Apame (concubine)

Apame was first mentioned in 1 Esdras 4:29

Yet I have seen him with Apame, the king's concubine, the daughter of the illustrious Bartacus; she would sit at the king's right hand[1]

The preceding quotation is part of the Darius Contest interpolation.[2]:20 Versions of the story, which include Apame are found in Josephus[3] and John Gower's Confessio Amantis.[4][5] Alcuin Blamire describes the "Darius Contest" as important in "the discourse of anti-misogyny".[6] The ""Darius contest" includes three versions which omit Apame.

Scholars differ as to the identity of the king mentioned in 1 Esdras 3.4 and other sources. Josephus 3.1 says the king is the son (Darius I) of Hystaspes. Vanderkam[7] also favours Darius I. Gower (vii.1889) changes the king’s name to Cirus (Cyrus the Great). Cook suggests the names may not refer to historical characters.[8]:5 If real characters are the source, the candidates are Darius I [7] or Darius III[8]:31[9] or Darius III.[2]:41 There are two theories as to the source for Apame. Coggins and Knibb[10] suggest a Persian name such as Apama or Apama II. Torrey suggests "we must look either to Egypt or Antioch".[2]:41

Apame and Darius are portrayed in Hendrick Goltzius’s painting Apame usurps the king’s crown.[11][12]

References

  1. http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/r/rsv/rsv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=3584099
  2. 1 2 3 Charles C.Torrey (1910). Ezra Studies.
  3. Josephus. "3.5". Antiquities of the Jews.
  4. John Gower. "VII.1884-1899". Confessio Amantis.
  5. translation is at Richard Brodie; Ellin Anderson (2009). "John Gower's Confessio Amantis Modern English version".
  6. Alcuin Blamire (1998). "2 The Formal Case: Origins, Procedures". The Case for Women in Medieval Culture. Oxford University Press. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-19-818630-4.
  7. 1 2 James C. Vanderkam (2001). An Introduction to Early Judaism. p. 60. ISBN 978-0802846419.
  8. 1 2 S. A. Cook (1913). "1 Esdras INTRODUCTION". In R. H. Charles. THE APOCRYPHA AND PSEUDEPIGRAPHA OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN ENGLISH.
  9. not examined: Edmund Bayer (1911). Das dritte Buch Esdras und sein Verhältnis Zu Den Büchern Esra-Nehemia (German Edition). p. 116. ISBN 5874774432.
  10. Richard J. Coggins; M A. Knibb. The First and Second Books of Esdras. p. 30.
  11. Ilja M. Veldman (1987). "Who Is the Strongest? The Riddle of Esdras in Netherlandish Art". Simiolus: Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art (17.4): 223–239. JSTOR 3780619. (subscription required (help)).
  12. Hendrick Goltzius. "Apame usurps the king's crown".
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