Itanes - Roxane's brother

[Alexias]

Roxane had a brother (which I hadn't realised), and at least two sisters. Her brother was probably a guest hostage in Alexander's entourage from 327 BC, and in 324 BC was enrolled into the agema of Alexander's bodyguard as part of the unpopular (with the Macedonians) reorganisation of the army (Arrian 7.6.5). This might have been when he was old enough, or a conciliatory move towards the family after the Susa weddings. Some translations show his name as Histanes.

Also enrolled in the agema was Darius's younger brother, Oxyathres, captured at Issus. He had a daughter Amastris, captured with other high-ranking ladies at Damascus, who appears to have been quite feisty. She was married to Craterus at Susa but, with his approval, married Dionysius of Heraclea Pontica and bore him three children. After his death she ruled as regent, and then married Lysimachus, and appears to have reigned as queen at Sardis. She was later drowned by her own sons.

[dean]

Hi ,

just reading what you have written about Roxane. I had always kind of assumed that she was an only child for some unknown reason but of course it would have been ususual if that were the case.

Sisygambis had lost 80 brothers who had all been "butchered" on the same day by Ochus.(Curtius- 10.5.18-25) so I guess by all accounts Roxane didn't have so many by comparison. The potential age difference between some of the syblings in the family must have been quite impressive.

Thanks for the post.

[marcus]

Just as an aside ... if I remember, Steven Pressfield included Itanes in his novel "The Virtues of War", in which Alexander narrates his story to his brother-in-law ...

[Alexias]

This has been bugging me for a while as I couldn't remember where I had seen before that some of Alexander's friends married other Bactrian girls when Alexander married Roxane. Finally found it:

3(d) Metz Epitome 29–31

Alexander took his cup, made a prayer to the gods and then proceeded to declare that many people often found that many things happen contrary to their expectations, that many kings had had sons by captives [30] or sent daughters to foreign nations to get married, using such a bond to ratify
alliances. “So”, he continued, “I do not consider the Macedonians your betters in terms of race and no more would I consider you unworthy of inter-marriage with us, even if you had sought alliance with us after a defeat. I am going to make such a match, and I shall ensure that the rest of the Macedonians follow my example.” [31] After these words of exhortation from Alexander, each of his friends took away a girl as his bride, to the great delight of Oxyartes and the other barbarians.

3(e) Diodorus Siculus, from the “Table of Contents” to Book 17(11)

How Alexander fell in love with Roxane, the daughter of Oxyartes, married
her and persuaded many of his philoi to marry the daughters of eminent
barbarians.

(11) This episode was described in a section of Book 17 that is now lost

Now this may be a duplication of the Susa mass weddings, just romantic embellishment, or maybe Alexander got Hephaestion to marry one of Roxane's sisters?

[hiphys]

It seems very likely that the marriages between Macedonians and Bactrian women took place: after all the tradition of intermarriages was a long practice in Macedonia (and even in arcaic Greece). Besides, there is even in Curtius a hint of this fact, before Alexander wedding of Roxane; he says "[Alexander made] a statement that intermarriage of Persians and Macedonians would serve to consolidate his empire, that only thus could the conquered lose their shame and the conquerors their pride. Achilles, he said, from whom he traced his descent, had also shared his bed with a captive"(Curt. 8, 4, 25-26). But I don't think Hephaestion married really a sister of Roxane, because no hints of any cousins is made by Alexander before the marriage between the two sisters Barsine/Stateira and Drypetis respectively to himself and his friend.

[Alexias]

But I don't think Hephaestion married really a sister of Roxane, because no hints of any cousins is made by Alexander before the marriage between the two sisters Barsine/Stateira and Drypetis respectively to himself and his friend.

No, probably not, but just a bit of wishful thinking!