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Herodotus,) thirty-one years, or, (according to Justin,) but thirty.

SECT. VIII.

Of Cyrus's issue; and whether Atossa were his daughter, or, (as some think,) were the same with queen Esther.

CYRUS had issue two sons, Cambyses and Smerdis, with three daughters, Atossa, Meroe, and Artystona. Ctesias addeth to these, Amytes. Atossa and Meroe, their brother Cambyses married; Artystona, Darius Hystaspes obtained; so did he Atossa, Cambyses being dead; who, (as some writers have supposed,) inflamed both her husbands, Darius and Xerxes after him, to invade Greece, to be avenged of the whole nation for the cruel intent that Aman, (whom the old translation calleth a Macedonian,) had against the Jews; though the opinion of Josephus be more probable, who finds Aman to be an Amalekite. But it is hard to be understood how Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus, should have been Esther, whose history seems rather to appertain to the time of Artaxerxes Longimanus, than of Darius the son of Hystaspes or of Xerxes. The desire of Atossa to have Greece brought under the yoke of Persia, was partly grounded upon the honour which thereby she thought her husband might obtain; partly upon a feminine humour of getting many brave dames, Corinthians, Athenians, and others of that nation, to be her bond-women. Wherefore I cannot give assent to the opinion of Codoman, who, upon the near sound of the two names, Atossa and Hadassa, (by the latter of which Esther was also called,) makes them to have been one person. For though it be true that Esther, concerning her parentage, a while might be taken for a great lady; yet Codoman's inference is VOL. III.

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nothing probable, that she should therefore, and for the great affection which the king bare unto her, be thought the daughter of Cyrus. Certain it is, that Esther did at length discover her kindred and nation; whereby, if histories could be kept free from this error, yet the people, and especially the nobility, must needs have understood the truth; who nevertheless did so well know the parentage of Atossa, that for her sake, as being daughter of Cyrus, her son Xerxes was preferred to the kingdom before his elder brother, against whom also he could have pretended a very weak claim. But of these things more hereafter in fitter place.

END OF VOLUME THIRD.

John Moir, Printer.

AK

1. JL

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