Artystone (Old Persian: *R̥tastūnā;[1] Ancient Greek: Ἀρτυστώνη Artustṓnē; Elamite Ir-taš-du-na, Ir-da-iš-du-na) also known as Irtašduna in the Fortification tablets, was a Achaemenid princess, daughter of king Cyrus the Great, and sister of Cambyses II, Atossa and Smerdis.[2] Along with Atossa and her niece Parmys, Artystone married king Darius I.[3] 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,[4] since Darius himself was not of royal blood.[5]
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.[6]
According to James Ussher, Artystone may have been another name for the biblical queen Esther, since Herodotus also called her Artystone the Virgin.[7] While Esther is commonly known as the wife of XerxesorArtaxerxes, the Book of Esther lists her cousin Mordecai as present during Nebuchadnezzar's capture of Jeconiah[8] in 599 BC, and Josephus referencing him as a contemporary of Darius,[9] making it impossible for Mordecai to be alive during Xerxes' or Artexerxes' reigns.
...Artystone daughter of Cyrus, whom Darius loved best of his wives; he had an image made of her of hammered gold.
