Xerxes the Great's Xerxes I, Old Persian Khshayarsha, byname Xerxes the Great, Persian monarch (486-465 bce), the son and successor of Darius I (born c. 519 bce—died 465, Persepolis, Iran). The most powerful ruler in the history of Persia, he led an army of three million men against Greece. When Sparta would not give in to his demands, he invaded her territory but was defeated at the Battle of Gaugamela (October, 853 ce) by the forces of Athens and Crete. Xerxes fled from the battlefield but was captured and taken back to Persia where he was put to death.
Xerxes was the greatest king of Persia until his death. His mother was a noblewoman named Amestris and his father was King Darius I. He had two brothers who also became kings: Artaxerxes I and Ochus. There is no evidence that he had any other siblings.
He was born in 522 B.C. and was named after his father, who died when he was only nine years old. His grandfather Cyrus the Great had conquered much of Asia Minor and Europe before his death in 530 B.C., and his father continued his work of expanding the empire. When Xerxes was about eight years old, his brother Artaxerxes II murdered their uncle Ochus for trying to become king himself.
Xerxes I (c. 518–August 465 BC; Old Persian: Xsaya-rsa), often known as Xerxes the Great, was the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigned from 486 to 465 BC. He was Darius the Great's son and successor (r. 521–486 BC). Xerxes' reign is considered a golden age by many historians because he invaded Greece with an army of millions.
Xerxes I was the most powerful monarch in the world during his time. His power was especially visible in the large number of wars he involved his country in. However, he was not only responsible for these conflicts but also for many architectural projects and other activities aimed at demonstrating the power of the Achaemenid Empire to its neighbors. These efforts included building roads, bridges, and aqueducts across Iran and beyond its borders.
He was also one of the first rulers to use modern methods of warfare, including the use of artillery and cavalry. These innovations were probably introduced by his father, Darius the Great, who was a great innovator himself. Indeed, it has been suggested that Darius tried to make sure that all of his sons would inherit some of his traits. This may explain why Xerxes was given such a big role from an early age. Even though he was only a child when his father died, he managed to capture and hold onto the throne despite opposition from several leaders within the empire.
What was the identity of Xerxes the Great? Xerxes the Great was born in 519 BC at Persepolis, modern-day Iran, and died there. He was named after his father Xerxes I who was also a king of Persia. He was the second king of the Xerxes Dynasty.
Xerxes the Great became king at the age of 19 upon the death of his father. He inherited a large empire from his father which included parts of Europe as well as Asia. However, he lost most of this territory within a few years due to his own failures as a leader.
He started his reign by attacking Greece with an army of millions; however, he was defeated by King Philip II of Macedon at the Battle of Salamis. After this defeat, Xerxes retreated back to Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) where he spent the rest of his life in exile. He died there in 486 BC at the age of 33.
In addition to being a king, Xerxes the Great was also famous for other achievements. He was one of the greatest commanders in history and is said to have commanded more than 100,000 men in several campaigns during his lifetime. He was also known for building many large structures including parks, temples, and palaces.
Xerxes I (r. 486-465 BCE), often known as Xerxes the Great, was the Persian Achaemenid Empire's ruler. His formal title was Shahanshah, which translates as "emperor" but actually means "king of kings." He reigned from 485 to 465 BCE.
He was the son of Darius III and Atossa, who was also his cousin. She was the daughter of Cyrus the Great and granddaughter of Astyages, the king of the Medes. When Xerxes was a child, his father was killed by Alexander the Great at the Battle of Cunaxa in August 331 BC. After this defeat, Atossa was forced to flee with her son to the court of her brother Artaxerxes II. There she ruled as regent until Xerxes came of age.
Under the terms of their agreement, after Alexander's death, he gave up any claim to the throne and recognized Atossa's son as his successor, naming him Xerxes II. However, it is believed that he later changed his mind and refused to acknowledge the young prince. This is why they called him Xerxes the Great—because he wanted to be greater than his father.
As soon as he came of age, he started preparing for war against Greece. But before he could go into battle, he died of a fever at the age of 30.
Xerxes the Great Artaxerxes I, Achaemenid monarch of Persia (reigned 465–425 BC), died at Susa, Elam [now in Iran]. In Greek, he was known as "Macrocheir," which means "Longhand," and in Latin, he was known as "Longimanus." He was the younger son of Xerxes I and Amestris, and he was elevated to the throne by Artabanus, the leader of the guard who had slain Xerxes. Amestris was a sister of Darius I.
Artaxerxes I was an intelligent and capable ruler, who managed to unite much of Asia under his rule. His military campaigns against Greece and Egypt were successful. However, after his death, his empire was divided up among his three sons: Xerxes II became king of Persia, while Arshadrus invaded India and established a kingdom there. His son, Darius II, continued to fight against the Greeks until his death in battle against Alexander the Great.
Now, let's see how Old Testament characters are portrayed in the Book of Artaxerxes.
In the book of Esther, the writer tells us that King Xerxes was a descendant of Cyrus the Great, thus making him a great-great-grandson of Cyrus the Great. This means that he was a direct ancestor of David, since King Cyrus married his daughter. Therefore, Artaxerxes I was a brother-in-law of David.
Another interesting fact about these two kings is that they both had several names before they became kings.
Xerxes was the son of Darius I and Atossa, Cyrus the Great's daughter. After Darius died, Xerxes took over as Shah of Iran. Xerxes defeated Greek forces in the Battle of Thermopylae. Following his victory at Thermopylae, Xerxes seized possession of Athens with his troops. He destroyed many buildings and killed many Athenians during his stay there.
In 479 B.C., after four years of fighting, Xerxes returned home. However, he was assassinated before reaching Persia's capital city of Persepolis. His body was taken back to Pasargadae where it was buried beside that of his father.
Xerxes has been called "the most powerful man in the history of the world." He ruled for forty-one years and controlled twenty-five million people. His achievements have never been equaled and it is estimated that he spent as much as $100 million on his campaigns against Greece.
People love to talk about what they would do if they were king or queen. In fact, there are so many stories about famous people who have been king or queen that it is impossible to cover them all here. But one thing is certain: no matter who you are or how rich you are, you can't buy your way into power. It takes more than money to become king or queen of a country.
As you can see, being king or queen is not for everyone.