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The Susa weddings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

TheSusaweddings
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TheSusaWeddingswasamassweddingarrangedby AlexanderofMacedonin324BCinthePersiancityofSusa. AlexanderintendedtosymbolicallyunitethePersianand Macedoniancultures,bytakingaPersianwifehimselfand celebratingamassweddingwithPersianceremonyalongwith hisofficers,forwhomhearrangedmarriageswithnoblePersian wives.[1]Theunionwasnotonlysymbolic,asthenewoffspring weretobetheprogenitorsofbothcivilizations. AlexanderwasalreadymarriedtoRoxana,thedaughterofa AlexandertheGreatmarriesStateiraand Bactrianchief,butMacedonianandPersiancustomsallowed HephaistionmarrieshersisterDrypetisat severalwives.AlexanderhimselfmarriedStateira(sometimes Susa. calledBarsine,butnottobeconfusedwithBarsine,wifeof Memnon),theeldestdaughterofDarius,and,accordingto Aristobulus,anotherwifeinaddition,Parysatis,theyoungestdaughterofArtaxerxesIII.[2]ToHephaestion hegaveDrypetisshetoowasthedaughterofDarius,hisownwife'ssister,forhewantedHephaestion's childrentobehisownnephewsandnieces.ToSeleucushegaveApama,thedaughterofSpitamenesthe Bactrian,andlikewisetotheotherCompanionsthedaughtersofthemostnotableMedesandPersians,eighty inall. TheweddingsweresolemnizedinthePersianfashion:chairswereplacedforthebridegroomsinorderof precedenceafterthetoaststhebridesenteredandsatdowneachbyhergroom,whotookthembythehand andkissedthem.Thekingwasthefirsttobemarried,foralltheweddingswerecelebratedinthesame manner,andinthisceremonyheshowedevenmorethanhiscustomaryapproachabilityandcomradeship. ThenthebridegroomstooktheirwivesbacktotheirhomesandAlexandergaveeachofthemadowry.All theotherMacedonianswhohadpreviouslymarriedPersianwomenheorderedtoberegisteredandthese werefoundtonumbermorethan10,000.ToalloftheseAlexandergaveweddingpresents. BymarryingthedaughtersofDariusandArtaxerxes,Alexanderwasbothidentifyinghimselfwiththe Persiansandalsomakinghisownpositionmoresecure.Hecouldnowclaimtobethesonandrightfulheirof bothpreviousPersiankings.HealsowantedtohonourHephaestionbymakinghimhisbrotherinlaw. WhattheMacedoniansthoughtofthesemarriagesisevidentfromthefactthatthenoblesalldivorcedtheir wivesafterAlexander'sdeath,exceptHephaestion,whodiedbeforeAlexander,andSeleucus.Soinspiteof Alexander'sprecedent,theMacedonianswerenomoreinclinedtoshareequallywiththePersiansthanbefore.

References
1. ^pothos.orgDrypetis,daughterofDariusandwifeofHephaestion(http://www.pothos.org/content/index.php? page=drypetisdaughterofdarius) 2. ^AlexandertheGreat:themarriagesatSusa(http://www.livius.org/ajal/alexander/alexander_t24.html)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Susa_weddings

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11/21/13

The Susa weddings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Susa_weddings&oldid=540849671" Categories: AlexandertheGreat Persianhistory Wedding 324BC Thispagewaslastmodifiedon27February2013at05:25. TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmay apply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy. WikipediaisaregisteredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

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