[Avodah] did Achashverosh have multiple wives?

[Arie Folger]

RMCohen asked whether Achashverosh had multiple wives. Well, obviously.
What was the beit hanashim sheni for? The harem for the many wives!

No girl who was test-driven by Achashverosh would ever go free. Either she
became queen or concubine. At least that is how kings back then did such
business. All the girls but the most favored ones were condemned to a
luxurious or somewhat luxurious imprisonment.

For historical background on the practice of polyginy among the Persian
nobility and the concubines' status and treatment:
https://www.worldhistory.biz/ancient-history/65457-royal-concubines.html

However, to my great surprise, I found out - if the following link is to be
trusted - that the most favored wife or wives of the king did have the
freedom to go places on their own:
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1492/women-in-ancient-persia/

>>The king's mother and principal wife (known as the *Shahbanu*, “King's
Lady”) traveled on their own as well as with him on military campaigns and
in overseeing administrative affairs. They had their own entourage, staff
to attend their needs, and were given places of honor at banquets alongside
distinguished male guests. The principal wife held her own court, could
sign agreements with her own seal, and had unlimited access to the king,
even being welcomed at official visits from foreign dignitaries and
participating in the meetings.

>> Some of the most famous royal women were Mandana (Mandane), mother of
Cyrus the Great (d. c. 559 BCE), Cassandane Shahbanu, wife of Cyrus the
Great (l. c. 575-519 BCE), who was mourned throughout the empire after her
death <https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/>, and Atusa
Shahbanu (better known as Atossa, l. c. 550-475 BCE) daughter of Cyrus the
Great and wife of Cambyses II <https://www.worldhistory.org/Cambyses_II/>
(r. 530-522 BCE) and Darius
<https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/darius/> I, but there were
many others. Sisygambis, mother of Darius III (r. 336-330 BCE), behaved
more honorably than her son after his defeat by Alexander
<https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Alexander/> the Great and
Alexander's Persian wife Roxanne <https://www.worldhistory.org/Roxanne/>
(l. c. 340-310 BCE) is also recognized for her courage in the face of
adversity. The biblical figure of Queen Esther, wife of Xerxes I
<https://www.worldhistory.org/Xerxes_I/>, is another royal woman of the
Achaemenid Period even though she was not Persian by birth.<<
PS: Did you notice the name Atossa?
-- 
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Yours sincerely,

Arie Folger
Visit my blog at http://rabbifolger.net/
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