Cassandane

Cassandane or Cassandana (died 538 BC) was an Achaemenian Persian Shahbanu consort and the "dearly loved" wife of Cyrus the Great.

Cassandane
An old image of a possible tomb of Cassandane in Pasargad Archaeological Site Suleiman Prison (Pasargad) 1906 image taken from the book Persia past and present by AV Williams Jackson (1906)
Queen consort of the Achaemenid Empire
Tenure	559–538 BC
Coronation	559 BC
Successor	Atossa
Died	538 BC
Burial	Pasargad
Spouse	Cyrus the great
Issue	Cambyses II Bardiya Artystone Atossa Roxane
House	Achaemenid

She was a daughter of Pharnaspes. She had four children with Cyrus (it may be 5, including Artystone, based on the documented children listed under Cyrus the Great): Cambyses II, who succeeded his father and conquered Egypt; Smerdis (Bardiya), who also reigned as the king of Persia for a short time; a daughter named Atossa, who later wed Darius the Great; and another daughter named Roxana.[1]

Her daughter Atossa later played an important role in the Achaemenid royal family, as she married Darius the Great and bore him the next Achaemenid king, Xerxes I. Atossa had a "great authority" in the Achaemenid royal house and her marriage with Darius I is likely due to her power, influence and the fact that she was a direct descendant of Cyrus.[2]

When Cassandane died, all the nations of Cyrus' Persian empire observed "a great mourning". This is reported by Herodotus. According to a report in the chronicle of Nabonidus, there was a public mourning after her death in Babylonia lasting for six days. Cassandane reportedly stated that it was more bitter to leave Cyrus's side than to die.[3] Cyrus demanded his kingdom mourn her death: [4] according to the Nabonidus Chronicle, this lasted six days (identified as 21–26 March 538 BC).[5] According to a suggestion by M. Boyce, Cassandane's tomb is located at Pasargadae.[1]