ARTYSTONE

 

ARTYSTONE, Persian female personal name, attested only in the Greek form Artystōnē (Herodotus 3.88.2 bis; 7.69.2; 7.72.2) and the Elamite form Ir-taš-du-na, Ir-da-iš-du-na (more than twenty occurrences; see R. T. Hallock, Persepolis Fortification Tablets, Chicago, 1969, p. 705a). These forms reflect an Old Persian *Ṛtastūnā “pillar of Ṛta, the deified Truth” (see most recently M. Mayrhofer, Onomastica Persepolitana, Vienna, 1973, p. 169, no. 8.651; R. Schmitt, Acta Antiqua 24, 1976, pp. 32f.). From Herodotus we learn that Artystone was one of the daughters of Cyrus I, consequently a sister (or half sister) of Atossa (3.88.2), that she was married to Darius (ibid.) and was the mother of Arsames (7.69.2) and Gobryas (7.72.2). The Persepolis tablets show that she possessed several palaces at various sites all over Fārs; and certain apportionments suggest that Artystone, who twice is called du-uk-ši-iš “princess,” not infrequently arranged imposing banquets, sometimes together with her son Arsames (Hallock, op. cit., nos. 733, 734, 2035).

 

Bibliography:

W. Hinz, “Die elamischen Buchungstäfelchen der Darius-Zeit,” Orientalia, N.S. 39, 1970, pp. 421-40, especially p. 423.

(R. Schmitt)

Originally Published: December 15, 1986

Last Updated: August 15, 2011

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