Susa “ marriages ”!

Susa, was an ancient megacity( innovated. 4400 BC and abandoned. 1218 announcement) of the Proto- Elamite, Elamite, First Persian Empire, Seleucid, and Parthian conglomerates of Iran, and one of the most important metropolises of the Ancient Near East.

moment it’s located in ultramodern Iran near the lower Zagros Mountains about 250 km( 160 mi) east of the Tigris River.

This strategic ancient megacity lost much of its significance after Alexander The Great conquered it in 331 BCE, but not before getting notorious for Susa marriages which might be considered one of the most intriguing events during Alexander’s crusade in the East.

In 324 BC, these mass marriages, taking place between the Persian women and the Macedonian men, were arranged tête-à-tête by Alexander in part to consolidate his power through “ strategic ” marriages with the original women of high birth.

Alexander and his men are “ marrying ” en masse to Persian women( The marriages of Statherian II to Alexander the Great of Macedon and her family, Drypteis, to Hephaestion at Susa in 324 BC, as depicted in a late- 19th- century drawing)

I’ve to tip my chapeau to Alexander and his sanctioned historians for coming up with such an innovative euphemistic name for “ carousal. ”

As a perk trivia, the sanctioned court historians report that Alexander officially married three times to Roxana of Bactria, Stateira, and Parysatis, son of Ochus. He sired at least one child, Alexander IV of Macedon, born by Roxana shortly after his death in 323 BC.

Alexander had a close emotional attachment to his companion, cavalry commander( Hipparchus) and nonage friend, Hephaestion, who studied with Alexander, as did a sprinkle of other children of Ancient Macedonian quality, under the education of Aristotle. Some chroniclers believe that Alexander and Hephaestion were possible suckers so much so that Alexander’s deep grief over Hephaestion’s death had ultimately weakened him and contributed to his own death.

Last but not least, maybe the most curious relationship of Alexander was, according to colorful ancient sources, with a beautiful, youthful eunuch named Biogas described as” in the veritably flower of babyhood, with whom Darius( Achaemenes King) was intimate and with whom Alexander would latterly be intimate.”