Xerxes I of Persia in the context of Classical Athens


Xerxes I of Persia in the context of Classical Athens

⭐ Core Definition: Xerxes I of Persia

Xerxes I (/ˈzɜːrksz/ ZURK-seez; c. 518 – August 465 BC), commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was a Persian ruler who served as the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 486 BC until his assassination in 465 BC. He was the son of Darius the Great and Atossa, a daughter of Cyrus the Great.

In Western history, Xerxes is best known for his invasion of Greece in 480 BC, which ended in Persian defeat. Xerxes was designated successor by Darius over his elder brother Artobazan and inherited a large, multi-ethnic empire upon his father's death. He consolidated his power by crushing revolts in Egypt and Babylon, and renewed his father's campaign to subjugate Greece and punish Athens and its allies for their interference in the Ionian Revolt. In 480 BC, Xerxes personally led a large army and crossed the Hellespont into Europe. He achieved victories at Thermopylae and Artemisium before capturing and razing Athens. His forces gained control of mainland Greece north of the Isthmus of Corinth until their defeat at the Battle of Salamis. Fearing that the Greeks might trap him in Europe, Xerxes retreated with the greater part of his army back to Asia, leaving behind Mardonius to continue his campaign. Mardonius was defeated at Plataea the following year, effectively ending the Persian invasion.

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Xerxes I of Persia in the context of Battle of Artemisium

The Battle of Artemisium or Artemision was a series of naval engagements over three days during the second Persian invasion of Greece. The battle took place simultaneously with the land battle at Thermopylae, in August or September 480 BC, off the coast of Euboea and was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, including Sparta, Athens, Corinth and others, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I.

The Persian invasion was a delayed response to the defeat of the first Persian invasion of Greece, which had been ended by the Athenian victory at the Battle of Marathon. King Xerxes had amassed a huge army and navy, and set out to conquer all of Greece. The Athenian general Themistocles proposed that the Allied Greeks block the advance of the Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae and simultaneously block the Persian navy at the Straits of Artemisium. An Allied naval force of 271 triremes was thus dispatched to await the arrival of the Persians.

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Xerxes I of Persia in the context of Dory (spear)

The dory or doru (/ˈdɒr/; Greek: δόρυ) was the chief spear of hoplites (heavy infantry) in Ancient Greece. The word doru is first attested in the Homeric epics with the meanings of "wood" and "spear". Homeric heroes hold two dorata (Greek: δόρατα, plural of δόρυ) (Il. 11,43, Od. 1, 256). In classical antiquity, the dory was a symbol of military power, possibly more important than the sword, as can be inferred from expressions like "Troy conquered by dory" (Il. 16,708) and words like "doryktetos" (Greek: δορίκτητος) (spear-won) and "doryalotos" (Greek: δορυάλωτος) (spear-taken).

The spear used by the Persian army under Darius I and Xerxes in their respective campaigns during the Greco-Persian Wars was shorter than that of their Greek opponents. The dory's length enabled multiple ranks of a formation to engage simultaneously during combat.

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Xerxes I of Persia in the context of Egaleo (mountain)

Aigaleo or Egaleo (Greek: Αιγάλεω), and known in antiquity as Poikilon Oros (Ποικίλον Όρος), is a mountain next to the Athens urban area, in Attica, Greece. It lies west of the Athens plain, southeast of Eleusis, and east of the island of Salamis. Most of the mountain is rocky (limestone). It is lower than Hymettus. Most of the forest is to its north where the Daphni Monastery is located. There is also a park in its northern reaches.

With its good view of the Straits of Salamis, Mount Egaleo was the site of Xerxes' throne from which he observed the Battle of Salamis.

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Xerxes I of Persia in the context of Amphicaea

Amphicleia or Amphikleia (Ancient Greek: Ἀμφίκλεια) or Amphicaea or Amphikaia (Ἀμφίκαια) was a Greek town in the north of ancient Phocis, distant 60 stadia from Lilaea, and 15 stadia from Tithronium. It was destroyed by the Persian army of Xerxes in his invasion of Greece (480 BCE). Although Herodotus calls it Amphicaea, following the most ancient traditions, the Amphictyonic League gave it the name of Amphicleia in their decree respecting rebuilding the town (346 BCE). It also bore for some time the name of Ophiteia (Ὀφιτεία), in consequence of a legend, which Pausanias relates. The place was celebrated in the time of Pausanias for the worship of Dionysus, to which an inscription refers, found at the site of the ancient town.

The site of the ancient town is occupied by the cemetery of the modern town of Amfikleia. It is also the site of a medieval tower (Paliopyrgos), which has been built with extensive reuse of spolia from the acropolis of Amphicleia.

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Xerxes I of Persia in the context of Antenor

Antenor (Ancient Greek: Ἀντήνωρ, Antḗnōr; fl.c. 540 – c. 500 BC) was an Athenian sculptor. He is recorded as the creator of the joint statues of the tyrannicides Harmodius and Aristogeiton funded by the Athenians on the expulsion of Hippias. These statues were carried away to Susa by Xerxes I of Persia during the Greco-Persian Wars. Archaeologists have also established that a basis signed by "Antenor son of Eumares" belonged to a set of female figures in an archaic style which were displayed in the acropolis. The sculptor of the Harmodius and Aristogeiton is usually listed as the son of Euphranor.

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Xerxes I of Persia in the context of Aspathines

Aspathines (Old Persian: 𐎠𐎿𐎱𐎨𐎴𐎠 Aspacanāʰ; Ancient Greek: Ἀσπαθίνης Aspathínēs) (born and died sometime between 550 BC and 450BC) was a senior official under Darius the Great and Xerxes I of Persia.

Aspathines is illustrated on the tomb of Darius I at Naqsh-e Rostam, with a dedication:

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