Mistress of alexander the great

[clive]

Does any one know the name of the great mans mistress,who was also the wife of ptolemy 1?many thank's for any help.

[Linda]

Hi CliveI think you are referring to Thais, who was Ptolomy's mistress for many years and who bore him 4 children. She was never Alexander's mistress, although she is linked to him as she reputedly encouraged him to set fire to Persopolis, during a drunken banquet to which Alexander had allowed his Companions to bring their mistresses.Alexander's mistress was called Barsine; other women are mentioned with varying amounts of certainty, but according to Plutarch she was his first, and probably bore him a son, Hercules.

[John]

Was this Barsine:A) Memnon's widoworB) Darius' daughter
John

[Tre]

Memnon's widow of course, although I am aware that in some sources, Statiera, daughter of Darius, is referred to as Barsine. However, she was his wife. There is also Kampaspe, mentioned as a mistress, i.e. the famous logos of Alexander giving her to Apelles as a gift.Regards,Tre

[Linda]

TreWhat is the source of the logos about Kampaspe? I have read it in Green or Fox, but would like to read the "original".

[janice]

obviously doing the sunday express crossword like myself. after 2 hours of searching i found THAIS.
I WILL SHARE THE PRIZE MONEY WITH YOU!!

[John]

Barsine, Memnon's widow...... She must have had a thing for powerful men. First, Memnon, who probably had more "real" power than any one else on the Persian side. Then Alexander... Hmmm... Do you think she could have poisoned Memnon so she could "be with" the great Alexander?John

[Linda]

This is a time for conspiracy theories, isn't it? I don't think she would have had any choice who she was "with". How about the one that Alexander was really a woman, which is why he had little body hair, a high voice, short stature, and was generally quite emotional. He was also clean and smelled sweet, and was close to his mother. As for after India, well, it was because he couldn't make up his confused female mind which way to go. Women have more powers of endurance than men, which takes care of that legendary ability. His "children" were fathered by Hephaestion, when it was necessary politically, or by Perdicccas (for Alexander IV), which is why he was appointed guardian. Also explains his limited interest in women, and his sympathy with his sister and other women, and his devotion to Hephaestion.Does that work for anyone?

[John]

Are you trying to make a god into your own image, that's why you try to turn Alexander into a female?I think you would do better trying to make a goddess into your own image. - Just be careful of other jealous goddesses!
John

[david lee]

do i get a share as well?????

[Linda]

Firstly, you are assuming I am female, but we will let that one past.I didn't mean to scorn your suggestion, but I truly don't think Barsine would have had a choice, and that was the sad case for most women in those days. She may not have loved Alexander or Memnon; the tales of what happened after Alexander's death - all the marriages of female relatives of anyone important to various commanders would put anyone off the idea of any sort of romance or friendship in marriage amongst that class.

[John]

Yes, with a name like Linda, I assumed you were female.I don't understand what you mean, saying Barsine had no choice, and about the women of those days. Didn't Alexander make the female Ada ruler of Lydia? Didn't Alexander's mother (who was definitely female) poison a person or two she wanted out of the way????
John

[susan]

I've been reading something about the role of women in the Persian court, and I think the relationship with Barsine was in some sense political - whilst not a full wife, she could have been a 'woman of the king's court' - her semi-formal relationship with Alexander would improve his acceptance by the Persian nobility whilst her Greek education and 'gentle manner' would make her a known quantity as far as Parmenio and other Macedonians were concerned. Plutarch says that Parmenio encouraged Alexander in this - if it was just personal affections I can't see why Parmenio would have been involved but if it had some political meaning, his interest would make more sense. I don't think that with her previous matrimonial history Barsine could ever be regarded as more than a 'stop-gap' measure, but this did not stop her from being useful. I don't think she had much choice in the matter, either - women like Olympias were famous because they were the exceptions to the rule - like mother, like son.By the time Barsine was pregnant in 327 ( if this date is correct) , matters of policy had moved on and there were more pressing alliances to be made - firstly the one with Oxyartes to keep the peace in Bactria so that Alexander could move on, and then no doubt already in Alexander's mind, the full state marriage with Darius' daughter (and Parysatis too, to tie up all the loose ends) which would make the other marriages and alliances of secondary importance.There's more to be read on http://www.livius.org about Persian customs.RegardsSusan

[Thomas]

Surely pothos.co.uk should get 50%. It costs approximately -ú150 (real money) a year to run, and the site did provide the means to getting the answer!

[fiona]

Hey, man - you do crosswords like I do! Good luck. This has been a tough one this week!