Wiesehöfer contradicts Allen and Briant’s view that Xerxes was not the bad king that the ancient Greeks depicted him as. 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. Finally, Ctesias’ account of Xerxes includes many stories about the woman of his court. 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. Persian King. 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 army was a force to be reckoned with; he was poised for victory. Xerxes was murdered by his counselor, Artabanus, in 465. 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. Xerxes fought Greeks. 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. 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. 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. …favourite of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I; reigned 486–465 bce), determined by lot that the 13th of Adar was the day on which the Jews living in the Persian Empire were to be slain.Esther, a beautiful Jewish woman whom the King had chosen as queen after repudiating Queen Vashti,… He has also been portrayed in films (perhaps unflatteringly) such as The 300 Spartans (1962) and 300 (2006). We have access to more than 20 Old Persian inscriptions written during his reign, … © Chuckbl - Hubpages - www.moonproject.co.uk. There are some contradicting accounts of exactly who was killed first, but the plot was successful. 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. 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. 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. 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. Xerxes, the great king, the king of kings, the son of king Darius, an Achaemenid. (3) The king must be a Persian; for the whole atmosphere is Persian. This combined with the naval defeat at Salamis and later battles such as Plataea show that Xerxes was indeed out matched by the Greeks and ultimately failed in his campaign. 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. You should be kind and add one! 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’. With Egypt and Babylon back under control, Xerxes then returned his attention to his father’s invasion and punishment of the Greek mainland. He had placed his sons in positions of power and waited for the time to strike. No comments yet. We’ve got a lot of work to do on that front. The Xerxes Canal was constructed, allowing them to store provisions through Thrace as it cut through the isthmus of Mount Athos. 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. The court is at Shushan, and the officers are Persian. Xerxes paints an intolerable picture of himself through his inscriptions upon the Persepolis where he describes how he destroys the temples of the ‘demons’, most likely referring to Babylonia. This combined with his lack of tolerance, impiety and weakness within the court suggest that Xerxes was not deserving of the title ‘Great’. “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. Tags: Darius 1, Greco-Persian war, Persia, Persian Empire, Persian invasion of Greece, Xerxes. However, he seems all too willing to dismiss the classical sources as being completely biased and wrong. 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. Charlie (author) from Scotland on November 27, 2011: Kitty Fields from Summerland on November 26, 2011: Voted up and interesting. As early as Aeschylus and his play ‘The Persians’, Xerxes was being immortalised. Xerxes was a king. In 483 BC Xerxes began preparing for his campaign. Click to Rate This on our FOSS SCALE: 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. Esther chapter 1. 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. Photo is of a mature cotton flower before turns in boll. Furthermore, he quickly crushed the rebellions within his own Empire and did gain victories in Greece, including the destruction of Athens. Xerxes now controlled all of mainland Greece north of the Isthmus of Corinth. Xerxes, enraged, then ordered the Hellespont to be whipped 300 hundred times and commanded that fetters be thrown into the water. With two pontoon bridges across the Hellespont (today known as Dardanelles). After it was defeated, Xerxes appointed his brother, Achaemenes, to the position of satrap (governor) of Egypt. “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. Xerxes, son of Darius, claimed to be the overlord of all civilized peoples that were known by him. Artaxerxes came after Artabanus and all of his sons. Esther is the last of the historical books of the Old Testament. 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. 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. However, classical texts, Babylonian tablets and Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions all suggest that Xerxes abandoned the ways of Darius and Cyrus when dealing with conquered states. His eyes were set on fulfilling his father’s punishment of the Athenians. ς ksérksɛːs; 518–465 BC), called Xerxes the Great, was the fourth king of kings of the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia. It is the story of a beautiful Jewish girl who became wife to Ahasuerus (Xerxes), king of Persia (486-465 B.C. 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. 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. 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. 8. Khshayarsha is very close to the Hebrew “Achashverosh.” In their consonantal structure, the two names are identical. Book of Esther. King Darius died shortly thereafter, throwing his heir Xerxes and Artobazan, his older brother, into uncertainty. Supposedly he was Xerxes’ bodyguard. His ultimate defeat spelled the beginning of the decline of the Achaemenian Empire. 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. At the end, God's glory was manifested. He is traditionally considered to be the Persian King Ahasuerus referred to in the Biblical story of Esther. This punishment was the result of interference during the Ionian Revolt of 499 BC to 493 BC. Xerxes hated Greeks. Although Xerxes is the king, he is not ultimately in charge. He has also been portrayed in films (perhaps unflatteringly) such as The 300 Spartans (1962) and 300 (2006). The Greeks, under the Athenian general Themistocles, tempted the invaders into a naval skirmish in the Saronic Gulf by subterfuge. The political figure, Artabanus, was the protector of the king but had been scheming for some time to dethrone the Achaemenids. This lack of judgement does seem to suggest weakness in his kingship. 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. B&W. 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. Born: 519 BC, Died: 465 BC. However, the Persian invasion was not without success. Xerxes’ ‘daivā Inscription’ shows, at the very least, that his intentions were ‘Great’. Instead, according to Herodotus, his initial attempt was thwarted, not by an army, but by nature. 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. Despite severe losses, they defeated the Greek army at Thermopylae and went as far as taking Athens and destroying the Acropolis. Esther Denouncing Haman to King Ahaseurus (1888), Ernest Normand (1857-1923). Yet, Xerxes’ mighty victory never came. However, Artobazan was born to Darius by a commoner. A terrible storm swept through the isthmus and tore apart the pontoon bridges, demolishing the papyrus and flax cables that held the bridges together.

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