A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Panthea
PANTHEA, wife of Abradates, king of Susa, in the Persian empire,
Was taken prisoner by Cyrus; and the description which Xenophon gives of her beauty and distress deserves attention. 'Cyrus, says he, commanded Araspes to keep Panthea and the finest tent for him: she was seated on the ground, in the tent, with all her female attendants around her, and clothed in the same kind of habit as they were. All her waiting women rose up with her; but she excelled them all, in stature, in strength, in grace and beauty. Then her tears fell, and when they told her she was intended for Cyrus, she tore her upper raiment, and began to bewail herself: and know, Cyrus, says Araspes, that myself and all who saw her, were of opinion, that there never was known or born of mortals so beautiful a woman in all Asia.' He was very urgent with Cyrus to go and see her, which he refused to do, fearing her charms would have so strong an influence over him, as to retard the progress of his glory.
In short Cyrus gave her the most honourable treatment. This charmed Panthea so much, that she prevailed with her husband to come over with his troops to him. Abradates asking his consort, what return he should make him for his great humanity and kindness, she replied, 'Only endeavour to behave as generously towards him, as he has done towards you.' Abradates after this, offered his service to that monarch, who accepted of it. Panthea equipped her husband for the fight, exhorted him to behave courageously, and took a most tender farewell. Abradates upon this went and joined Cyrus, and coming to an engagement, he fought with the utmost intrepidity; but was thrown out of his chariot, and being afterwards deserted by his friends, fell in the field. Panthea found his corpse, and, laying it in her own sedan, brought it to the river Pactolus. Her slaves dug a grave upon a little hillock, whilst she herself was sitting on the ground, with his head in her lap, dressing him with all the ornaments she had about her. Cyrus came to the place where Panthea was sitting by the corpse, and the mournful spectacle drew tears from his eyes. Afterwards, speaking in the most tender terms, he took hold of Abradates's hand, which came off into his, it having been cut through with an Egyptian spear. This greatly increased the grief of Cyrus; but as for Panthea, she was inconsolable, and taking the hand from Cyrus, kissed it, and fixed it on again as well as she could, crying out, 'The rest, O Cyrus, is as this;' and then 'I am sensible, that I am the chief cause of this catastrophe. For I was silly enough to exhort him to perform some action, by which he might prove how much he was your friend.'
Cyrus having wept silently for some time, endeavoured to console her, by declaring, that due honours should be paid him at his funeral, and that she herself should be conveyed whithersoever she pleased. But resolving to die, she bade the only attendant she would suffer to stay with her, to cover her with the same cloth as her husband after she was dead. The woman begged her not to think of laying violent hands upon herself; but Panthea was inexorable; and taking out a Persian scymitar she had prepared for that purpose, plunged it into her side, and reclining her head on her husband's breast, expired. Upon which her three eunuchs stabbed themselves. Cyrus afterwards erected a very stately mausoleum to their memory. This happened the year of the 58th Olympiad, 548 B. C.