Masistes

The brother of the fourth king of the Persian Empire, Xerxes.

After his humiliating defeat at the hands of the Greeks, Xerxes returned to the city of Sardis; he tried, and failed, to seduce Masistes’ wife (who is un-named); as another ploy to win the woman’s affection, Xerxes arranged for his son, Darius, to marry Masistes’ daughter, Artaynte.

True to his ever shifting passions, Xerxes lost interest in Masistes’ wife and began a love affair with young Artaynte; when Xerxes’ wife, Amestris, suspected the betrayal, she set a clever trap for her husband and her daughter-in-law; she gave Xerxes an exquisite cloak that she knew young Artaynte would covet; Xerxes, in his prideful way, promised Artaynte anything she desired and she surprised him by asking for the unique and beautiful cloak; when Amestris saw the cloak in the possession of young Artaynte she knew for certain that Xerxes was being unfaithful to her and planned an evil and unexpected revenge.

Instead of punishing Xerxes or Artaynte, Amestris killed and mutilated Masistes’ wife; Xerxes was caught in the middle of his own intrigues; Masistes, hated him for the savage murder of his wife and left Sardis with the intention of mounting a revolt against Xerxes; to protect his throne, Xerxes caught and killed Masistes, his sons and supporters.

• Histories, book 9, chapter 108-113