The question is
actually double: How important was Barsine for Alexander? And how important was Barsine in the geopolitical world of her
time?
Authors from
antiquity have not spent much ink on her, and she is only mentioned when she
comes to the foreground, which isn’t often.
Barsine was the daughter
of Artabazus II, satrap of
Hellespontine Phrygia in northwestern Turkey. Artabazus’ first wife was from Rhodes and was the sister of two
capable generals, Mentor and Memnon.
Artabazus revolted against
the newly appointed Persian king, Artaxerxes III Ochus. Artaxerxes had ordered
the dismantling of his mercenary army, which the satrap did not accept. Artabazus and his family (including Memnon) went into exile and found refuge
at the court of Philip II in Pella. Barsine, who was fluent in Greek, must
have met the younger Alexander during their stay.
We don’t know the nature of their encounters or conversations, but we may
safely assume that Alexander inquired
about life and customs in Persia.
After all, he impressed the Persian envoys at a young age as he questioned them
pending his father’s return to the Palace.
Three years
later, Artabazus reconciled with the
Persian king, and he returned to Persia, taking Barsine and his family with him. That happened in 343 BC, about one
year after Aristotle arrived on the
scene to teach Prince Alexander. Over the years, the entire
company probably met the philosopher along with other distinguished visitors to
the Macedonian court.
Barsine married her uncle Mentor,
a Greek mercenary general in Persian service, while she still was young. Mentor
died soon afterward, leaving her with a daughter. In those circumstances, Memnon took her as his wife that same
year, 338 BC. He already had several sons from a previous marriage. We can
safely assume that Barsine’s opinion
in these matters didn’t count. What’s more, she became a second mother to her
husband's (teenage?) sons. Just as Mentor, Memnon led an army of mercenaries for
the Great King. Having a lovely wife familiar with the Greek language and
culture, no doubt, added to his prestige.
In 334 BC, when Alexander, now king of Macedonia, faced the Persian army at the Granicus River, Memnon fought on the enemy’s side. Although the battle was lost,
the general’s capabilities were recognized by Darius, and he was appointed as commander of the Persian fleet in
the Aegean. This honor may be a questionable
trust because, in exchange, Barsine had to stay at King Darius’ court with her father, Artabazus.
A year later, during the siege of Lesbos Memnon fell ill and died. Barsine was widowed for a second time.
Around that time, Alexander had reached Issus where he defeated Darius in November 333 BC. When Parmenion
rode to Damascus
to take hold of the Persian treasury, the baggage train, and the women of the
aristocrats, he met Barsine and
brought her to Alexander.
Her relationship
with Alexander lasted five or six
years. I wonder whether she traveled with Darius’
mother, wife, and children, who had been taken in Issus. Alexander was
constantly on the move, conquering the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt and marching to Babylon and Susa, where he
finally installed the Persian Royal Family. Barsine stayed at Alexander’s side, and we
can only guess which quarters she occupied when the army was on the road.
During that
time, Artabazus remained faithful
to Darius until the Great King was
murdered by Bessus, who then
proclaimed himself the new king of Persia. Artabazus refused to submit to Bessus
and left, taking his mercenaries with him. He joined Alexander, who rewarded him with the satrapy of Bactria. Here he was reunited with Barsine.
She is mentioned
again by ancient historians about 327 BC at the end of Alexander’s campaign in Sogdia. However, it is unclear in which
order the events unfolded precisely.
The fact is that Barsine
became pregnant and gave
birth to Heracles. Alexander never recognized his son, his
first-born, although he must have loved him, giving him the name of his ancestors. Is it possible that Alexander resented Barsine for having Heracles
without his consent? She and little Heracles stood in his way for his bigger plans, meaning to marry Princess Stateira as – probably – agreed with Sisygambis. Barsine must
have known of those plans, so she had no excuse.
It is, in any
case, a strange coincidence that Alexander almost immediately married Roxane, the daughter of a local
chieftain. This was not love at first sight, as most authors claim. It was a
purely political move to end the three-year wars through Bactria and
Sogdia.
Artabazus requested to be
relieved of his duties in Bactria
because of his old age. Alexander
accepted his resignation and Artabazus left for Pergamon taking Barsine and the little boy with him. Artabazus seems to have produced an elegant way to retire, and, at the same time, he
created the best solution for Barsine since there was no longer a place for her at Alexander’s court. She had to say goodbye to the snow-topped mountains of the Hindu Kush after sharing so many miles with the Macedonian troops and her great love.
Barsine met Alexander again in 324 BC when she
attended the mass wedding at Susa.
Her daughter from Mentor
married Nearchus. Two of her sisters were also given in marriage to Alexander’s companions, but the sources
(Plutarch and Arrian) are at odds with each other about the names.
Hardly a year later, Alexander
died in Babylon.
I wonder whether Barsine
was still in nearby Susa,
close enough to say her goodbyes to the man she once loved? If she returned to Pergamon
after the wedding, she could never make it to Babylon in time. She and Heracles quietly spent the next decade in Pergamon. In 310 BC, Cassander as king of Macedonia, summoned Alexander IV, Alexander’s
14-year-old legitimate son with Roxane,
to Pella to be
poisoned.
The news traveled fast and eventually reached Pergamon, as poor Heracles was now at the center stage in
the drama of the Succession War. Initially, general Polyperchon had been defending the cause of the now 17-year-old Heracles, but in 309 BC, he fell into Cassander’s vicious trap. Cassander made many great promises of
money and power in exchange for eliminating Heracles. For one hundred talents, Polyperchon
tricked Heracles into accepting an
invitation for dinner and poisoned him. Barsine,
who had traveled with her son, was murdered shortly afterward, although some
sources pretend she was murdered simultaneously. Sadly, Heracles didn’t even receive a proper burial in the cemetery of his
ancestors, and neither did Barsine.
Now about my
questions formulated at the beginning of my post. How important was Barsine for Alexander? Well, she was important enough to keep her at his
side for about six years. All this time, she managed not to get pregnant. Barsine knew that Alexander dearly wanted and needed an heir during those years of
intimacy. She also knew that his plan was to marry a Persian princess. Barsine spoiled this by wanting a child
of her own.
Alexander had his principles and
stuck to them. Nobody, not even sweet and gentle Barsine, was allowed to interfere. His sudden marriage to Roxane may be seen as a statement toward Barsine. Historians say Alexander fell in love with Roxane because of her beauty. In my
mind, her beauty may be a nice bonus, but it was not the main reason.
How important was Barsine in the geopolitical world of
her time? Barsine
was a beneficial source of information about the Persian court,
Persian habits, and culture. After all, she had lived at least three years at the
court of King Darius. Speaking Greek was an important asset to avoid misunderstandings. Alexander was an excellent
judge of character, and having met Artabazus at Pella,
he knew that he was a man of his word and could be trusted. Artabazus was loyal to Alexander. Having his daughter at the
king’s side was a warranty that worked both ways. Barsine and her father contributed to Alexander’s larger
plan. The birth of Heracles disturbed
this goal – something Alexander never
could or would accept. Barsine no longer fit his purpose in the new world he was
building.
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