What is known about the mass wedding at Susa?

[jan]

I am interested in knowing all the details of the mass wedding at Susa. In which sources do we find a description of this mass wedding? Mostly, I wonder if it were conducted in the manner of the Macedonian rites or of the Persian rites? Anyone know? Thanks.

[marcus]

I am interested in knowing all the details of the mass wedding at Susa. In which sources do we find a description of this mass wedding? Mostly, I wonder if it were conducted in the manner of the Macedonian rites or of the Persian rites? Anyone know? Thanks.

Hi Jan,

There's not much of a description anywhere, but the most detailed one is in Arrian.

Plutarch, Alexander 70.2, says:

At Susa he brought to pass the marriage of his companions, took to wife himself the daughter of Dareius, Stateira, assigned the noblest women to his noblest men, and gave a general wedding feast for those of his Macedonians who had already contracted other marriages. At this feast, we are told, nine thousand guests reclined at supper, to each of whom a golden cup for the libations was given. All the other appointments too, were amazingly splendid, and the host paid himself the debts which his guests owed, the whole outlay amounting to nine thousand eight hundred and seventy talents.

Arrian has it in VII.4.4-8. 4-6 lists the companions and whom they married; 7-8 says:

These weddings were solemnized in the Persian style; chairs were placed for the bride-grooms in order, then, after the healths had been drunk, the brides came in and each sat down by the side of her bridegroom, and the men took them by the hand and kissed them, the king setting the example, for all the weddings took place together. None of Alexander's actions was thought to show more affability and comradeship. After receiving his bride each bridegroom led her home. Alexander gave them all dowries. All other Macedonians who had married Asian women had their names registered by Alexander's orders; they proved to be more than ten thousand, and Alexander gave them too wedding gifts.

It's not in Curtius - it must have been in one of the large lacunae of Book 10; it is in Diodorus and Justin, but (a) I haven't checked what they say, and (b) they won't have been anything like as detailed as either Plutarch or Arrian.

Hope that helps.

ATB

[amyntoros]

There’s also another description by Chares, as recorded by Athenaeus in his Deipnosophists; Book XII. 538b-539a. (I absolutely love Athenaeus for the snippets that he gives us from so many histories!)

Chares in the tenth book of his Histories of Alexander says: “When he overcame Darius, he concluded marriages of himself and of his friends besides, constructing ninety-two bridal chambers in the same place. The structure was large enough for a hundred couches, and in it every couch was adorned with nuptial coverings, and was made of silver worth twenty minae; but his own couch had supports of gold. He also included in his invitation to the banquet all his personal friends and placed them on couches opposite himself and the other bridegrooms, while the rest of his forces, both land and naval, he entertained in the courtyard with the foreign embassies and tourists. Moreover, the structure was decorated sumptuously and magnificently with expensive draperies and fine linens, and underfoot with purple and crimson rugs interwoven with gold. To keep the pavilion firmly in place there were columns thirty feet high, gilded and silvered and studded with jewels. The entire enclosure was surrounded with rich curtains having animal patterns interwoven in gold, their rods being overlaid with gold and silver. The perimeter of the courtyard measured four stadia. The call to dinner was sounded on the trumpet, not only at the time of the nuptial banquets, but always when on other occasions he chanced to be making libation, so that the entire army knew what was going on. The nuptials lasted for five days, and very many persons, foreigners as well as Greeks, contributed their services; for example, the jugglers from India were especially noteworthy; also Scymnus of Tarentum, Philistides of Syracuse, and Heracleitus of Mitylene; after them the rhapsode Alexis of Tarentum gave a recital. There appeared also the harp-virtuosi Cratinus of Methymna, Aristonymus of Athens, Athenodorus of Teos; there were songs with harp-accompaniment by Heraleitus of Tarentum and Aristocrates of Thebes. The singers to flute-accompaniment who appeared were Dionysius of Heracleia and Hyperbolus of Cyzicus; there came on also flute-virtuosi, who first played the Pythian melody and after that accompaniments for the bands of singers and dancers; they were Timotheus, Phrynichus, Caphisias, Diphantus, and Evius of Chalcis. And from that day forth the people who had previously been called ‘Dionysus-flatterers’ were called ‘Alexander-flatterers’ because of the extravagant presents in which Alexander took such delight. Plays were acted by the tragedians Thessalus, Athenodorus, and Aristocritus, and by the comedians Lycon, Phormion, and Ariston. There was present also the harper Phasimelus. The crowns (Chares says) brought by the ambassadors and others were worth 15,000 talents.

That must have been one impressive tent!

Best regards,

[wmp]

Many years ago I went to a tent exhibition in the Topkapi - the tents displayed (or rather a selection of panels, as they were all far too large to get a whole tent in the exhibition space - the old stable block) were pretty close to this - including the bullion, the furs & fine materials - although I think the ones on show only went back to 12th Century ...

I also seem to recall that at Dion they have marked out the area of the tent erected when Alexander et al celebrated their departure eastwards (what did they find? tent pegs? remains of guy ropes? 30ft pillars?) - truly ennormous.

Sorry, slightly off subject, but I have a great fondness for tents...

wmp

[marcus]

There’s also another description by Chares, as recorded by Athenaeus in his Deipnosophists; Book XII. 538b-539a. (I absolutely love Athenaeus for the snippets that he gives us from so many histories!)

Good call. As usual, I didn't really have the time to check beyond the main 5 sources (and in this case I didn't even look at Diodorus and Justin).

Great call on Athanaeus, though - he is, after all, telling us what Chares said, and Chares was there.

ATB

[jan]

Thanks so much. I am so impressed...the nuptials lasted five days. The columns are especially significant. Studded with jewels... 9,000 guests. This is utterly fantastic as I appreciate knowing that the Persian rites were used instead of the Macedonian, making me understand why probably it was easy to abandon their wives as they did. Wow! Thanks again. And all dowrys paid by Alexander. Very important to understand this kind of alliance. Valid only as long as Alexander lives. HMMMM! Amyntoros, Marcus, thanks so much. Jan

[amyntoros]

And all dowrys paid by Alexander.

He didn’t really have much of a choice as he needed to sweeten the pot in this forced marriage situation, and dowries would have been expected. Every single Persian woman married off at Susa would have had a substantial dowry provided by their families upon their marriage had Alexander not conquered Persia. Take Oxyathres, for instance; the brother of Darius and father of Amastris (who was married to Craterus). Before the conquest Oxyathres would have had sufficient wealth to provide a considerable dowry for his daughter, and even though he was enrolled in Alexander’s hetairoi I think we can assume that not all his wealth and lands were returned to him by Alexander or he would have been in a position to provide the dowry himself. So, in a way, Alexander was simply returning to the women that which he had taken from them – in full or in part, I really don’t know - yet, once again, Alexander ended up looking good in the process.

I know … I know … someone feel free to call me a cynic (again).

Sorry, slightly off subject, but I have a great fondness for tents...

I think it's a great subject. For the longest time I could never quite picture the various tents described in the histories (I’m afraid that Hollywood images tend to get in the way) so I would have loved to see the tent exhibition in the Topkapi myself. The closest I can get to picturing the pavilion at Susa is an image from an old children’s history book. It’s an illustration of the tent of Ptolemy Philadelphus as described in Athenaeus Book V. 196 – 197 b. Everything in the description says to me that the tent was inspired by Alexander’s construction at Susa, although Philadelphus version was even more excessive. The artist left the right side (and possibly the front) uncovered by draperies so one can see the interior.

Great call on Athanaeus, though - he is, after all, telling us what Chares said, and Chares was there.

I wonder if Chares was given a bride himself? Do we know? It’s such a shame that we only have the names of a few of the grooms, don’t you think? A complete list would go a long way to telling us which friends and companions were valued the most by Alexander. Ah well …

Best regards,

[marcus]

I wonder if Chares was given a bride himself? Do we know? It’s such a shame that we only have the names of a few of the grooms, don’t you think? A complete list would go a long way to telling us which friends and companions were valued the most by Alexander. Ah well …

Hmm, interesting question. I suppose I've always worked on the basis that only the most prominent are named purely because they were the "important" ones ... and of course this is borne out by the brides they were given. So however important Chares was to Alexander on a personal, secretarial level, he wasn't a high-ranking soldier, and so ... what, one of Roxane's handmaidens, perhaps?

For those without easy access to Arrian, here's the list of grooms and brides:

Alexander = Stateira (called Barsine in Arrian) and Parysatis, daughter of Ochus.
Hephaestion = Drypetis, daughter of Ochus.
Craterus = Amastrine, daughter of Oxyatres, Darius' brother.
Perdiccas = a daughter of Atropates, satrap of Media.
Ptolemy = Artacama, daughter of Artabazus (and therefore sister, or half-sister, of Barsine).
Eumenes = Aronis, daughter of Artabazus (and therefore sister, or half-sister, of Barsine).
Nearchus = daughter of Barsine and Mentor.
Seleucus = Apama, daughter of Spitamenes (not named in Arrian, but we know from other sources).

To other Companions, "the noblest daughters of Persians and Medes, numbering about eighty."

ATB

[jan]

Thanks for the illustration. That is very interesting. There is such a difference between columns topped with a canopy than tents. 30 feet high, and studded with gems and jewels sounds as though a lot of thought and time went into this effort to make this special place for this wedding.

And I agree that movies and misinterpretations will influence. Well, as you might know, I also appreciate the names of the wives. Interesting that Alexander and Hephaestion marry sisters too.

Tents are collapsible, and mobile, intended to be portable. The columns suggest to me that this was to become a kind fo semi-permanent shrine. This is actually a very important time and event, and the number of days to celebrate it as well as all the guests and entertainment really pronounce the importance and significance of this occasion.

I will admit one thing to you so that you understand why this is so important to me...first of all, I was blessed with a vision of the pavilion, and secondly, my reaction was that Roxanne had the temerity and nerve to kill Stateira after Alexander's death. That really bothers me a lot to consider how she must have felt during this entire entertaining and political event.

One thing that is evdient to me is that Alexander keeps his private life so private that nobody knows anything about his relationship to his wives, but the fact that this event created murder in the heart of Roxanne is extremely troubling. I wonder how much of it was to protect her own child and his inheritance or what.

I decided to see, since I remember Linda Ann once mentioning that if she could go back in time she would like to see the mass wedding, and so I wondered if I could produce anything. I saw the columns and they impressed me no end, plus some other things that made me think that the wives are very important to understand, the veils, and all. The veil is lifted thing...But my belief is that this is all politics and purely void of love and romance...but nonetheless very intriguing...mass control...

[jan]

to continue the thought as I was briefly interrupted...There is no doubt that as a true Princess and now Queen of Persia that Stateira's (Barsine) children would have precedence over the children of Roxanne .

This marriage/alliance creates motivation for those who believe in the murder of Alexander, whether by Roxanne or any other of the grooms or grooms' wives.

Frankly, I am puzzled that no work of fiction has yet used this event as material for a story. It is rich with all kinds of intrigues. And a great event for a movie. Thank Heaven so far nobody has had the nerve to tackle it.

[amyntoros]

Interesting that Alexander and Hephaestion marry sisters too.

This was quite deliberate because Alexander wanted their offspring to be cousins.

I will admit one thing to you so that you understand why this is so important to me...first of all, I was blessed with a vision of the pavilion ...

Umm, you're not just admitting it me, but by posting it on this forum you are telling it to every member and guest.

I decided to see, since I remember Linda Ann once mentioning that if she could go back in time she would like to see the mass wedding, and so I wondered if I could produce anything.

I don't recall this, but I admit it would be most interesting to see. But there's the rub. I would like to see it for myself, but that is an impossibility so I concern myself with historical references (and archaeological evidence when it is available). Your personal visions may be important to you, but, respectfully, I must say that they mean little to me because they cannot add anything to an historical discussion - the purpose of the forum and the reason we are here on Pothos. We all may make conjectures here from time to time, of course, but when we are in pursuit of knowledge we don't deem the truth to be found within our imaginations.

Best regards,

[marcus]

I wonder how much of it was to protect her own child and his inheritance or what.

Er ... how about 100%?

ATB

[amyntoros]

I suppose I've always worked on the basis that only the most prominent are named purely because they were the "important" ones ... and of course this is borne out by the brides they were given. So however important Chares was to Alexander on a personal, secretarial level, he wasn't a high-ranking soldier, and so ... what, one of Roxane's handmaidens, perhaps?

IMO, one of the reasons behind the multiple marriages was to appease the remaining Persian elite – to convince them how much they were still valued - and he did this by marrying their women to his own Greek and Macedonian elite. Obviously he had to first deal with the remnants of Persian royalty, but surely the other women who are not listed in Arrian were daughters or sisters of previously high ranking Persians? Why include them otherwise? Therefore, I’m not sure if a handmaiden of Roxane’s would have qualified unless she also had family connections.

Once the most prominent women were paired with the highest ranking soldiers, Alexander also needed to give the remainder of the women to men whom the Persians could be convinced were important, don’t you think? Obviously it would have been a sliding scale in regard to both the women and the Macedonians (and you’re right in that Chares was probably fairly low on the list), but I do think it would be wonderful if all the names had been recorded somewhere because it might have told us about Alexander’s entire inner circle. For instance, I’d love to know if Medius, who only comes to prominence after Hephaistion’s death, was also included as a husband.

On other probable reasons for the mass marriage: We know that Alexander hoped to produce half Persian, half Macedonian offspring via these unions, but there are still other sides to the coin - political marriages made for a good “hostage” situation almost as much as taking a man’s sons into one’s own service! Also, by marrying these women to Greeks and Macedonians, Alexander prevented them from marrying into Persian families. Old dynastic connections were broken and new alliances based on marriages could not be formed. Alexander was a political genius and the Susa marriages are a marvelous example; probably, IMO, planned long before Alexander returned to Persia. Well … my opinion anyway.

Best regards,

__________________
Amyntoros

PS. Oh what I’d give for a complete listing of the Persians named in the histories, along with their ranks/positions, family connections etc. I know I could use Heckel, but such a list would be so much more convenient.

[marcus]

PS. Oh what I’d give for a complete listing of the Persians named in the histories, along with their ranks/positions, family connections etc. I know I could use Heckel, but such a list would be so much more convenient.

Project number 356b ...

[marcus]

PS. Oh what I’d give for a complete listing of the Persians named in the histories, along with their ranks/positions, family connections etc. I know I could use Heckel, but such a list would be so much more convenient.

Project number 356b ...

Humph! Easier said than done.

Relatively easy to provide family connections, but positions/ranks, etc. is very hard, because of the many changes to the administration. I'm OK with listing what their position is when they are first encountered, or possibly what Alexander promotes them to ... but any more than that and, to be honest, you might as well read Heckel!

(As it is, I'm sure you realise that I am literally making notes from Heckel's Who's Who, because he has, in fact, done all the work.)

It's going to take some time - just spent around 40 minutes on the 'A's ...

ATB