Artaxerxes I of Persia

Artaxerxes I of Persia, known simply as Artaxerxes during his exile, was King of the Achaemenid Empire and Pharaoh of Egypt during the 5th century BCE. The son of Xerxes I, he succeeded his father after his assassination in 465 BCE. Throughout his lifetime, Artaxerxes fathered numerous children, including the future king Darius II.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Artaxerxes' father Xerxes I and grandfather Darius I were close allies of the Order of the Ancients, a powerful organization who aided in their conquests and expansions.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade: Hunted – Shadow of a Legend After Xerxes' assassination in 465 BCE, Artaxerxes ascended the throne as King. Xerxes' assassin Artabanus, fearing Artaxerxes would also be manipulated by the Order, plotted his preemptive assassination, but it was halted by Artabanus' close friend and Persian elite Amorges, who had joined the Order and called for the guards. As a result, Artaxerxes' life was spared and Artabanus was forced to flee, adopting "Darius" as his new name.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade: Hunted – Protector of Persia
Early in his reign as a child king, Artaxerxes befriended Themistokles, a former Athenian general who had been ostracized and fled to Persia. Themistokles tutored the young king and told him many stories of the wonders of Greece; before Themistokles' death, Artaxerxes promised his tutor that he would see each of the great landmarks he had been told about.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Prince of Persia
===Exile from Persia===
At some point, Artaxerxes became aware of the Order's activities and his predecessors' connection to them. However, he refused to yield to the Order's promises of power or threats, which led the Order to attempt to have him dethroned.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade: Bloodline – Smoke and Fury They manipulated Artaxerxes' brother Hystaspes to have him overthrown and assassinated, then took advantage of Darius' status as a fugitive and framed him for the murder. Despite losing his sight to the assassins' poison, Artaxerxes nevertheless managed to survive and escape. Faking his death and fleeing Persia, Artaxerxes traveled to Greece, where he sought refuge in the city of Megara, Megaris.
Sometime in 424 BCE, Artaxerxes made the acquaintance of Kassandra, a misthios who, unbeknownst to him at the time, was also King Leonidas I's granddaughter. Artaxerxes reminisced to Kassandra about the stories Themistokles told of his homeland and how he wished to see the landmarks his tutor and friend has described. Kassandra agreed to visit each of the landmarks and retell her experiences to Artaxerxes. Once her quest was complete, Artaxerxes thanked and rewarded her.
==Behind the scenes==
Artaxerxes is a historical figure who first appeared in the 2018 video game Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, where he was voiced by the Cypriot actor Alkis Kritikos. Historically, Artaxerxes I reigned over Persia until his death in 424 BCE at , while in-game it is possible to interact with him up to and beyond his documented death date.
==Gallery==
ACOD Artaxerxes I of Persia.png|Close up view of Artaxerxes
ACOd-Artaxerxesbeggar.jpg|Artaxerxes praying and begging outside the temple in Megara
ACOd-Artaxerxesbegging.jpg
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed: Odyssey 
**Legacy of the First Blade: Hunted 
**Legacy of the First Blade: Bloodline 
==References==
Category:Individuals
Category:Persians
Category:Iranians
Category:Kings of Persia
Category:Pharaohs of Egypt
Category:Achaemenid dynasty
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