrus, reported by Ctesias, sealed the alliance between the Medes and the Persians and helped legitimize Persian rule over Media.
Her figure symbolizes the continuity between the Median empire and the new Persian empire, two Iranian peoples close in language and culture.
Amytis is one of the few named female figures in Ctesias's account, attesting to the place of queens in the memory of the Persian court.
She is among the very few named women from the founding of the Persian Empire, at a time when sources rarely mention women.
Anecdotes
The main source on Amytis is Ctesias of Cnidus, a Greek physician of the 5th century BC who lived at the Persian court. In his Persica, he presents Amytis as the daughter of the Median king Astyages. Modern historians remain cautious, because Ctesias often blends real facts with romanticized storytelling.
According to Ctesias, after defeating his Median rival Astyages around 550 BC, Cyrus the Great did not have him executed: he honored him like a father. He then married Astyages's daughter Amytis, and this marriage sealed the alliance between the Medes and the Persians, two closely related Iranian peoples.
Still according to Ctesias, Amytis had first been married to a Median nobleman named Spitamas. Cyrus is said to have had him put to death before marrying Amytis. Whether true or exaggerated, this account illustrates how royal marriages served political purposes in the ancient Near East.
The historian Herodotus, who predates Ctesias, does not mention Amytis as Cyrus's wife: he names Cassandane, an Achaemenid Persian. This contradiction between two great Greek authors shows just how difficult it is to reconstruct the lives of queens of antiquity.
Several princesses named Amytis must be told apart. The one concerning us is presented as Cyrus's wife, but another Amytis, also Median, is associated with the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II and the legend of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Not confusing them is a genuine challenge for historians.
Primary Sources
Cyrus captured Astyages but treated him with the honors due to a father, then took his daughter Amytis as his wife.
Cambyses was the son of Cyrus and Cassandane, daughter of Pharnaspes, an Achaemenid.
Astyages (Ištumegu) mustered his army and marched against Cyrus, king of Anshan. The army revolted against Astyages: he was taken prisoner and handed over to Cyrus.
I am Cyrus, king of the world, great king, mighty king, king of Babylon, king of the four quarters of the world.
Key Places
Capital of the Median kingdom and residence of King Astyages, where Amytis is said to have been born and raised.
First capital of the Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great; royal residence where the Achaemenid court stayed.
City and region of which Cyrus was first king before conquering Media and founding his empire.
Great city of Mesopotamia, conquered by Cyrus in 539 BC, which became one of the major centers of the Persian Empire.