Born: Unkown (300s BCE), Iraq (assumed)
Died: Unkown (300s BCE)
Country most active: Iraq
Also known as: NA
This biography was originally published in the World History Encyclopedia and was written by Joshua J. Mark. It is shared in line with the Encyclopedia’s policies under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Youtab was the sister of the hero Ariobarzanes (l. 386-330 BCE) and fell with him defending the Persian Gates against the invading force of Alexander the Great. After the fall of Susa, Alexander marched toward Persepolis. The Persian king Darius III (r. 336-330 BCE) was trying to gather a new army at Ecbatana to oppose Alexander but needed more time. He sent the satrap Ariobarzanes to hold the Persian Gates, the narrow pass leading through the mountains to the plains of Persis, against the enemy. Youtab fought alongside her brother and, according to how one interprets the ancient accounts, either died in battle with him at the pass or retreated with him to Persepolis where they made a last stand outside the city’s walls. Ariobarzanes and Youtab held the pass for a month before they were outflanked, defeated, and killed. Their holding action gave Darius III the time he needed to raise an army even though this force was also defeated by Alexander.