There is no doubt that they were biased, but despite this, it is almost certain that they contained parts of the truth as well and as Briant admits that “Xerxes had decided to persecute Babylonian religion”4, there is no reason why we should discount the evidence that he destroyed the temples as well. After the defeat at Salamis in 480 Xerxes himself withdrew from the expedition and it was finally discontinued in the next year. Whether this ‘novella’ is based entirely on truth is unknown, but as an oral tradition it does show the weakness of Xerxes within his own court and it could be argued that to be a ‘Great’ king, he must first control his court before he could control an empire. Artabanus’ plan backfired though, and when prince Artaxerxes uncovered the plot, no doubt with the help of Megabyzuz who had switched sides, retribution was sought. We’re working on their paragraphs making more sense, because by the end of the upcoming school year I want them writing 5 paragraph essays. ‘Great’ shall be interpreted as furthering the progress of his Empire, upholding the Persian values already set out by men such as Cyrus and Darius and by the good qualities recognisable in any good leader: militarily, politically and socially. There can be no doubt that the classical authors were quick to denounce Xerxes as a bad king, not only because of his ultimate failure in getting all the Greek states under his dominion, but also because by creating this image, it made the Greek victories look even more impressive. He was a great builder, constructing roads, temples, and Palaces. ς ksérksɛːs; 518–465 BC), called Xerxes the Great, was the fourth king of kings of the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia. 6. But a fearful storm came up, and the captain told Xerxes there was no hope unless the ship’s load was substantially lightened. He was an able war leader, but ruthless in punishing rebels. His reign is most marked by the Persian campaigns against Greece and the battles of Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea, which may explain part of the reason why the Persian king has been heavily criticized by writers (especially the ancient Greek ones) over the years. Xerxes was the oldest son of Darius I, and the offspring of the king’s first wife, Atossa, daughter of Cyrus II. However, he seems all too willing to dismiss the classical sources as being completely biased and wrong. King Darius died shortly thereafter, throwing his heir Xerxes and Artobazan, his older brother, into uncertainty. When Xerxes came to power, according to Ctesias and Herodotus, he successfully managed to suppress revolts in Egypt and Babylonia which had initiated in the reign of Darius showing that he was capable of keeping control in his own Empire and effective in putting down rebellions quickly. Esther took her turn after 12 months of preparation, and she was chosen as queen: “She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. There in stony crags, they held back the onslaught of the Persian army but were ultimately defeated due to betrayal by a fellow Greek by the name of Ephialtes. Esther Denouncing Haman to King Ahaseurus (1888), Ernest Normand (1857-1923). Xerxes was chosen over his older brother, Artabazanes, as heir apparent, writes Persia scholar Jean-Louis Huot.In 486, when Darius died, Xerxes was about 35 years old. He is traditionally considered to be the Persian King Ahasuerus referred to in the Biblical story of Esther. He even removes his various titles as rulers of these places showing his contempt and refusal to revere them more than he would any common satrapy. Xerxes ruled the Achaemenid empire from 486-465 BC. There is no doubt that this was a hammering defeat for Xerxes, however, it seems as if the modern day view of his reign might have been overly influenced by these events. No comments yet. Instead, according to Herodotus, his initial attempt was thwarted, not by an army, but by nature. Once through the mountains, the Persian army continued their attack and were aided by a storm that wrecked the Greek ships at Artemisium. This seems to fit in extremely well with Herodotus’ account of Xerxes in general, and it therefore, must be seriously questioned whether such an event was likely to happen. Xerxes’ life and reign was short by today’s standards, but his legacy has lasted, and will last, for millennia. However, Artobazan was born to Darius by a commoner. For a quick writing lesson, it was pretty good. Xerxes’ kingship after Darius was from 426BC to 465BC, his accession being a decision finalised by the previous king from a number of factors as evident in inscriptions, reliefs as well as accounts by the Greek historian, Herodotus. This essay shall consider the various events of Xerxes’ reign and most crucially it will judge his worthiness not solely on his Greek campaign but also on the evidence of his other achievements or failures. He states that Xerxes’ “ambition had no bounds … he treated his opponents with monstrous brutality and could not be tolerant in religious matters … marked the inevitable decline of Persian power and culture.”6 If Cyrus was the example set for how a king should be, then Wiesehöfer argues that Xerxes was most certainly not great. Xerxes I, Persian king (486–465 BCE), the son and successor of Darius I. With two pontoon bridges across the Hellespont (today known as Dardanelles). Whilst it is necessary to not overestimate the importance of the campaign into Greece in debating the greatness of Xerxes, it must be accepted that it was still a large and important factor in his reign and so should be analysed closely. There is much debate on whether the rule of Xerxes can be considered ‘Great’ or whether he was, as so many classical authors, most especially Herodotus, have said; the spark for the beginning of the decline of the Persian empire. It is unknown whether he intended the throne for himself or was afraid of the king. © Chuckbl - Hubpages - www.moonproject.co.uk. His maternal grandfather, Cyrus … Xerxes refused to slow his progress. He has also been portrayed in films (perhaps unflatteringly) such as The 300 Spartans (1962) and 300 (2006). With his navy relegated to the bottom of the seafloor, Xerxes retreated to Asia with a large contingent of his army. He left Mardonis, a leading commander in his army, to complete the assault. However, according to Dio Chrysostom, it was declared in Persia that Xerxes defeated the Greeks, took Athens and “sold into slavery all those people who had not fled and, after this success, imposed tribute on the Greeks and returned to Asia.”2 It is more than likely that this was the propaganda that Xerxes used to mask the reasons for his withdrawal in Greece but even so, this shows good political leadership and an ability to maintain his necessary image of near invincibility to his Empire. Xerxes assault on Thermopylae is the stuff of legends, so too was its lesson: when you hit a wall, if you can’t go through it look for a way around, under, or over it. This was not in custom with Persian culture as normally those who displayed bravery and honour were treated with respect. In conclusion, therefore, it can be seen that there is much debate over whether Xerxes lived up to his title or whether he was “weak, easily influenced, immature in his appetites, egotistical, cruel, superstitious, licentious.”12 Ultimately, it seems that Xerxes suffered from a bad temper mixed with bad luck. Therefore, arguably, by alienating himself from the traditional customs of his predecessors, he showed weakness through impiety and cruelty with a lack of respect for the people he wished to govern and thus, seriously questioning his warranting of the title ‘Great’. Supposedly he was Xerxes’ bodyguard. This is evident because “the long-term trends of archaeological and administrative data illustrate a continuing stability and productivity during Xerxes’ reign”14 showing that he, despite literary sources, did uphold his Empire but failed to be considered ‘Great’ in the same respect as men such as Cyrus and Darius. Charlie (author) from Scotland on November 27, 2011: Kitty Fields from Summerland on November 26, 2011: Voted up and interesting. With Egypt and Babylon back under control, Xerxes then returned his attention to his father’s invasion and punishment of the Greek mainland. Nonetheless, in comparison to rulers such as Cyrus, a man considered truly ‘Great’, and Darius, Xerxes’ methods seem not to have met with the same success and ultimately served to endanger the stability of his Empire when concerning future rebellions. He was brave and successfully invaded Greece, but stupid enough to fall for a Greek trick. Such events determined poor outcomes which reflect badly on his kingship. The revolts were quashed swiftly by the might of the Persian forces, and this led Xerxes to appoint his brother, Achaemenes, as satrap over Egypt. Xerxes was ready for war with his pan-Mediterranean army, with soldiers from Phoenicia, Assyria, Egypt, Thrace, Macedon, and many other Grecian states. He was a good warrior. Alphabets. There are some contradicting accounts of exactly who was killed first, but the plot was successful. It is said that on his retreat from Greece after his great military expedition there, King Xerxes boarded a Phoenician ship along with a number of his Persian troops. It is the year 486BC and King Darius I, the great Persian King of Kings, is preparing for another war with Greece. Book of Esther. The Gate of All Nations (Old Persian : duvarthim visadahyum) also known as the Gate of Xerxes, located in the ruins of the ancient city of Persepolis, Iran. Which is what he did by taking the secret pass through the mountains. Herodotus also says that he punished Egypt by making their “servitude harsher”3 and thus attempting to stop any future rebellions from reoccurring. The summer of 465 BC saw the king cut down, assassinated by the royal bodyguard Artabanus and a eunuch Aspamitres. Unfortunately, at the grand age of 64, his health was declining and so from his royal palace in Persepolis, King Darius named Xerxes his heir. Despite severe losses, they defeated the Greek army at Thermopylae and went as far as taking Athens and destroying the Acropolis. These achievements include the Gate of All Nations, the Hall of a Hundred Columns at Persepolis, the Apadana, the Tachara, the Treasury, along with maintaining the Royal Road and completing the Susa Gate. As for ancient giants in Persia, there is a record which Herodotus notes in his "Histories" book 7:117: Xerxes I was born around 520 BCE under the Persian name Kyshayarsa ('Xerxes' is the Greek iteration), as a member of a proud dynasty. Culican provides a damning view of Xerxes both politically within the Empire and of the invasion of Greece as “Xerxes had neither the military ability nor the statecraft of his predecessors.”7 He criticises Xerxes for being ignorant of strategic warfare when it came to sea and land conditions in Greece, although arguably this is a slightly harsh assessment as the sheer military might which he commanded would make any leader confident in attack. Xerxes even appears in the Bible, where he was identified as King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, inspiring the painting Esther Denouncing Haman to King Ahaseurus by Ernest Normand. The political figure, Artabanus, was the protector of the king but had been scheming for some time to dethrone the Achaemenids. Both of these battles were disastrous, with the Greeks scoring decisive victories. Disclaimer Terms of Publication Privacy Policy and Cookies Sitemap RSS Contact Us. Esther has to go through a lot of unpleasant situations. © 2021 Classical Wisdom Limited. In the presence of the crowd, she was also liked by King Xerxes. Faced with this defeat, the Greek armies retreated. While his military achievements were a mixed bag, his architectural endeavours were all successes, with some still in existence to this day. (2) The description that Herodotus gives of the character of Xerxes corresponds to the Biblical and, later, the midrashic picture—vain, foolish, fickle, and hot-tempered. Xerxes was a king. Esther is the last of the historical books of the Old Testament. We have access to more than 20 Old Persian inscriptions written during his reign, … Ahasuerus is given as the name of a king, the husband of Esther, in the Book of Esther.He is said to have ruled "from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces" - that is, over the Achaemenid Empire. From 483 BC, Xerxes prepared his expedition: The Xerxes Canal was dug through the isthmus of the peninsula of Mount Athos, provisions were stored in the stations on the road through Thrace, and two pontoon bridges later known as Xerxes' P… His weakness for woman, firstly Masistes’ wife, and then his daughter ended with Amestris mutilating Masistes’ wife and pretty much having to kill the entire family of his own brother. Although Xerxes is the king, he is not ultimately in charge. Persian King. The creature instructed the King to build a transmutation circle in the form of a large trench all around the country, which - when completed and activated - would draw the lives of all Xerxes' people into the center at the palace and grant the King and his court immortality. He was the son of the former Persian king Darius I.. “I am Xerxes, the great king, the king of kings, king of all kinds of peoples with all kinds of origins, king of this earth great and wide, the son of king Darius, the Achaemenid. The king of Persia is little more than a bit player in God’s all-encompassing drama. There are several examples given, although it must be noted that they are given by Greek authors, of the brutality of Xerxes. From here, in Sardis in 480 BC, that Xerxes would set out with the greatest the world had ever seen. The Persian King, Xerxes (a.k.a. There is nothing to indicate that King Xerxes became a convert to Judaism and began to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Xerxes (Khashayar) was born around 520 BCE in the southern province of Persis (Fars).He was a powerful king who ruled Achaemenid (Persian) Empire from 486-465 BCE. Xerxes even appears in the Bible, where he was identified as King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, inspiring the painting Esther Denouncing Haman to King Ahaseurus by Ernest Normand. Persian soldier (left) and Greek hoplite (right) depicted fighting, on an ancient kylix, 5th century BC. In particular, you offer a balanced view regarding the potential prejudice in any source, Greek or non-Greek. Xerxes (known as Khshayarsha in Old Persian) was born around 520 B.C., the son of Darius I, king of the Persian Empire, and Queen Atossa, daughter of Cyrus. Khshayarsha is very close to the Hebrew “Achashverosh.” In their consonantal structure, the two names are identical. His mother was the daughter of Cyrus the great, which played a big role in his coronation as the king, despite not being the eldest son of Darius. 8. Born: 519 BC, Died: 465 BC. Xerxes and his achievements have been depicted for thousands of years. But no sooner had the dust settled than Xerxes was thrust back into turmoil when he outraged his Babylonian subjects. His failed attack on the Greek armies is portrayed throughout literature, from being the basis of Herodotus’ books to the play ‘The Persians’ by Aeschylus. Xerxes I, or Xerxes the Great was the son of and inherited the throne from his father,Darius I as King of Persia. The size of the Persian army has been given a serious review in modern times, with the estimated size being suggested at closer to 60,000 fighters. Similarly, the punishment of Pythius’ son and also the famous display of hubris when the Hellespont dared to obstruct the path of Xerxes, shows how irrational and unlike Cyrus Xerxes could be. Artaxerxes came after Artabanus and all of his sons. Finally, Ctesias’ account of Xerxes includes many stories about the woman of his court. As early as Aeschylus and his play ‘The Persians’, Xerxes was being immortalised. Legend has it that Xerxes I was killed by Artabanus, who was a political figure of some stature. After the resounding defeat in Greece, Xerxes returned to Persia and focused instead upon completing the royal palaces at Susa and Persepolis, along with many smaller but highly detailed building projects within these complexes. Achaemenes would maintain this position until his death in 459 BC. All Rights Reserved. This combined with his lack of tolerance, impiety and weakness within the court suggest that Xerxes was not deserving of the title ‘Great’. When Xerxes became king, he immediately had to deal with the revolt in Egypt. Rather he suggests that it was due to the classical authors who were trying to show the piety of Alexander in comparison to Xerxes. Darius died while in the process of preparing a second army to invade the Greek mainland, leaving to his son the task of punishing the Athenians, Naxians, and Eretrians for their interference in the Ionian Revolt, the burning of Sardis, and their victory over the Persians at Marathon. “He commemorated, completed and extended Darius’ palatial structures at Susa and Persepolis”10 and he also continued Darius’ theme of legitimizing their place as kings in the Achaemenid dynasty. According to the inscription known as A1Pa, the palace was completed by Artaxerxes I Makrocheir, the son and successor of Xerxes. Xerxes murder was only part of the plan. This is arguably why the reign of Xerxes is so commonly seen through the Greek perspective but it is important to distinguish the truth amongst exaggerations and gather what information that exists about Xerxes’ rulings elsewhere in the empire. Mixed bag. He states various artefacts that show Xerxes still being referred to as the Pharaoh of Egypt contrary to statements made by Herodotus and other classical authors. His ultimate defeat spelled the beginning of the decline of the Achaemenian Empire. The historical Xerxes was very likely the bearded giant he is portrayed as on his ancient engravings. Xerxes (reigned 486-465 B.C. Sounds like you're right on the money. B&W. The story of Xerxes is an excellent example of Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” Herodotus tells of how, after crushing the revolt in Babylon, Xerxes supposedly stole the golden statue of Bel-Marduk who was their chief god. Another area where Xerxes certainly lived up to his title was in his construction of Persepolis where he “followed in his father’s footsteps when he continued construction projects at Persepolis and carried on his administration of the empire.”9 Although Darius had started the project, Xerxes increased and added to it extensively for the full duration of his reign. This decisive action, along with the defection of Megabyzus, is attributed with having saved the line of the Achaemenids. The fires raged to such a degree that it left an indelible mark; a mark know by us today through an archaeological attested destruction layer, known as Perserschutt. Xerxes army was a force to be reckoned with; he was poised for victory. Herodotus estimated the army to about one million in number, with the elite force known as the Immortals, so named, as their number was not permitted to drop below 10,000 men. We’ve got a lot of work to do on that front. On the surface it seems as though Xerxes failed as a military leader, especially within Greece but within the context of Persian society, it could be argued that warfare was the job of his generals and strategy was not his to deal with. He is, in the first place, persuaded to attack Greece, and also Masistes’ daughter requests the royal coat of Amestris from him leaving him no choice but to oblige. Furthermore, their influence was great enough to persuade numerous Greek states to join them, most notably the Thessalonians and it is possible that they were only eventually defeated and worn down because the army, according to Herodotus, suffered from plague and dysentery. The following year the remnants of the Persian army launched an attack at Plataea while the Persian navy attacked Mycale. Xerxes was Darius The Great's eldest son by Queen Atosa (daughter of Cyrus The Great).He had been designated official heir perhaps as early as 498 BCE, and while crown prince he had ruled as the King's governor in Babylon. He continued Darius’ theme of inscribing their dynasty upon the walls and echoed much of what Darius had written. The plan was to block the narrow Straits of Salamis and cut off the Greek navy. Both center on the consonantal sounds “ch,” “sh,” “r,” and “sh.” The Hebrew added an initial aleph, referred to by linguists as a “prosthetic aleph,” a frequent occurrence when foreign words with tw… Xerxes and his achievements have been depicted for thousands of years. Whether his pride took over, or he became so arrogant he would not listen to his advisors, Xerxes fell for a trap. Xerxes was born in the royal Persian family around 518 BC to the king of Persia, Darius I and Atossa. Wiesehöfer contradicts Allen and Briant’s view that Xerxes was not the bad king that the ancient Greeks depicted him as. Furthermore, he quickly crushed the rebellions within his own Empire and did gain victories in Greece, including the destruction of Athens. The grandson of Cyrus the Great, Xerxes became King, son of Queen Atossa and King Darius I, but his rule was not always so noble or successful. In 483 BC Xerxes began preparing for his campaign. The court is at Shushan, and the officers are Persian. Die Seeschlacht bei Salamis [English: Battle of Salamis], Wilhelm von Kaulbach, 1868. It has been portrayed in history that the Persians suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of the Greeks and it is certainly true that ultimately their invasion was resisted. However, the story is fascinating and you might enjoy the insights from the articles in the links below. A terrible storm swept through the isthmus and tore apart the pontoon bridges, demolishing the papyrus and flax cables that held the bridges together. The Greek represents it by Xerxes. Xerxes, however, had violently confiscated and melted this idol, which incited the Babylonians to revolt not once, but twice, in 484 BC and again in 482 BC. It is important to remember the bias with which the literature was written and therefore, arguably give preference to the small amount of Persian evidence which exists. His whipping of the Hellespont and his apparent destruction of the religious places in Egypt and Babylon combined with various other rash deeds such as the mutilation of Leonidas show how his bad temper painted him in a light that was both disgusting from a Greek point of view (although this is perhaps the reason why the Greeks wrote so extensively about these events) and from the point of view of being a successful political and social leader. This punishment was the result of interference during the Ionian Revolt of 499 BC to 493 BC. Xerxes fought Greeks. There are almost similar inscriptions which mention Xerxes' father Darius . His eyes were set on fulfilling his father’s punishment of the Athenians. This assault would come to be known as the Carthaginian invasion of Sicily, and its effect was to prevent any support from Agrigentum and Syracuse and forced Thessaly, Thebes and Argos to join the Persian side. Click to Rate This on our FOSS SCALE: Briant’s argument on Egypt is more convincing. Esther chapter 1. However, Briant’s statement that “we must renounce, once and for all, the Greek vision of Xerxes’ reign”13 arguably goes too far as although it is important to remember the Greek bias, ultimately Xerxes, through hubris and a lack of military leadership, fails to conquer Greece and sacrifices many of his people by doing so. In order to find out the details of Xerxes’ life in depth, where literature is concerned, historians are forced to rely on the works provided by the ancient Greek authors because that is almost all that exists. His rule came at the height of the Persian empire, and he is well-documented by the Greeks, who described him as a passionate, cruel, self-indulgent womanizer—but much of that may well have been slander. Here, Xerxes’s navy was unprepared for the unfavourable weather conditions, and within hours the alliance of Greek city-states was able to outmaneuver and defeat the invading army. King Xerxes of Persia was the world’s most powerful monarch who ruled the Persian Empire around 486 B.C., which is where he appears on the Biblical Timeline with World History. You should be kind and add one! One of the most famous of these can be found in Aeschylus’ play, ‘ … A map of the ancient Hellespont, including ancient Troy (Ilium on the map) of Homer and Virgil. It was a resounding success. It's interesting how some ancients withstand the test of time and others aren't doing so under the increasing scrutiny possible through subsequent advances in research, science and technology. However, he does concede that the Egyptian temples were destroyed thus showing that ultimately Xerxes committed sacrilege and abandoned the ways of his ancestors. With Athens in his grasp, he ordered its destruction; in 480 BC the city was burnt. Xerxes is familiar to students of the Bible since he appears in two books: in the book of Esther he is called by his Hebrew name Ahasuerus; and in the book of Ezra (4:6) he is mentioned in relation to an accusation lodged against the Jews in his reign. This argument proved solid, Xerxes was hence recognised as the only legal heir to the throne of Persia, succeeding his father and being crowned sometime between October and December of 486 BC. The Xerxes Canal was constructed, allowing them to store provisions through Thrace as it cut through the isthmus of Mount Athos. Firstly, after finally beating the Spartans, Xerxes had the body of Leonidas brutalised mercilessly. The fires raged to such a degree that it left an indelible mark; a mark know by us today through an archaeological attested destruction layer, known as Perserschutt. As early as Aeschylus and his play ‘The Persians’, Xerxes was being immortalised. It is the story of a beautiful Jewish girl who became wife to Ahasuerus (Xerxes), king of Persia (486-465 B.C. The city, having been abandoned by its inhabitants for the island of Salamis, gave little defence. In an age of heroes and gods, when priests in lofty temples decided people’s fates, there ruled a king who challenged the might of both the Egyptian and Greek empires. Xerxes’ ‘daivā Inscription’ shows, at the very least, that his intentions were ‘Great’.

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