Amestris a niece regarding Darius are said a few times regarding messages. She are married to help you a man called Craterus but are in the future quit by the your and you can after the lady divorce is actually remarried so you’re able to Dionysius, a local leader. They delivered about three college students and you may shortly after this lady husbands’ demise from inside the 306 BC she acted given that regent. She reigned since king for some time but is ultimately murdered because of the the girl sons. We really do not has actually far facts about the marriage ceremonies. The only head membership is Alexander’s matrimony at the Susa into the Iranian little princess Stateira a child of one’s outdone queen Darius III. As reported by the new Greek historians the wedding is actually achieved inside Persian customs. “The brand new bride-to-be joined the area and you can sat next to the bridegroom. He got the woman give and kissed her or him. Both ate about same loaf off dough sliced inside two-fold by a sword and you will ate particular wine. After the service the lady spouse took this new bride-to-be house”.
The brand new contracts had been closed before several witnesses who were along with called throughout the preparations
Modern supply within the Babylonia and other regions less than Achaemenid shed some white into courtroom section of the marriage associations away from normal lovers. We have no facts your practices described throughout these data could be identical to those in Persia not parallels existed and you may every piece of information is actually sharing. Forty-five such as marriage contracts try discover from inside the Babylonia. This new contracts will always between the partner and members of the latest bride’s relatives. They start with the fresh partner’s guarantee are because of the girl in marriage and you can gift ideas to get made available to the newest fiance and you will this lady members of the family.
If the partner chooses to need a moment wife he is to give the original girlfriend a designated sum of money, and you can she could possibly get go back to her house. The fresh new women’s dowry could be land, home products, jewellery, money and you will slaves. In the case of wife’s adultery the new discipline is frequently demise.
Most other documents when you look at the Babylonia (and additionally Elam and Egypt) demonstrate that females owned characteristics, which they you are going to promote otherwise book. Following the death of the girl spouse, the latest widowed wife passed on on the inactive regardless if she did n’t have students. A female couldn’t try to be a witness regarding the attracting up of agreements, but she you certainly will play the role of a contracting group and just have their own seal. In the event that there are children out of one or two spouses, the youngsters of one’s first spouse passed down two thirds plus the anybody else 1 / 3 only. It is not obvious what can function as the case in the event that an excellent man got more than one or two wives. If a woman died childless, new dowry was returned to our house regarding their dad.
The household was monogamous however, less than particular conditions husbands you are going to get married most other wives and was indeed allowed sexual activity having submissives and you can domestic servants ( a familiar behavior in your community)
There were attempts by Darius to codify the legal system but no standard set of laws is discovered. The conquered territories used their own legal system with little interference from the central administration. For example Jewish colonies in Elephantine in Egypt followed their own legal code. Husbands remained monogamous and all property and family matters were settled in the special courts of the Jews. Of all the territories under Achaemenid administration Egyptian women enjoyed more rights and privileges. A husband did not have the right to pawn her wife as security for debts. This practice existed in various forms in Babylonia and even Sassanian Persia. Wives retained their own property in marriage and after divorce. They also had the right to transfer their property to their children as inheritance and could initiate divorce. If the husband initiated divorce he had to apportion a part of the property to his wife. If the woman asked for a divorce she had to return the money visit the website here she had received from her husband as bride price and could not lay claim upon property acquired jointly with the husband. Sons and daughters inherited equal portions. However fathers’ power over children was substantial and he could pawn them as security for debt.
