Parysatis facts for kids

Parysatis (/pəˈrɪsətɪs/; Old Persian: Parušyātiš, Ancient Greek: Παρύσατις; 5th-century BC) was a very important Persian queen. She was married to Darius II, who was a king. Parysatis had a lot of power and influence during the time her son, Artaxerxes II, ruled the Persian Empire.

Her Life Story

Parysatis was the daughter of Artaxerxes I, the Emperor of Persia. Her mother was named Andia, from Babylon. Parysatis had several half-siblings, including Xerxes II, Sogdianus, and Darius II.

She married her half-brother, Darius II. Together, they had 13 sons. Only four of their sons lived to be adults: Artaxerxes II, Cyrus the Younger, Ostanes, and Oxathres. They also had one daughter named Amestris.

A Powerful Queen

Parysatis was known for being very powerful and clever. She had a network of people who gathered information for her, like a system of informants. Her personal doctor, named Ctesias, wrote about her. He said that Parysatis would find people who might be a danger to the throne and arrange for them to be removed.

Parysatis was very smart and helped Darius II become king. He was not the first in line to the throne, but she helped him gain power. Ctesias also wrote that Darius II often relied on her advice and guidance.

Parysatis also owned a lot of land and villages. These properties were in areas like Syria, Media, and Babylon. Records show that taxes were paid directly to her. A servant named Ea-bullissu managed her lands and collected these taxes for her.

Helping Her Son Cyrus

Parysatis's favorite son was Cyrus. Because of her strong influence, Cyrus was given a very important military command. He became the supreme commander in western Anatolia when he was still a teenager, around 407 BC.

When her husband, Darius II, passed away, Parysatis strongly supported Cyrus. Cyrus tried to take the throne from his brother, Artaxerxes II. However, Cyrus was defeated in a major battle called the Battle of Cunaxa. Parysatis blamed a leader named Tissaphernes for Cyrus's death. Not long after, she arranged for Tissaphernes to be removed.

Rivalry with Stateira

Stateira was the wife of Artaxerxes II. Stateira's brother, Terituchmes, caused some trouble. He loved one of his half-sisters more than his intended bride, who was Amestris, Parysatis's daughter. Terituchmes tried to start a rebellion. Parysatis had his entire family removed, but she spared Stateira's life because Artaxerxes II asked her to.

After Artaxerxes II became king and Cyrus's attempt to take the throne failed, Parysatis and Stateira became rivals. Both queens wanted to be the main political influence on the king.

Stateira often spoke out against Parysatis's harsh actions at the Persian court. For example, she criticized how a court official named Masabates was treated. This made the conflict between Parysatis and Stateira even worse.

Eventually, Parysatis caused Stateira's death. After this event, Parysatis was sent away to Babylon. However, she later returned and continued to give advice and counsel to the king.

See also

In Spanish: Parisátide para niños