Roxana
Bactrian princess and wife of Alexander the Great
Roxana (died c. 310 BC, Ancient Greek: Ῥωξάνη, Rhōxánē; Old Iranian: *Raṷxšnā- "shining, radiant, brilliant", Persian: روشنک, romanized: Rawšanak) sometimes known as Roxanne, Roxanna, Roxzana, and Roxane, was a Bactrian or Sogdian princess who married Alexander the Great after he invaded Persia and defeated Darius, ruler of the Achaemenid Empire.
Life
Roxana was the daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes, satrap of Bactria and Sogdia. He served Bessus, and thus was probably involved in the murder of the last Achaemenid king: Darius III. The exact date of her birth is unknown, but she was of childbearing age by 326 BC, placing her birth before 336 BC.
After Bessus was captured by the Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great, Oxyartes and his family fled north, and continued to resist the invading Macedonian forces. Along with the Sogdian warlord Spitamenes, they took up a defensive position in a fortress known as the Sogdian Rock.
They were eventually defeated by the Macedonians. Afterwards, Alexander attended a celebration and reportedly fell in love with Roxana on sight. Where the celebration took place is disputed. It was possibly held at the Sogdian Rock or another fortress of Chorienes— also called Sisimithres by Quintus Rufus Curtius— but according to the Metz Epitome it was at the house of Chorienes where Roxana and Alexander were first introduced. Curtius apparently misrepresented Roxana as a daughter of Chorienes. Arrian states that Oxyartes surrendered to Alexander when he became aware of the good reception Alexander awarded his daughter Roxana.
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