Esther and Herodotus part five.

We are now at Esther chapter two. It begins with the word "later" but how much later? We will find out that the events of chapter two probably begin in the sixth year of Xerxes reign.The banquet in the previous chapter took place about 483 BCE, the third year of his reign.  History tells us Xerxes arrived in Sardis, an important Persian territory,  to gather his army and navy, around 481 BCE. He was going to fight the Greeks as planned. In August of 480, the Battle  of Thermopylae is a victory for the Persians. Please read the links if you want a fuller picture of the events surrounding the history of Xerxes and the empire. They also provide some comments about what Herodotus says about these places and events in his Histories.

 In September of 480, the Persians sack Athens. Later that same month, the Greek navy routs the Persian Navy in the Battle of Salamis. The Persian forces are scattered. Xerxes goes back to Sardis. (Histories IX:108-109) While in Sardis, Xerxes develops a passion for the wife of his brother Masistes, who were both there. He tries to seduce his sister in law, but she refuses him. He doesn't force himself on her. Instead,  decides his son will marry her daughter, his niece, thinking this will soften his sister in law to his will. You see,  Darius was next in line to be king. Darius's wife (also his cousin) could have been the next queen. What woman could resist the man who had honored her daughter thusly?

The royal entourage goes then goes back to Susa. His niece is now in Susa, married to Darius, Xerxes' son. Xerxes  forgets about the mother and focuses his attentions on his daughter in law. They have an affair, if you can call it that. Xerxes offers his daughter in law/niece/mistress a gift of anything she wants. It just so happens she wants a beautiful robe that his wife made for him. He tries everything to dissuade her, but she insists. So, he gives her the robe. His wife, Amestris/Vashti, naturally finds out. She decides to take revenge on the girl's mother, Xerxes original target for his lust.

According to Herodotus IX:110-113, Amestris wanted the death of her sister-in-law, whom she considered responsible for Xerxes philandering, even though she had actually done nothing. Amestris waited until the king's birthday, when there was a  banquet feast. It was tradition that what ever was asked of the king while he  was at his birthday feast would be granted. Amestris asked for her sister in law. Xerxes knew the motivation but not the intention. He reluctantly acquiesced, because the rules compelled him to. In the meantime, Xerxes sent a message to his bother Masistes, telling him he should not  keep his present wife, but marry one of Xerxes daughters instead. Masistes sent a message back saying thanks, but no thanks. He wanted to keep his wife. He had no idea what was happening.

Amestris had her sister in law forcefully captured. Her breasts, nose, ears, lips and tongue were cut off. Masistes wife was sent home in this condition. When Xerxes brother went home and found his wife, he was naturally furious and planned a revolt against his brother. Xerxes found out about it and sent an army after him. Xerxes' army slew his brother, his brother's army and his brother's sons. These events in Susa bring us approximately to the time of the events of Esther chapter two and fill us in to what has been happening in Xerxes' life. How's that for context?
 
P.S. What is it with kings, banquets, and awkward or deadly requests from women? Didn't the same thing happen To Herod, when his step daughter requested the head of John the baptist? This seems like an obvious ancient storytelling trope.

Esther and Herodotus part three

We are at Esther chapter one, verse 9. Xerxes is giving a sumptuous banquet for a bunch of important men. The wine is flowing freely. They are possibly discussing an attack on Greece. Queen Vashti (Amestris?) now enters our story. She is giving a banquet for the women in the royal palace. Unlike the description of the men, we are not told who these women are. They could be wives and concubines of the important men, or they could just be Xerxes wives and concubines, his harem, we are not told.  Herodotus's Histories I:135 tells us that the Persians "marry each one several wives, and they get also a much larger number of concubines." Some well documented information about the concept of harem in ancient Iran (Persia) can be found here (link). Secular history tells us that even though Xerxes may have had many wives and concubines, he only had one head wife and queen, Amestris. She live almost as long as her husband Xerxes. Remember that.

It is interesting that the word banquet occurs twenty times in the book of Esther, equal to all the other times it occurs in the rest of the entire bible. This banquet of Xerxes' lasted seven days. On the seventh day, a drunk Xerxes commanded his seven eunuchs to bring in Queen Vashti, "wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger."

Why did Vashti/Amestris refuse to do what the king asked? We are not actually told. It's easy to guess. Perhaps she was embarrassed to be shown off in public. Perhaps she did not want to appear in front of a bunch of drunk men and be subjected to their remarks or rude handling. Perhaps she did not want to leave her guests. Perhaps she was just stubbornly independent, as much as a woman of that time could be, and not afraid of the king.  Perhaps she was also drunk. Perhaps she objected to the plans to go to war with Greece. Just because she was a woman in ancient times doesn't mean she was ignorant or without influence. I've heard much speculation that she was probably asked to appear nude, that's why she refused. The text doesn't give any reason at all. I think it would be a mistake to assume any modern western interpretation of Vashti's refusal to appear before the king.

That said, there is a story in Herodotus' Histories V:18 that takes place at the home of a Macedonian man who is providing hospitality to seven (!) high ranking men in the Persian army, who were envoys of King Darius, Xerxes father. The Persians notice there are no women present at the meal, as is the custom in that place. They pressure the host to bring in the women of the household and insist that the women must sit beside them. As would be expected, the drunk Persian men feel free to molest the women. You should read the story, it also contains cross dressing, deception, and revenge.

Did you notice the multiple occurrances of the number seven? Seven is one of the ancient magic numbers. It will appear more times in the story of Esther. Seven and its multiples, 70, 700, 7000, appears many times in Herodotus's Histories.  Events cover seven days and seven nights. There are even multiple instances of numbers that non multiples of seven, but they end in seven, like 17 and 127.  Amazing, isn't it, how superstition crosses time and cultures.

Esther and Herodotus, part one

Now let us get into the text of Esther. The story tells us it takes place during the time of Xerxes, who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Cush (Egypt). This is referring to the Persian Empire, also known as the Achaemenid Empire, between 486-465 BCE. The author tells us "Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa."

The links are an important part of this study. They provide tons of historical context and include many of Herodotus's references to the people places and events we will be covering. It is too much for me to include all that information in the blog posts. It is your homework to read it for yourself. Chase down any rabbits you wish to follow. Who knows, you may find you disagree with some of what I say. That is okay.

The author of Esther tells us that the time period is three years into the reign of Xerxes, which would make it approximately 483 BCE. Xerxes would be about 39 years old. He had just finished suppressing revolts in Egypt and Babylon. The Persian Empire under Darius, Xerxes father, had lost a war with Greece, an attempt to expand the empire. In 483, Xerxes was planning to back to war with Greece. The author of Esther tells us Xerxes "gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the province were present." For a full 180 days before the banquet, he had been putting his kingdom's wealth and glory on display.

We can read about Xerxes and his rise to power in book VII of Herodotus's Histories. In paragraph VII:8, we can read where Xerxes "summoned a chosen assembly of the best men among the Persians" that he might learn their opinions and also declare his intentions. According to Herodotus, Xerxes addressed the men with this speech: "....from the day on which I mounted the throne, I have not ceased to ponder by what means I may rival those who have preceded me in this post of honor, and increase the power of Persia as much as any of them." He wants to make a name for himself, like his father (Darius 1) and grandfather (Cyrus) before him. His plan is to annex Greece into his empire, obtaining satisfaction and revenge. Xerxes goes on to say, "For this cause I have now called you together, that I might make known to you what I design to do."

There is much more of Xerxes speech about how he planned to attack Greece in Herodotus's Histories, including replies by some of the men present and a few dream sequences. It is my belief that it is quite likely this gathering of Xerxes's is one and the same as the one mentioned in the opening verses of the book of Esther. The time period certainly works.

Verses 5 and 6 of Esther chapter one describe the setting of the banquet held for all those important men. It was in an enclosed garden. Around the garden were hangings of "white and blue linen, fastened with white linen cords and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement made of porphyry, marble, mother of pearl, and other costly stones." Wine was being served in golden goblets, and it was flowing as generously as the guests wanted it to.

This leads me to another passage in Herodotus Book I:113. Speaking of Persian customs, Herodotus claimed, "They are very fond of wine and drink it in large quantities....it is also their practice to deliberate on affairs of weight when they are drunk; and then on the morrow, when they are sober, the decision to which they came the night before is put before the by the master of the house in which it was made; and if it is approved, they act on it; if not, they put it aside. Sometimes, however, they are sober at their first deliberation, but in this case they always reconsider the matter under the influence of wine." This also seems to line up with the story in Esther.