Artystone (;Smith 1849, p 368; Schmitt 1987, p. 665. ; Elamite , ) also known as Irtašduna in the Fortification tablets, was an Achaemenid princess, daughter of king Cyrus the Great, and sister of Cambyses II, Atossa and Smerdis.Schmitt 1987. Along with Atossa and her niece Parmys, Artystone married king Darius I. It is argued that by marrying the female offspring of Cyrus, the founder of the empire, the new king aimed to prevent his rule from being contested,Brosius 1998, pp. 60, 62. since Darius himself was not of royal blood.Ussher, 1650, Annals of the World, 1007
Artystone and Darius had at least two sons, Arsames and Gobryas, and a daughter, Artazostre. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Artystone was Darius' favourite wife.
According to James Ussher, Artystone may have been another name for the biblical queen Esther, since Herodotus also called her Artystone the Virgin.Ussher, 1650, Annals of the World, 1036 While Esther is commonly known as the wife of Xerxes or Artaxerxes, the Book of Esther lists her cousin Mordecai as present during Nebuchadnezzar's capture of JeconiahEsther 2:5-6 in 599 BC, and Josephus referencing him as a contemporary of Darius,Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 11:4:9 making it impossible for Mordecai to be alive during Xerxes' or Artexerxes' reigns.
Primary sources Herodotus, 3.88.2 bis; 7.69.2; 7.72.2. The Persepolis Fortification Archive Annals of the World by James Ussher, 797; 1036
Notes
References Brosius, M. (1998): Woman in Ancient Persia. "Artystone", in W. Smith (ed.), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. Lendering, J (2007 ): "Artystone ", in https://www.livius.org/ Schmitt, R (1987): "Artystone", in E. Yarshater (ed.), Encyclopaedia Iranica, vol. II. James Ussher (1650): Annals of the World. Josephus, F: Antiquities of the Jews, Book 11