Xerxes I of Persia

Xerxes I of Persia (c. 519 BCE – 465 BCE), also known as Xerxes the Great, was a king of the Achaemenid Empire during the Greco-Persian Wars, and an ally of the Order of the Ancients in Persia.
==Biography==
Like his father, Darius I, Xerxes I was a strong allyAssassin's Creed EncyclopediaAssassin's Creed: Revelations – Abstergo Files of the Order of the Ancients.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey Additionally, the Cult of Kosmos supported Xerxes in his attempted conquest of Greece, unsuccessfully trying to sway King Leonidas of Sparta to allow Xerxes to conquer the land through their puppet the Oracle of Delphi.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Bully the Bullies
In 480 BCE, Xerxes led a second Persian invasion of Greece. Before crossing the river Strymon, Xerxes had white horses sacrificed as well as nine young women and men buried alive. After that, his army marched to clash with Leonidas' forces at the Hot Gates of Thermopylai in Malis.
To oppose Xerxes' tyranny, the Persian elite consisting of Darius, Amorges, and Pactyas formed and led the Protectors of Persia, a secret group that resisted the King.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade: Hunted – Protector of Persia In August 465 BCE, while the freedom fighters attacked Xerxes' convoy, Darius used the distraction and his disguise as one of the king's agents to sneak in from behind and assassinate Xerxes.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade: Hunted – Shadow of a Legend This act marked the first recorded use of the Hidden Blade.Assassin's Creed IIAssassin's Creed: The Essential Guide
He was succeeded by his son Artaxerxes I.
===Influence and legacy===
By the time of the Peloponnesian War, a fort within Lokris was named after Xerxes.
The place where Xerxes had performed his sacrifice of horses, women, and men near the river Strymon was afterwards known as Xerxes' Sacrifice of the Nine. The Followers of Ares had made their camp therein, and were subsequently slain by the misthios Kassandra.
By the 420s BCE, Xerxes' story was part of a play written by Thespis, based on the Battle of Thermopylae. The part of Xerxes was set to be played by an actor famous for his previous villainous roles.Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – The Curse of Fame
By the 1st century BCE, Darius' killing of Xerxes had earned him a legendary reputation, and the Hidden Blade used during the assassination came to be seen as a "weapon of justice" according to Aya.Assassin's Creed: Origins – Aya By the time of the Renaissance, Darius was a revered figure among the Assassins, the organization co-founded by Aya and her husband Bayek, for his fight against tyranny, best exemplified by his assassination of Xerxes.Assassin's Creed II
==Personality and characteristics==
Xerxes was known to be a cruel, ruthless, sadistic, ambitious and dictatorial man obsessed with conquering Greece to avenge his own father. He did not tolerate the resistance of his enemies against his massive Persian army, considering it as useless.
==Gallery==
Xerxes I.jpg|Potrait of Xerxes I
ACOD Darius assassinate Xerxes.png|Xerxes assassinated by Darius
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed II 
*Assassin's Creed: Revelations 
*Assassin's Creed: Origins 
*Assassin's Creed: Odyssey 
**Legacy of the First Blade: Hunted 
*Echoes of History 
*Assassin's Creed: Mirage 
==References==
de:Xerxes I von Persien
es:Jerjes I de Persia
fr:Xerxès Ier
it:Serse I
pl:Kserkses I
pt-br:Xerxes I da Pérsia
ru:Ксеркс I
zh:薛西斯一世
Category:519 BCE births
Category:465 BCE deaths
Category:Individuals
Category:Iranians
Category:Persians
Category:Kings of Persia
Category:Pharaohs of Egypt
Category:Kings of Babylon
Category:Achaemenid dynasty
Category:Order of the Ancients allies
Category:Cult of Kosmos puppets