The Greek historians Herodotus and you will Ctesias relate to Xerxes’ wife once the Amestris. Although some moderate linguistic connection between your name Amestris and the title Vashti (Persian “sht” so you can Greek “st”) appears you can easily, a healthier commitment is present between the Greek Amestris together with Hebrew Esther:
- The latest “is” towards the bottom is simply a good Greek suffix added to change this new overseas title on the best Greek grammatical form (just as “es” try additional after “Xerxes”).
- The name Amestris depends within consonants Meters, S, T, and you may R, plus the name while the recorded in the Megillah depends around the latest consonants S, T, and you can Roentgen.
Totally possible, it is not coincidence; perhaps their Persian identity are consisting of the latest consonants M, S, T, and you will R, and also the Meters wasn’t preserved about Hebrew.
Amestris: Partner of Xerxes – Herodotus
- Within his detailed account away from Xerxes’ invasion push up against Greece, the Persian contingent of one’s armed forces is required because of the Otanes, who was the daddy out of Xerxes’ wife Amestris (VII:61).
- Immediately after discussing you to definitely Xerxes’ attack push registered an urban area titled Nine Indicates, the guy produces:
Around, training one 9 Means try title of place, it [=the newest Persians] tucked real time one to level of boys and you may maidens, students of the people of the nation. To bury live is a great Persian individualized; I have read whenever Xerxes’ spouse Amestris reached so you can dated many years she hidden fourteen sons of popular Persians, since the a thanks-giving on her behalf individual behalf into the fabled god of one’s nether globe (VII:114).
- The guy tells a narrative depicting the brand new cruelty regarding Amestris. The following is a short details of your own facts:
(Sardis try in which Xerxes lived briefly once the guy first started their retreat of his intrusion of Greece but before the guy gone back to Susa.) The fresh partner out-of Masistes denies his advances. Xerxes after that organizes a wedding ranging from his child Darius and daughter out-of Masistes, believing that this would at some point let him entice the mother. The story continues on Susa, to your precise period of the continuation unspecified. In the extension, Amestris brings Xerxes a pleasant gown you to wove with her individual give. From this go out, Xerxes got transferred their affections toward child, today hitched so you’re able to their young man Darius, and you can Xerxes got an affair with her. Xerxes turns out providing the daughter the fresh gown.
Whenever Amestris finds out, she takes payback with the mommy. She sends towards troops of your regal bodyguard and has the caretaker mutilated. Many of their own areas of the body are ordered stop and are generally tossed to your pet. When Masistes observes that which was done to their partner, he chooses to stir-up a beneficial revolt facing Xerxes. Ultimately, Xerxes’ forces eliminate Masistes, their sons, and all sorts of the newest dudes under his order (IX:108-113).
Amestris: Wife regarding Xerxes – Ctesias
A later Greek historian, Ctesias (writing immediately following 400 B.C.Age.) who supported due to the fact a physician to help you Artaxerxes II and additionally writes in the Amestris. Of him, we find out the after the.
- Amestris outlives Xerxes and passes away immediately following she’s “grown up very old.”
- Once several years of pestering, Amestris is in the long run capable convince their young buck Artaxerxes so that their avenge brand new loss of a different sort of young buck Achaemenides. She actually is capable have fifty Greeks decapitated in addition to their frontrunner Inarus impaled, for the payback having Inarus along with his dudes which have slain Achaemenides four ages prior to, whenever Inarus had added a great revolt.
- This woman is because of the power of the Artaxerxes to help you punish a health care provider which ytis toward which have sexual interactions that have him; she commands him stored in stores and you can tortured for two weeks, and finally tucked live.