The Tragic Tale of Abradatas and Pantheia, Persian Prince and His Devoted Wife

Abradatas (in Latin, Abradates) was a Persian prince from Susiana, believed to have lived around the mid-6th century BCE, though his historical existence remains uncertain. We know of him primarily through Xenophon, who recounts his story in the Cyropaedia. The author narrates the poignant story of Abradatas, the king of Susa (today Shush) , and his wife Pantheia, a woman of striking beauty, renowned for her modesty and virtue.

On left, the archaeological area of Susa

In 558 BCE, Cyrus of the Achaemenid dynasty succeeded his father Cambyses as ruler of Anshan in Susiana. He began to construct the first great Persian Empire with the conquest of Media, seizing Ecbatana in 550 BCE and overthrowing his maternal grandfather Astyages' rule. Cyrus then continued his expansion with a campaign in Lydia, where Abradatas initially was aligned himself with the Assyrians against him.
During this time, Pantheia was captured by the Persians while Abradatas was on a mission for the Bactrians. Cyrus treated her with respect and honor, which inspired Pantheia to persuade her husband to support Cyrus. In gratitude, Abradatas pledged his loyalty and contributed to Cyrus’s ongoing war efforts against king Croesus. However, during a battle against the Egyptian forces in the conquest of Lydia, the courageous Abradatas met his end (c. 546 BCE).

The death of Abradatas, by Francesco Hayez, 1813; Gallerie d'Italia - Milan

Grief-stricken and determined to honor her husband, Pantheia took her own life upon his corpse, unwilling to outlive him. Her act of loyalty was echoed by her three eunuchs, who followed her in death. Cyrus honored them with an impressive burial, raising a large mound over their graves. Atop a pillar were inscribed the names of Abradatas and Pantheia in Syrian script, while three columns below bore the inscription sk-ptouchon (?) in honor of the eunuchs.

Croesus at the stake. Side A from an Attic red-figure amphora, ca. 500–490 BCE. From Vulci, Italy.

Following the conclusion of the Lydian campaign (547 or 546 BCE), Cyrus seized Sardis, its capital, capturing Croesus, the Lydian king. In some accounts, Croesus was executed, while others claim Cyrus spared him, extending clemency to all of Ionia. According to The Histories by Herodotus, Croesus, taken prisoner, was placed on a great pyre by order of Cyrus, who wanted to see if supernatural forces would intervene to save him from the flames. Cyrus lit the fire, invoking Apollo, but suddenly, from a previously clear sky, rain and wind arrived, extinguishing the flames. Convinced of Croesus's worth, Cyrus spared him and appointed him as his advisor—a position Croesus continued to hold under Cyrus’s son, Cambyses.
Cyrus himself died 18 years later in a battle against the Massagetae beyond the Iaxartes River, by which time the Persian Empire had become the largest political entity in the Near East.

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Last update: November 1, 2024

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