Atossa (from Old Persian *Utauθa, and Avestan Hutaosā) was an Achaemenid queen and daughter of Cyrus the Great. She lived from 550-475 BC and probably a sister (or half-sister) of Cambyses II, Atossa married Darius I sometime in 522 BC after Darius, with the help of nobelman Otanes, overthrew a man claiming to be Bardiya. Xerxes I was the eldest son of Atossa and Darius. Atossa was alive when Xerxes invaded Greece. Being an intelligent woman and descendent of Cyrus the Great, Atossa had a great authority within Achamenian royal house and court. This special position of Atossa made Xerxes, who was not the eldest son of Darius, succeed his father. ^[1]

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Aeschylus also included her as a central character in his tragedy The Persians. Also Atossa is one of the major characters in the Gore Vidal work, Creation. The book's account of how Darius ascended the throne has been disputed.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

1. ^ Schmitt, Rüdiger (1989). "Atossa". Encycloaedia Iranica. vol. 3. Encyclopedia Iranica Foundation. ISBN 0710091214. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/unicode/v3f1/v3f1a014.html.