ANTİK BATI KAYNAKLARI IŞIĞINDA PERS SARAY YAŞAMINDA CARİYELER
CONCUBINES IN THE PERSIAN ROYAL LIFE IN THE LIGHT OF THE ANCIENT WESTERN SOURCES

Summary/Abstract: The Harem organization is one of the most significant elements of Ancient Near Eastern royal life. Having conquered the Near Eastern kingdoms, The Persians inherited many practices of their contemporaries, the court of Ancient Egypt, Neo-Assyria, and Neo-Babylon, and concubines, an important component of the harem organization, became part of The Persian court life. The limited of Persian sources providing information on concubines necessitated an evaluation of the subject through Ancient Western sources. Contrary to Persians, Ancient Western sources frequently mention court life and concubines. On the other hand, The Hellenic view of monogamy as one of the dintinguishing features of their society was also significant. The article aims to reveal of the place and status of concubines in Persian court life by utilizing the works of Hellenic historians such as Ksenophan, Ktesias, Dinon and Herekleides, especially Herodotus as well as the origin of the Hellenic-Latin history and geography writers such as Plutarkhos, Athenaios, Curtius Rufus, Claudius Aelianus, Strabon and Pausanias who lived in the Roman period. According to the Hellenic sources, polygamy was one of the methods used by Persian kings and nobles to have many children and guarantee their lineage. Calling legitimate wives and concubines by different words was also used to emphasize the difference in social status between them. Concubines who were lower in the court hierarcy than legitimate wives, were responsible for the continuation of the king’s lineage as wives. After giving birth to a son, they gained prestige through the king’s acceptance of the child, but socially and legally, concubines were eternally below the legitimate wife. Underlying this was the traditional marriage policy for Persian kings and nobles.

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