Xerxes (reigned 486- 465 B.C.) Xerxes (reigned 486- 465 B.C.) Persian king (486-465 BC), the son and successor of Darius I. He is best known for his massive invasion of Greece from across the Hellespont (480 BC), a campaign marked by the battles of Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea. His ultimate defeat spelled the beginning of the decline of the Achaemenid Empire. Accession to the throne Xerxes was the son of Darius I and Atossa, daughter of Cyrus; he was the first son born to Darius after his accession to the throne. Xerxes was designated heir apparent by his father in preference to his elder brother Artabazanes. A bas-relief on the southern portico of a courtyard in the treasury of Persepolis, as well as the bas-reliefs on the east door of the tripylon (an ornamental stairway) depict him as the heir apparent, standing behind his father, who is seated on the throne.

When his father died, in 486 BC, Xerxes was about 35 years old and had already governed Babylonia for a dozen years. One of his first concerns upon his accession was to pacify Egypt, where a usurper had been governing for two years. But he was forced to use much stronger methods than had Darius: in 484 BC he ravaged the Delta and chastised the Egyptians. Xerxes then learned of the revolt of Babylon, where two nationalist pretenders had appeared in swift succession. The second, Shamash-eriba, was conquered by Xerxes' son-in-law, and violent repression ensued: Babylon's fortresses were torn down, its temples pillaged, and the statue of Marduk destroyed; this latter act had great political significance: Xerxes was no longer able to "take the hand of" (receive the patronage of) the Babylonian god. Whereas Darius had treated Egypt and Babylonia as kingdoms personally united to the Persian Empire (though administered as satrapies), Xerxes acted with a new intransigence.

Having rejected the fiction of personal union, he then abandoned the titles of king of Babylonia and king of Egypt, making himself simply "king of the Persians and the Medes." It was probably the revolt of Babylon, although some authors say it was troubles in Bactria, to which Xerxes alluded in an inscription that proclaimed: And among these countries (in rebellion) there was one where, previously, daevas had been worshipped. Afterward, through Ahura Mazda's favour, I destroyed this sanctuary of daevas and proclaimed, "Let daevas not be worshipped!" There, where daevas had been worshipped before, I worshipped Ahura Mazda. Xerxes thus declared himself the adversary of the daevas, the ancient pre-Zoroastrian gods, and doubtlessly identified the Babylonian gods with these fallen gods of the Aryan religion. The questions arise of whether the destruction of Marduk's statue should be linked with this text proclaiming the destruction of the daeva sanctuaries, of whether Xerxes was a more zealous supporter of Zoroastrianism than was his father, and, indeed, of whether he himself was a Zoroastrian.

The problem of the relationship between the Achaemenid religion and Zoroastrianism is a difficult one, and some scholars, such as M. Mol�, have even thought that this is an improper posing of the question, that there were, rather, three different states of religion: a religion of strict observance, a royal religion as attested by the Achaemenid inscriptions, and the popular religion as described by the Greek historian Herodotus. War against the Greeks With the tranquillity of the empire reestablished, Xerxes would willingly have devoted himself to peaceful activities. But many of those around him were pressing for the renewal of hostilities. His cousin and brother-in-law Mardonius, supported by a strong party of exiled Greeks, incited him to take revenge for the affront that Darius had suffered at the hands of the Greeks at Marathon (490 BC). The impressionable Xerxes gave way to pressure from his entourage and threw himself into patient diplomatic and military preparations for war, which required three years to complete (484-481 BC). Herodotus notes that never before had such an effort been undertaken.

Troops were levied in all the satrapies, and a navy, intended to be the army's supply line, was gathered. The care lavished on this enterprise shows that the King did not regard it as a minor operation. There has been much later speculation on the real causes for the expedition. They could not have been economic, because Greece was not important then. Perhaps it was only the manifestation of a royal absolutism: Xerxes, whose character was later distorted in Greek legend, was neither foolish nor overly optimistic; although sensible and intelligent, he was nevertheless, according to G. Glotz, a sovereign by divine right, to whom opposition was as annoying as sacrilege . . . nervous in temperament, fallen from youthful fire into indolence, incited to make a war he didn't like. . . . At the head of his armies, he left Sardis for the Hellespont and had two boat bridges placed across the strait. A storm destroyed them, and Xerxes had the sea whipped as punishment.

With the bridges remade, for seven days he oversaw the crossing of the army�5,000,000 men according to Herodotus and 360,000 by modern estimate, supported by 700 to 800 ships. Their passage was facilitated by a massive engineering works: a channel was dug across the Isthmus of Actium so that the peaks of Mount Athos might be avoided. Nevertheless, the army's size was of no help, partly because of misinformation about the enemy terrain and partly because of the appearance of a national feeling in Greece. After a few successes (e.g., Thermopylae, mid-August 480 BC), Xerxes occupied Attica and pillaged Athens on September 21, but on September 29, at Salamis, a naval battle that he had initiated turned into a defeat. Without a fleet to bring supplies to the army, he had to retreat; he crossed over into Asia, leaving Mardonius in Thessaly. During an indecisive battle near Plataea, on Aug.

27, 479, Mardonius was killed, and his death obliged the army of occupation to withdraw. Hostilities continued for 13 years, but thenceforth Xerxes involved himself only slightly. Withdrawal to Persia Soured by this failure, which modern historians consider the beginning of Achaemenian decline, Xerxes retired to Susa and Persepolis. He then furthered the depletion of the once-enormous resources he had gathered, through multiple taxation, by launching a vast construction program. At the capital city of Persepolis, Darius' architects, working from a unified plan of great scope, had already begun construction on a gigantic terrace of the Apadana (an audience hall), the Tripylon, a palace, and a treasury. When Xerxes became king, he had laid the enameled-brick facing on the exterior of the Apadana and finished his father's palace. Then he erected other monuments: his own palace, southeast of Darius' and similar to it in plan, and a mysterious building called the Harem by archaeologists�a line of small, identical rooms that may have been Xerxes' treasury.

He also undertook construction of the Hall of a Hundred Columns, or Throne Room, but he was able to finish only the paving and the base of the walls (the walls themselves and the decoration of this gigantic hypostyle hall were the work of Artaxerxes I). These buildings marked an evolution toward the colossal and toward a style that was perhaps more pretentious than that typical of Darius' reign. Little is known about the last years of Xerxes' life. After his reversal in Greece, he withdrew into himself and allowed himself to be drawn into harem intrigues in which he was, in fact, only a pawn: thus, he disposed of his brother's entire family at the demand of the queen. But in 465 he himself fell, together with his eldest son, under the blows of murderous members of his court, among them his minister Artabanus. Another son, Artaxerxes I, succeeded in retaining power.

(Encyclopaedia Britannica Article) Jean-Louis Huot Xerxes (c.-519 - c.-465) - Genealogy Genealogy Join the world's largest family tree Gender Xerxes I 'the Great', king of Persia Susa, Iran Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love Build your family tree online Share photos and videos Hebrew: אחשוורוש, Arabic: الملك أحشويروش Also Known As: "Xerxes", "Ahasuerus", "Ahasveros", "Ahasverus", "Assuerus", ""The Ruler of Heroes"" Birthdate: Half brother of Artozastra Princess of Persia ; Abrokomas and Hyperantes Occupation: 3rd PHARAOH of the 27th Dynasty of EGYPT; Khshayarsha Xerxes I 'the Great', Storkonung Shah av Persien 486-465 f.K, koning van Perzië, Persian Emperor Managed by: King Darius I Achaemenid, Atossa Achaemenid Wife: Darius I Great K of Persia, Atossa Wife: Darius I

 'the Great' Achaemen, Atossa Achaemen, Queen Consort of Persia Sister: Candravarna Queen Of Taxila Taxila (født Persia) Wife: 465 - Babylon Parents: Darius I 'the Great' Achaemen, Atossa (550-475 Bc) Atossa Of Daughter Of Cyrus The Great, Queen Consort (born Of Persia) Siblings: Daughter Of Darius, I, Shah of Persia, Unknown Of Persia Wife: Esther / Hadassah / אסתר Ahasuerus / אחשוורוש (born Queen Of Persia) Wife: Amestris (Ester) Av Of Persia, Queen (born Persien) Children: ...404 Bc) Ii "ochus" Of Persia, Great King, Artaxerxes I (475-424 Bc) Of Persia Longimanus, King, Amytis Longimanus (born Of Persia) Darius I Great, Atossa Great, Princess (born Persia) Wife: Change Date: 26 Nov 2005 Note: Xerxes I (Persian Khshayarsha

) (circa 519-465 bc), king of Persia (486-465 bc), the son of Darius I and Atossa (flourished 6th century bc), daughter of Cyrus the Great.

Ascending the throne upon the death of his father, he subdued a rebellion in Egypt, and then spent three years preparing a great fleet and army to punish the Greeks for aiding the Ionian cities in 498 bc and for their victory over the Persians at Marathon in 490 bc. The Greek historian Herodotus gives as the combined strength of Xerxes’ land and naval forces the incredible total of 2,641,610 warriors, but it was probably between 200,000 and 300,000. Xerxes is said to have crossed the Hellespont by a bridge of boats more than a kilometer in length and to have cut a canal through the isthmus of Mount Athos. During the spring of 480 bc he marched with his forces through Thrace, Thessaly (Thessalia), and Locris. At Thermopylae 300 Spartans, under their king, Leonidas I, and 1100 other Greeks made a courageous but futile stand, delaying the Persians for ten days. Xerxes then advanced into Attica and burned Athens, which had been abandoned by the Greeks.

At the Battle of Salamís later in 480 bc, however, his fleet was defeated by a contingent of Greek warships commanded by the Athenian Themistocles. Xerxes thereupon retired to Asia Minor, leaving his army in Greece under the command of his brother-in-law, Mardonius, who was slain at Plataea the following year. Xerxes was murdered at Persepolis by Artabanus, captain of the palace guard; he was succeeded by his son Artaxerxes I (reigned 465-425 bc). Xerxes is generally, and mistakenly, identified as the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther. We have no hard evidence to clearly identify Xerxes as Ahasuerus of 'Megillat Esther'. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Birth: ABT 519 Father: DARIUS @ OF PERSIA b: 558 BC Mother: Atossa of Persia Xerxes I of Persia (English: /ˈzɜrksiːz/; Old Persian: خشایارشا (Ḫšayāršā), IPA: [xʃajaːrʃaː]; also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fourth Zoroastrian king of kings of the Achamenid Empire. Immediately after seizing the kingship, Darius I of Persia (son of Hystaspes) married Atossa (daughter of Cyrus the Great). They were both descendants of Achaemenes from different Achaemenid lines. Marrying a daughter of Cyrus strengthened Darius' position as king.[1] Darius was an active emperor, busy with building programs in Persepolis, Susa, Egypt, and elsewhere. Toward the end of his reign he moved to punish Athens, but a new revolt in Egypt (probably led by the Persian satrap) had to be suppressed. Under Persian law, the Achaemenian kings were required to choose a successor before setting out on such serious expeditions.

Upon his great decision to leave (487-486 BC)[2], Darius prepared his tomb at Naqsh-e Rostam and appointed Xerxes, his eldest son by Atossa, as his successor. Darius' failing health then prevented him from leading the campaigns,[3] and he died in October 486 BC.[3] Xerxes was not the oldest son of Darius and according to old Iranian traditions should not have succeeded the King. Xerxes was however the oldest son of Darius and Atossa hence descendent of Cyrus.

This made Xerxes the chosen King of Persia.[4] Some modern scholars also view the unusual decision of Darius to give the throne to Xerxes to be a result of his consideration of the unique positions that Cyrus the Great and his daughter Atossa have had.[5] Artobazan was born to "Darius the subject", while Xerxes was the eldest son born in the purple after Darius' rise to the throne, and Artobazan's mother was a commoner while Xerxes' mother was the daughter of the founder of the empire.[6] Xerxes was crowned and succeeded his father in October-December 486 BC[7] when he was about 36 years old.[2] The transition of power to Xerxes was smooth due again in part to great authority of Atossa[1] and his accession of royal power was not challenged by any person at court or in the Achaemenian family, or any subject nation.[8] Almost immediately, he suppressed the revolts in Egypt and Babylon that had broken out the year before, and appointed his brother Achaemenes as governor or satrap (Old Persian: khshathrapavan) over Egypt.

In 484 BC, he outraged the Babylonians by violently confiscating and melting down[9] the golden statue of Bel (Marduk, Merodach), the hands of which the rightful king of Babylon had to clasp each New Year's Day. This sacrilege led the Babylonians to rebel in 484 BC and 482 BC, so that in contemporary Babylonian documents, Xerxes refused his father's title of King of Babylon, being named rather as King of Persia and Media, Great King, King of Kings (Shahanshah) and King of Nations (i.e. of the world). Although Herodotus' report in the Histories has created certain problems concerning Xerxes' religious beliefs, modern scholars consider him as a Zoroastrian. In the year 465 BC Xerxes was murdered by Artabanus, the commander of the royal bodyguard and the most powerful official in Persian court (Hazarapat/commander of thousand). He was promoted to this most prestigious of positions in Achamenid court after his refusal to help Mardonius in Plataea and instead withdrawing the second Persian army successfully out of Greece.

Although he bore the same name as famed uncle of Xerxes, a Hyrcanian, his rise to prominence was due to his popularity in religious quarters of the court and harem intrigues. He put his seven sons in key positions and had an effective master plan to dethrone Achamenids.[11] In August, 465 B.C he assassinated Xerxes with the help of a eunuch Aspamitres. Greek historians give contradicting accounts on the full story. According to Ctesias (in Persica 20), he then accused the crown prince Darius (Xerxes' eldest son) of the murder; he instigated Artaxerxes (another of Xerxes' son), to avenge the patricide. But according to Aristotle (in Politics 5.1311b), Artabanus killed Darius first and then the king himself.

Later on after discovering what he had done and planned for the royal power, Artabanus together with his sons were killed by Artaxerxes I.[12] Participating in the scuffles was also general Megabyzus (baghabukhsha) whose side switching probably saved the day for Achamenids.[13] Darius left to his son the task of punishing the Athenians, Naxians, and Eretrians for their interference in the Ionian Revolt and their victory over the Persians at Marathon. From 483 BC Xerxes prepared his expedition: A channel was dug through the isthmus of the peninsula of Mount Athos, provisions were stored in the stations on the road through Thrace, two bridges were built across the Hellespont. Soldiers of many nationalities served in the armies of Xerxes, including the Assyrians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Indians, Egyptians, Jews, and Arabs.

According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Xerxes' first attempt to bridge the Hellespont ended in failure when a storm destroyed the flax and papyrus bridge; Xerxes ordered the Hellespont (the strait itself) whipped three hundred times and had fetters thrown into the water. Xerxes' second attempt to bridge the Hellespont was successful.[15] Xerxes concluded an alliance with Carthage, and thus deprived Greece of the support of the powerful monarchs of Syracuse and Agrigentum. Many smaller Greek states, moreover, took the side of the Persians, especially Thessaly, Thebes and Argos. Xerxes set out in the spring of 480 BC from Sardis with a fleet and army which Herodotus claimed was more than two million strong with at least 10,000 elite warriors named Persian Immortals. Xerxes was victorious during the initial battles. At the Battle of Thermopylae, a small force of Greek warriors led by King Leonidas of Sparta resisted the much larger Persian forces, but were ultimately defeated.

According to Herodotus, the Persians broke the Spartan phalanx after a Greek man called Ephialtes betrayed his country by telling the Persians of another pass around the mountains. After Thermopylae, Athens was captured and the Athenians and Spartans were driven back to their last line of defense at the Isthmus of Corinth and in the Saronic Gulf. The delay caused by the Spartans allowed Athens to be evacuated. What happened next is a matter of some controversy. According to Herodotus, upon encountering the deserted city, in an uncharacteristic fit of rage particularly for Persian kings, Xerxes had Athens burned. He almost immediately regretted this action and ordered it rebuilt the very next day[citation needed]. However, Persian scholars dispute this view as pan-Hellenic propaganda [citation needed], arguing that Sparta, not Athens, was Xerxes' main foe in his Greek campaigns, and that Xerxes would have had nothing to gain by destroying a major center of trade and commerce like Athens once he had already captured it.

At that time, anti-Persian sentiment was high among many mainland Greeks, and the rumor that Xerxes had destroyed the city was a popular one, though it is equally likely the fire was started by accident as the Athenians were frantically fleeing the scene in pandemonium[citation needed], or that it was an act of "scorched earth" warfare to deprive Xerxes' army of the spoils of the city. Unfortunately, regardless of the circumstances the damage was done and Xerxes considered the capture of Athens as the only major mistake in his military career. At Artemisium, large storms had destroyed ships from the Greek side and so the battle stopped prematurely as the Greeks received news of the defeat at Thermopylae and retreated. Xerxes was induced by the message of Themistocles (against the advice of Artemisia of Halicarnassus) to attack the Greek fleet under unfavourable conditions, rather than sending a part of his ships to the Peloponnesus and awaiting the dissolution of the Greek armies. The Battle of Salamis (September 29, 480 BC) was won by the Greek fleet.

Although the loss was a setback, it was not a disaster as some Greek historians have claimed, and Xerxes set up a winter camp in Thessaly. Due to unrest in Babylon, Xerxes was forced to send his army home to prevent a revolt, leaving behind an army in Greece under Mardonius, who was defeated the following year at Plataea.[17] The Greeks also attacked and burned the remaining Persian fleet anchored at Mycale. This cut off the Persians from the supplies they needed to sustain their massive army, and they had no choice but to retreat. Their withdrawal roused the Greek city-states of Asia. After the military blunders in Greece, Xerxes returned to Persia and completed the many construction projects left unfinished by his father at Susa and Persepolis. He built the Gate of all Nations and the Hall of a Hundred Columns at Persepolis, which are the largest and most imposing structures of the palace. He completed the Apadana, the Palace of Darius and the Treasury all started by Darius as well as building his own palace which was twice the size of his father's.

His taste in architecture was similar to that of Darius, though on an even more gigantic scale[18]. He also maintained the Royal Road built by his father and completed the Susa Gate and built a palace at Susa.[19] Xerxes is the protagonist of the opera "Serse" by the German-English Baroque composer George Frideric Handel. It was first performed in King's Theatre in London on 15 April 1738. Later generations' fascination with ancient Sparta, and particularly the Battle of Thermopylae, has led to Xerxes' portrayal in a number of works of popular culture. For instance, he was played by David Farrar in the 1962 film The 300 Spartans, where he is portrayed as a cruel, power-crazed despot and an inept commander. He also features prominently in the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, as well as the movie adaptation (portrayed by Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro).

Other works dealing with the Persian Empire or the Biblical story of Esther have also referenced Xerxes, such as the video game Assassin's Creed II and the film One Night with the King, in which Ahasueras (Xerxes) was portrayed by British actor Luke Goss. He is the leader of the Persian Empire in the video game Civilization II (along with Scheherazade) and III, although Civilization IV replaces him with Cyrus the Great. Källa: This lineage contains several unsubstianted links---submitted by Leo van de Pas) ~brigitte/famous/k/khshayarshaline.htm Great King of Persia 486-465 BC. From here the descendency until Anna of Byzantium 886-914 (daughter of Leo VI *The Wise*, Emp. of Byzantium 886-912) is not 100% sure but according to Christian Settipani it is most likely. Source: Leo van de Pas.

Xerxes I, eg Khashâyârshâ (خشایارشا), död 465 f.Kr., var en persisk storkonung tillhörande den akemenidiska dynastin som regerade 485-465 f.Kr.. Han var son till Dareios I och Kyros I:s dotter Atossa, samt far till Artaxerxes I. Han var farfar till Xerxes II. Xerxes lyckades genom sin moders intriger vid sin faders död, 485 f.Kr., bestiga tronen med förbigående av Dareios I:s äldre söner med en annan gemål, vilka var födda före faderns regeringstillträde. Efter att ha kuvat det avfälliga Egypten tog Xerxes upp sin faders krigsplaner mot Grekland. Kriget skulle denna gång utkämpas både till lands och sjöss, och efter tre års förberedelser bröt Xerxes upp år 480 f.Kr. med en stor armé.

Efter den dyrköpta segern i slaget vid Thermopyle 480 f. Kr. följde så nederlagen i slaget vid Salamis 480 f.Kr. vilket han med egna ögon bevittnade, slaget vid Plataiai 479 f.Kr. och slaget vid Mykale 479 f.Kr. vilka krossade Xerxes förhoppningar. Han mördades 465 f. Kr. av sin gunstling Artabanos. Xerxes I efterträddes av sonen Artaxerxes I. Sannolikt är det samme Xerxes som i Bibeln (Esters bok) omtalas under namnet Ahasveros. Xerxes the Great was a Persian Emperor (Shahanshah) (reigned 485 BC–465 BC) of the Achaemenid dynasty.

Xérxēs (Ξέρξης) is the Greek form of the Old Persian throne name Xšayāršā, meaning "Ruler of heroes"[2] (in Modern Persian: خشایارشا, Khšāyāršā). The English pronunciation is /'zɝk siːz/. Xerxes was son of Darius I and Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus the Great. After his accession in October 485 BC he suppressed the revolts in Egypt and Babylon that had broken out in 486 BC and appointed his brother Achaemenes as governor or satrap over Egypt (Old Persian: khshathrapavan), bringing Egypt under very strict rule. His predecessors, especially Darius, had not been successful in their attempts to conciliate the ancient civilizations. This probably was the reason why Xerxes in 484 BC took away from Babylon the golden statue of Bel (Marduk, Merodach), the hands of which the legitimate king of Babylon had to seize on the first day of each year, and killed the priest who tried to hinder him.

Therefore Xerxes does not bear the title of King in the Babylonian documents dated from his reign, but King of Persia and Media or simply King of countries (i.e. of the world). This proceeding led to two rebellions, probably in 484 BC and 479 BC. Invasion of the Greek mainland Main article: Greco-Persian Wars Darius left to his son the task of punishing the Athenians, Naxians, and Eretrians for their interference in the Ionian revolt and their defeat of the Persians at Marathon. From 483 BC Xerxes prepared his expedition with great care: A channel was dug through the isthmus of the peninsula of Mount Athos, provisions were stored in the stations on the road through Thrace, two bridges were thrown across the Hellespont. According to Herodotus, Xerxes' first attempt to bridge the Hellespont ended in failure when a storm destroyed the flax and papyrus bridge; Xerxes ordered the Hellespont (the strait itself) whipped three hundred times and had fetters thrown into the water.

Xerxes' second attempt to bridge the Hellespont was successful.[3] Xerxes concluded an alliance with Carthage, and thus deprived Greece of the support of the powerful monarchs of Syracuse and Agrigentum. Many smaller Greek states, moreover, took the side of the Persians, especially Thessaly, Thebes, and Argos. Xerxes, with a large fleet and army (Herodotus the Greek historian claimed that there were over 2 million soldiers), set out in the spring of 480 BC from Sardis. Xerxes was victorious during the initial battles. At the Battle of Thermopylae, a small force of warriors, led by King Leonidas, resisted the much larger Persian forces, but were ultimately defeated. After Thermopylae, Athens was conquered, and the Athenians and Spartans were driven back to their last line of defense at the Isthmus of Corinth and in the Saronic Gulf. At Artemisium, the battle was indecisive as large storms had destroyed ships from the Greek side. The battle was also stopped prematurely as the Greeks learned news of the defeat at Thermopylae and retreated.

But Xerxes was induced by the message of Themistocles (against the advice of Artemisia of Halicarnassus) to attack the Greek fleet under unfavourable conditions, rather than sending a part of his ships to the Peloponnesus and awaiting the dissolution of the Greek armies. The Battle of Salamis (September 29, 480 BC) was won by the Athenians. Although the loss was a setback it was not a disaster and Xerxes set up a winter camp in Thessaly. Due to unrest in Babylon Xerxes was forced to send his army home to prevent a revolt leaving behind an army in Greece under Mardonius who was defeated the following year at Plataea in 479 BC.[4] The defeat of the Persians at Mycale roused the Greek cities of Asia. Of the later years of Xerxes, little is known. He sent out Sataspes to attempt the circumnavigation of Africa. He left inscriptions at Persepolis, where he added a new palace to that of Darius, at Van, now in present day Turkey, and on Mount Elvend near Ecbatana.

In these texts he merely copies the words of his father. In 465 he was murdered by his vizier, Artabanus, who raised Artaxerxes I to the throne. In the Bible Xerxes is also believed by some scholars to be Ahasuerus, the King in the biblical Book of Esther,[5][6] though some Jewish scholars are skeptical about this.[7] The Judeo-Roman historian Josephus took the historical existence of Vashti and Esther as fact,[8] though the works of Herodotus suggest that Xerxes had a Queen consort named Amestris, daughter to Otanes. Children Xerxes I 'The Great' King of Persia Misc. Notes Xerxes I Xerxes (486-465 BC), Darius' eldest son by Queen Atossa, was born after his father had come to the throne; he had been designated official heir perhaps as early as 498 BC, and while crown prince he had ruled as the King's governor in Babylon. The new king quickly suppressed the revolt in Egypt in a single campaign in 485 BC.

Xerxes then broke with the policy followed by Cyrus and Darius of ruling foreign lands with a fairly light hand and, in a manner compatible with local traditions, ruthlessly ignored Egyptian forms of rule and imposed his will on the rebellious province in a thoroughly Iranian style. Plans for the invasion of Greece begun under Darius were then still further delayed by a major revolt in Babylonia about 482 BC, which also was suppressed with a heavy hand. Xerxes then turned his attention westward to Greece. He wintered in Sardis in 481-480 BC and thence led a combined land and sea invasion of Greece. Northern Greece fell to the invaders in the summer of 480, the Greek stand at Thermopylae in August of 480 came to nought, and the Iranian land forces marched on Athens, taking and burning the Acropolis. But the Iranian fleet lost the Battle of Salamis, and the impetus of the invasion was blunted. Xerxes, who had by then been away from Asia rather long for a king with such widespread responsibilities, returned home and left Mardonius in charge of further operations.

The real end of the invasion came with the Battle of Plataea, the fall of Thebes (a stronghold of pro-Iranian forces), and the Iranian naval loss at Mycale in 479 BC. Of the three, the Iranian loss at Plataea was perhaps the most decisive. Up until Mardonius was killed, the issue of the battle was probably still in doubt, but, once leaderless, the less organized and less disciplined Iranian forces collapsed. Time and again in later years this was to be the pattern in such encounters, for the Iranian never solved the military problem posed by the disciplined Greek hoplites. The formation of the Delian League, the rise of Athenian imperialism, troubles on the west coast of Asia Minor, and the end of Iranian military ambitions in the Aegean followed rapidly in the decade after Plataea. Xerxes probably lost interest in the proceedings and sank deeper and deeper into the comforts of life in his capital cities of Susa, Ecbatana, and Persepolis. Treasury intrigues, which were steadily to sap the strength and vitality of the Achaemenid Empire, led to the assassination of the Great King in 465 BC.

Xerxes I From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Xerxes I , was a Persian king (reigned 485 - 465 BC) of the Achaemenid dynasty . In the Bible he is known as Ahasuerus . A son of Darius I and Atossa , the daughter of Cyrus the Great , he was appointed successor to his father in preference to his eldest half-brothers, who were born before Darius had become king. After his accession in October 485 BC he suppressed the revolt in Egypt which had broken out in 486 BC , appointed his brother Achaemenes as henchman (or khshathrapavan ,satrap ) bringing Egypt under a very strict rule. His predecessors, especially Darius, had not been successful in their attempts to conciliate the ancient civilizations. This probably was the reason why Xerxes in 484 BC abolished the Kingdom of Babel and took away the golden statue of Bel ( Marduk , Merodach), the hands of which the legitimate king of Babel had to seize on the first day of each year, and killed the priest who tried to hinder him.

Therefore Xerxes does not bear the title of King of Babel in the Babylonian documents dated from his reign, but King of Persia and Media or simply King of countries (i.e. of the world). This proceeding led to two rebellions, probably in 484 BC and 479 BC . Darius had left to his son the task of punishing the Greeks for their interference in the Ionian rebellion and the victory of Marathon . From 483 Xerxes prepared his expedition with great care: a channel was dug through the isthmus of the peninsula of Mount Athos ; provisions were stored in the stations on the road through Thrace ; two bridges were thrown across the Hellespont . Xerxes concluded an alliance with Carthage , and thus deprived Greece of the support of the powerful monarchs of Syracuse and Agrigentum . Many smaller Greek states, moreover, took the side of the Persians, especially Thessaly ,Thebes and Argos . A large fleet and a numerous army (some have claimed that there were over 2,000,000) were gathered. In the spring of 480 Xerxes set out from Sardis .

At first Xerxes was victorious everywhere. The Greek fleet was beaten at Artemisium ,Thermopylae stormed, Athens conquered, the Greeks driven back to their last line of defence at the Isthmus of Corinth and in the Bay of Salamis . But Xerxes was induced by the astute message of Themistocles (against the advice of Artemisia of Halicarnassus ) to attack the Greek fleet under unfavourable conditions, instead of sending a part of his ships to the Peloponnesus and awaiting the dissolution of the Greek armament. The Battle of Salamis (September 28 , 480) decided the war. Having lost his communication by sea with Asia , Xerxes was forced to retire to Sardis; the army which he left in Greece under Mardonius was in 479 beaten at Plataea. The defeat of the Persians at Mycale roused the Greek cities of Asia. Of the later years of Xerxes little is known. He sent out Satapes to attempt the circumnavigation of Africa , but the victory of the Greeks threw the empire into a state of slow apathy, from which it could not rise again.

The king himself became involved in intrigues of the harem and was much dependent upon courtiers and eunuchs . He left inscriptions at Persepolis , where he added a new palace to that of Darius, at Van in Armenia , and on Mount Elvend near Ecbatana . In these texts he merely copies the words of his father. In 465 he was murdered by his vizier Artabanus who raised Artaxerxes I to the throne. In the Bible, more specifically in the Book of Esther , Xerxes I is mentioned by the name of Ahasuerus .Esther was chosen as his queen after the failed invasion in Greece. The Bible tells how Haman after feeling insulted by the Jew Mordecai , tries to kill Mordecai and many Jews, but Mordecai, through Esther and Ahasuerus, manages to reverse their fate. This story must be considered as an allegory, because the events it relates never occurred. The story begins in the third year of the reign of Xerxes, which would be 484 B.C.

He did not have a wife named "Vashti," (or "Esther," either) then or ever (his wife at this time was Amestris, daughter of a Persian general), but "Vashti" was the name of an Elamite goddess. "Esther," too, is the name of a goddess -- it's Aramaic for "Ishtar," the chief Babylonian goddess. ("Hadassah," the name Esther's family called her, comes from the Babylonian for "bride" and was one of Ishtar's titles.) "Mordecai" is a form of the Hebrew for "Marduk," the Babylonians' chief god. "Haman" comes from the name of the Elamites' chief god, "Hamman." "Shushan" is identified with Xerxes's capital, Susa. The meaning of the allegory is that Babylonian gods replaced Elamite gods in Susa in the last years of the Assyrian Empire, and it was written at a time when the Macedonians posed the kind of danger to the Jews that the story describes.

Spouses Dusharm, Dream of Persia - Darius I,The Great king of Persia (522-486 bc) Darius I,The Great king of Persia (522-486 bc) Darius I,The Great king of Persia (522-486 bc) Written by Akbar Nemati Level of fame: Somewhat Executive summary: King of Persia, 521-486 BC Darius (Greek form Dareios) is a classicized form of the Old Persian Darayaohumanah, Darayavahush or Darayavaush, which was the name of three kings of the Achaemenid Dynasty of Persia: Darius I (the Great), ruled 522-486 BCE, Darius II (Ochos), ruled 423-405/4 BCE, and Darius III (Kodomannos), ruled 336-330 BCE.

In addition to these, the oldest son of Xerxes I was named Darius, but he was murdered before he ever came to the throne, and Darius, the son of Artaxerxes II, was executed for treason against his own father. According to A. T. Olmstead's book History of the Persian Empire, Darius the Great's father Vishtaspa (Hystaspes) and mother Hutaosa (Atossa) knew the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster) personally and were converted by him to the new religion he preached, Zoroastrianism. Darius I, called The Great (558?-486 bc), king of Persia (522-486 bc), son of the Persian noble Hystaspes, and a member of a royal Persian family, the Achaemenids. In 522 bc, on the death of King Cambyses II, a group of Magian priests tried to give the throne to one of their number, the usurper Gaumata; he pretended to be Smerdis (died about 523 bc), the murdered brother of Cambyses II.

Darius, a member of the Achemenides family, raised to the throne of the kingdom of Persia by taking part, in 522, in a plot to assassinate Smerdis, who had assumed the kingship that same year at the death of his brother Cambyses on his way back from Egypt. Both Cambyses and Smerdis were sons of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire. The empire of Darius the Great extended from Egypt in the west to the Indus River in the east. The major satrapies or provinces of his Empire were connected to the center at Persepolis, in the Fars Province of present-day Iran. The Royal Road connected 111 stations to each other. Messengers riding swift horses informed the king within days of turmoil brewing in lands as distant as Egypt and Sughdiana. The first two years of his reign were occupied with suppressing rebellions, the most important of which occurred in Babylonia. Thereafter he devoted himself to reforming the internal organization of Persia and making its outer borders secure.

He reorganized the vast empire into 20 satrapies, built highways, organized a postal system, reformed the currency, encouraged commerce, and won the goodwill of large portions of the heterogeneous population. Because he respected their religions, he was honored by the Jews, whom he permitted to complete the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem in 516; by the Egyptians, whose high priest he consulted; and by the Greeks of Asia Minor, whose oracles supported him during the revolt of the Greek cities. In protecting the borders of the empire, Darius conquered new territories along the Indus River in the east and in the Caucasus Mountains in the northeast, but his expedition in 516 against the tribes of the Danube River failed. In 499 a revolt broke out among the Ionian Greek cities of Asia Minor, partly encouraged by some of the Greek cities on the mainland. The revolt was suppressed by 494, and Darius prepared to punish the mainland Greeks for their intervention. In 492 an army under Mardonius, the son-in-law of Darius, crossed the Bosporus into Thrace but was unable to reach Greece because the supply ships were wrecked off Mount Athos.

Two years later, a strong Persian force under the joint command of Artaphernes (flourished 5th century bc), a nephew of Darius, and the Mede commander Datis (flourished 5th century bc) invaded Greece from the north but was defeated at Marathon. A third expedition was being prepared when Darius died. He left a detailed account of his reign, inscribed in three languages on a towering rock. This Behistun Inscription, the first English transcription of which was complete in 1849, confirms many details of the life of Darius. Darius the Great is seated on his throne in his reception chamber while an audience of delegates from provinces around his mighty empire approaches him to bring him tribute. This particular dignitary is raising one hand to his mouth as a token of respect and honor and with the other hand he holds his staff of office showing that he was a commander and prime minister of the Medes, as seen by his round cap and uniform. Behind him are two Persian attendants holding a spear and a container of incense. Notice Darius the Great is holding his scepter of authority in his right hand and a budding flower in his left.

Behind Darius stands the crown-prince Xerxes. This relief of king Darius I Seated is an important discovery in Biblical Archaeology and confirms what the Bible says regarding Darius and the Persian Empire. "They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace." EZRA 5:7 Enthroned in Persepolis, the magnificent city that he built, Darius I, firmly grasps the royal scepter in his right hand. In the left, he is holding a lotus blossom with two buds, the symbol of royalty. Material: Dark Gray Limestone Relief Period: Time of Darius I Date: 522-486 BC. Reception Chamber of the Treasury of Darius Height: 8.25 feet One of the most awe-inspiring monuments of the ancient world, Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenian empire. It was built during the reign of Darius I, known as Darius the Great (522-485 BC), and developed further by successive kings.

The various temples and monuments are located upon a vast platform, some 450 metres by 300 metres and 20 metres in height. At the head of the ceremonial staircase leading to the terrace is the Gateway of All Nations built by Xerxes I and guarded by two colossal bull-like figures. Darius was the greatest of all the Persian kings. He extended the empires borders into India and Europe. He also fought two wars with the Greeks which were disastrous. He established a government which became a model for many future governments; Xerxes I facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Xerxes I The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press Xerxes I (Xerxes the Great) (zûrk´sēz), d. 465 BC, king of ancient Persia (486–465 BC). His name in Old Persian is Khshayarsha, in the Bible Ahasuerus . He was the son of Darius I and Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great.

After bringing (484 BC.) Egypt once more under Persian rule, Xerxes prepared for an invasion of Greece (see Persian Wars ) by constructing a bridge of boats across the Hellespont and cutting a canal through the isthmus of Athos. Setting out from Sardis, he marched through Thrace and Macedonia and, despite the bravery of Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, overthrew (480) the Lacedaemonians at Thermopylae . He then occupied and pillaged Athens. In the same year his fleet was destroyed at Salamis. Leaving an army under his general, Mardonius, he retired into Asia. He was slain by the captain of his bodyguard and was succeeded by his son Artaxerxes I . See P. Green, Xerxes at Salamis (1970). Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA Darius I | Article about Darius I by The Free Dictionary Darius I | Article about Darius I by The Free Dictionary Related to Darius I: Alexander the Great , Persia , Leonidas , Miletus , Herodotus , Themistocles , Darius II Darius I (Darius the Great) (dərī`əs), d. 486 B.C., king of ancient Persia (521–486 B.C.), called also Dariavaush and Darius Hystaspis (after his father, Hystaspes or Vishtaspa). A distant cousin of Cambyses II (see under Cambyses Cambyses , two kings of the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia. Cambyses I was king (c.600 B.C.) of Ansham, ruling as a vassal of Media. According to Herodotus he married the daughter of the Median king Astyages; some scholars dispute this. Cambyses' son was Cyrus the Great. ..... Click the link for more information. ), he succeeded to the throne after the fall of the impostor claiming to be Smerdis Smerdis , d.

c.528 B.C., second son of Cyrus the Great, king of Persia. He is also called Bardiya. He was assassinated by his brother Cambyses II, who kept the murder a secret. ..... Click the link for more information. . The first years of his reign were spent in putting down revolts in Persia, Media, Babylonia, and the East. He then proved himself the true successor of Cyrus the Great Cyrus the Great , d. 529 B.C., king of Persia, founder of the greatness of the Achaemenids and of the Persian Empire. According to Herodotus, he was the son of an Iranian noble, the elder Cambyses, and a Median princess, daughter of Astyages. ..... Click the link for more information. and one of the most able of the Achaemenids Achaemenids , dynasty of ancient Persia. They were descended presumably from one Achaemenes, a minor ruler in a mountainous district of SW Iran. His successors, when Elam declined, spread their power westward. ..... Click the link for more information. by revising and increasing Cyrus' use of the satrapies.

These provinces were ruled by satraps, who functioned as viceroys and were responsible only to the Great King; the satraps were, however, checked by generals, ministers of home affairs, and secret police, all of whom were responsible to Darius alone. This system proved so efficient that it was later adopted by Alexander the Great and, still later, by the Parthians. Darius also undertook lengthy campaigns; an incursion against the Scythians began in 512 B.C., and it involved taking Thrace and Macedonia and building a bridge across the Danube. He was involved in a dispute with the Greeks after giving refuge to the tyrant Hippias Hippias , tyrant (527 B.C.–510 B.C.) of Athens, eldest son of Pisistratus. Hippias governed Athens after the death of his father. His younger brother Hipparchus was closely associated in office with him until Hipparchus was assassinated in 514 B.C. ..... Click the link for more information. , but more serious quarrels began with the revolt (c.500 B.C.) of the Ionian cities against Persian rule.

Having put down the rebels, Darius set out to punish the Greek city-states that had aided in the insurrection (see Persian Wars Persian Wars, 500 B.C.–449 B.C., series of conflicts fought between Greek states and the Persian Empire. The writings of Herodotus, who was born c.484 B.C., are the great source of knowledge of the history of the wars. ..... Click the link for more information. ). His first expedition was turned back by storms; his second met defeat in the memorable battle of Marathon (490 B.C.). Darius consolidated Persian power in the East, including NW India. He continued Cyrus' policy of restoring the Jewish state, and under his auspices the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem was completed in 515 B.C. For this reason he is mentioned warmly in Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah. He left the Behistun Inscription Behistun Inscription or Bisutun Inscription , cuneiform text, the decipherment of which was the key to all cuneiform script and opened to scholars the study of the written works of ancient Mesopotamia. ..... Click the link for more information. .

Written in Old Persian, Assyrian, and Susian (the Iranian language of Elam), it provided the key for deciphering Babylonian cuneiform. Upon his death he was succeeded by his son Xerxes I Xerxes I (Xerxes the Great) , d. 465 B.C., king of ancient Persia (486–465 B.C.). His name in Old Persian is Khshayarsha, in the Bible Ahasuerus. He was the son of Darius I and Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great. After bringing (484 BC. ..... Click the link for more information. . Darius I known as Darius the Great, surname Hystaspis. ?550--486 bc, king of Persia (521--486), who extended the Persian empire and crushed the revolt of the Ionian city states (500).

He led two expeditions against Greece but was defeated at Marathon (490) 1000+ images about XERXES on Pinterest | Persian, Ancient persia and Achaemenid Forward Xerxes I, Old Persian Khshayarsha, byname Xerxes the Great (born c. 519 bce—died 465, Persepolis, Iran), Persian king (486–465 bce), the son and successor of Darius I. He is best known for his massive invasion of Greece from across the Hellespont (480 bce), a campaign marked by the battles of Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea. His ultimate defeat spelled the beginning of the decline of the Achaemenian Empire. See More Map of the Persian Empire - 550-486 B.C.

(Bible History Online) Map of the Persian Empire (550-486 B.C.) Map of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia ( PDF for Print ) (Freely Distributed) This map reveals the expansion of the Persian Empire from Cyrus the Great to Darius I, 550-486 BC. The Persian Achaemenid Empire was actually the last great empire of the ancient Near East. Its boundaries extended from the Aegean Sea in the west to the Indus River in the east, such a large empire was created in just a little over 10 years by Cyrus II the Great. Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC) Cyrus II, also known as Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Persian Empire. He was of the Achaemenid family and the vast Achaemenid Empire of the Persians reached from the Aegean Sea in the West all the way to Sagdiana in the East. It encompassed the former kingdom whom it had conquered, the Babylonian Empire. Cyrus came to the throne about 559 BC when Persia was under the rule of the Medes, a kingdom to the north of Persia.

The Median Empire extended from the middle of Turkey (Anatolia) in the West, to the area of Afghanistan in the East. In 550 BC Cyrus the Persian refused to submit to the Medes, and the King of Media immediately attacked Persia. Cyrus was victorious in battle at Pasargadae and moved on to capture the Median capital at Ecbatana. Cyrus brought into submission the whole former Median and Babylonian empires by 539 BC, and was finally killed in a battle against the pointed hats Scythian nomadic warriors in Central Asia. Cyrus the Diplomat Cyrus was a diplomatic ruler and this contributed greatly to his success. In contrast to the Babylonians and Assyrians Cyrus was merciful to his defeated enemies, and respected their customs and religions. He even allowed the conquered Jews in Babylon to return to their homeland and to rebuild the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.

The Decree of Cyrus The Bible mentions in the book of Ezra that King Cyrus issued a decree from the Persian Palace at Achmetha (Ecbatana) to free the Jews, and allow them to return to Israel to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem: Ezra 6:2-3 "And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that [is] in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein [was] a record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king [the same] Cyrus the king made a decree [concerning] the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid." The tomb of Cyrus epitaph reads "Oh man whoever you are, I am Cyrus who founded the empire of the Persians and was the king of Asia. Do not grudge me this monument." Cambyses II (530-522 BC) Later in 525 BC the son of Cyrus whose name was Cambyses came southward with the mighty Persian army and conquered Egypt in 529 BC, and he laid siege to several Egyptian cities including Memphis.

His army marched all the way to the Mediterranean Sea and Libya surrendered to him. Though Egypt was conquered it relatively easily, maintaining Persian rule was not so easy. In fact the historian Herodotus records great disasters in the Persians attempts to subdue Nubia. Note: It is interesting that the Elephantine Papyri documents written in Aramaic were discovered at Yeb (Elephantine) reveal that Cambyses found an armed Jewish colony at that location. Cambyses suppressed any revolts in Egypt with brutality, but in 522 BC he learned about a revolt at Gaumata in his homeland and on his return he had an accident. According to Herodotus he cut himself with his own sword, got blood poisoning and died near Hamath in Syria. He had no sons to inherit the throne. Darius I (521-486) In 521 BC Darius I expanded the Persian Empire even further and conquered territories all the way to the Indus Valley, then he turned west all the way to Macedonia. Darius reorganized the empire into 20 provinces (satrapies) with heavy taxes.

He also upgraded the 1600 mile Royal Road which ran from Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire, all the way to Sardis at the Aegean Sea. He had a massive relief carved on a cliff at Bisitun, along with a huge inscription commemorating his victories over his enemies. The inscription was written in the Persian, Elamite, and Akkadian languages. Part of this inscription was discovered at Elephantine. Darius I made Persepolis his capital city. When he conquered India he made it a satrapy of Hindush. In 513 BC he moved his armies across Thrace and Macedonia who immediately surrendered to him. The Ionian king Miletus revolted against him and Darius powerfully defeated him because of the burning of the provincial center at Sardis. Later in 490 BC the Persians were severely defeated by the Athenians at the battle of Marathon. The History of Persia in Smith's Bible Dictionary --The history of Persia begins with the revolt from the Medes and the accession of Cyrus the Great, B.C. 558. Cyrus defeated Croesus, and added the Lydian empire to his dominions.

This conquest was followed closely by the submission of the Greek settlements on the Asiatic coast, and by the reduction of Caria and Lycia The empire was soon afterward extended greatly toward the northeast and east. In B.C. 539 or 538, Babylon was attacked, and after a stout defence fell into the hands of Cyrus. This victory first brought the Persians into contact with the Jews. The conquerors found in Babylon an oppressed race--like themselves, abhorrers of idols, and professors of a religion in which to a great extent they could sympathize. This race Cyrus determined to restore to their own country: which he did by the remarkable edict recorded in the first chapter of Ezra. Ezr 1:2-4 He was slain in an expedition against the Massagetae or the Derbices, after a reign of twenty-nine years. Under his son and successor, Cambyses, the conquest of Egypt took place, B.C. 525. This prince appears to be the Ahasuerus of Ezr 4:6 Gomates, Cambyses' successor, reversed the policy of Cyrus with respect to the Jews, and forbade by an edict the further building of the temple.

Ezr 4:17-22 He reigned but seven months, and was succeeded by Darius. Appealed to, in his second year, by the Jews, who wished to resume the construction of their temple, Darius not only granted them this privilege, but assisted the work by grants from his own revenues, whereby the Jews were able to complete the temple as early as his sixth year. Ezr 6:1-15 Darius was succeeded by Xerxes, probably the Ahasuerus of Esther. Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, reigned for forty years after his death and is beyond doubt the king of that name who stood in such a friendly relation toward Ezra, Ezr 7:11-28 and Nehemiah. Ne 2:1-9 etc. He is the last of the Persian kings who had any special connection with the Jews, and the last but one mentioned in Scripture.

His successors were Xerxes II., Sogdianus Darius Nothus, Artaxerxes Mnemon, Artaxerxes Ochus, and Darius Codomannus, who is probably the "Darius the Persian" of Nehemiah Ne 12:22 These monarchs reigned from B.C. 424 to B.C. 330. The collapse of the empire under the attack of Alexander the Great took place B.C. 330. Darius I - 510-486 BC | Armstrong Economics Darius I 510-486 BC Darius I, The Great was the son of the Persian noble Hystaspes who was a member of a royal Persian family, the Achaemenids. Darius I was born about 558 BC. Upon the death of King Cambyses II in 522 BC (his brother-in-law), Gaumata, a Magian priest, attempted to take the throne by pretending to be Smerdis, the brother of Cambyses II who was murdered about 523 BC.

In 521, the battle for the throne of Persia came down to Darius I and Gaumata. In a heated battle, Gaumata was defeated and Darius I became king of Persia. He was married to Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus the Great and Atossa bore Darius a son and successor Xerxes I. At first, Darius I spent much of his time suppressing rebellions, the most important of which occurred in Babylonia. By the third year of his reign, Darius I went about securing the borders and instituting major internal organizational reform in his Persian empire. A major component of his reforms was to reorganized the empire into 20 satrapies, which could then be controlled more effectively. Darius I also began a major building road program and organized a postal system. Darius I also instituted a major monetary reform adopting the bi-metal system of the Asia Minor Greeks. All of his reforms were aimed at promoting commerce and economic growth. As such, the Persian economy prospered and Darius I won the goodwill of the people in the process.

Darius I was even honored by the Jews, whom he permitted to complete the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem in 516 BC, due to the fact that he respected different religions. Darius I also sought to expand the Persian Empire and as such conquered new territories along the Indus River in the east and in the Caucasus Mountains in the northeast. However, in 516 BC, Darius attempted the conquest of the tribes around the Danube River region but failed. In 499 BC, a rebellion broke out among the Ionian Greek cities in Asia Minor (Ionian Revolt), which was at least partly instigated by some of the mainland Greek cities. The Ionian Revolt was successfully suppressed in 493 BC, but it then placed Persia and Greece in direct conflict. In 492 BC, Darius I launched an invasion of mainland Greece with an army under the command of Mardonius, his son-in-law. The Persians thus crossed the Bosporus and moved into Thrace. The invasion had to be abandoned because their supply ships were wrecked off Mount Athos, thus preventing the Persians from moving from Thrace into Greece itself.

A second invasion of Greece was launched 2 years later. This time a major Persian force was sent under the joint command of Artaphernes, a nephew of Darius, and the Mede commander Datis. The Persian army invaded Greece from the north, but was defeated at the famous battle of Marathon, which resulted in the rise of Athens. A third and final invasion was being prepared when Darius I died in 486 BC. Nonetheless, it would be his son Xerxes I (486-465 BC), who would carry out the greatest invasion of Greece in 480 BC, which marked perhaps the beginning of the end for the Persian empire. The Greek historian Herodotus gives as the combined strength of Xerxes’ land and naval forces the total number of 2,641,610 warriors. Xerxes crossed the Hellespont and moved into Thrace and then into Thessaly and Locris. At Thermopylae 300 Spartans made a courageously delayed the Persians for ten days. Xerxes then advanced into Attica and burned Athens.

But at the Battle of Salamís, the Persian fleet was defeated and victory remained in the hands of the Greeks. Note: Darius left a detailed account of his reign, inscribed in three languages on a towering rock. This Behistun Inscription, the first English transcription of which was complete in 1849, confirms many details of the life of Darius. Monetary System

Question: Who was the son of Darius and King of Persia from 486 to 465 BC?
Answer: XERXES