Quem Derrotou Xerxes?
Xerxes I, also known as Xerxes the Great, was a 5th century Achaemenid king of the Persian empire. He is best known for leading the massive invasion of Greece, marked by the battles of Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea.
Xerxes then gave his brother's wife to Amestris who, according to Herodotus, “sent for Xerxes' personal guards and with their help mutilated Masistes' wife. She cut off her breasts and threw them to the dogs, cut off her nose, ears, lips, and tongue, and then sent her back home totally disfigured” (9:112). In response, Masistes tried to raise a revolt in Bactra but Xerxes, hearing of his plans, trapped him and killed him, his sons, and all of the men he had rallied to his cause.
Xerxes Had To Deal With Revolts In Babylon And Egypt
According to Herodotus, Xerxes' fondness for women and lack of restraint led to his pursuit of his brother Masistes' wife. When she refused him, he had one of his sons, Darius, married to the daughter of Masistes, Artaynte, in hopes that, by this union, he could get closer to his brother's wife and manage to seduce her. When he saw Artaynte, however, he desired her more than the mother and, when he approached her, she agreed to an affair.
Xerxes (the Greek spelling of his name), was the king of the Persian Empire from 486 to 465 BCE. He is remembered in western scholarship for his defeat by combined Greek forces during his invasion of Greece in 480 and 479 BCE. A quick look at his 20-year reign, however, tells us that his rule must have amounted to more than that.
Read more about the Hellfire Club in All About History 125.
Bibliography
Whilst Xerxes’ Greek campaign was ultimately a failure, he did manage to put down revolts in Babylonia and Egypt, thus keeping these areas in the Achaemenid Empire. Additionally, Xerxes is said to have maintained the Royal Road, an ancient highway that was reorganized and rebuilt by Xerxes’ father, and praised by Herodotus for the speed it allowed men to travel. Additionally, after returning from Greece, Xerxes continued a number of architectural projects left unfinished by Darius.
Xerxes, however, seems to have been blind to any of these problems, or if he did notice them, he did not do anything about it. He continued to do as he pleased, and because of this it has been said that his rule marks the beginning of the Achaemenid Empire’s decline.
The first Hellfire club was founded by Philip, Duke of Wharton, around 1720. He was an influential member of the Jacobite movement with a taste for drinking, gambling and accruing debts. This initial club is said to have consisted of 40 members, 25 of whom were gentlemen and 15 were ladies.
Definition
Read more in All About History 125.
He was the son of Darius the Great (r. 522-486 BCE) who, in an effort to punish Athens for their support of the Ionian colonies' revolt against Persian rule in 499 BCE, had invaded Greece in 492 BCE. The Persians were defeated by the Greek forces at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE, and Darius died in 486 BCE before he could mount another offensive. It, therefore, fell to his son to carry out his father's wishes and, in amassing an army of such size and strength, Xerxes felt confident of his success in achieving what the great Darius had been unable to realize but would wind up failing just as his father had.
The shocking stories of these clubs scandalized British society. As time has passed the Hellfire clubs’ secretive nature has resulted in a vast amount of folklore surrounding them. Indeed, the relatively powerful positions of many of their members has given birth to popular legends of the Hellfire clubs as malevolent and sinister organizations.
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Two of the best known structures completed by Xerxes are the Gate of All Nations and the Hall of a Hundred Columns. Yet, as a result of the failed Greek expedition, these projects depleted the empire’s coffers and burdened Xerxes’ subjects through heavy taxation.
Xerxes is also treated unfavorably in Herodotus’ ‘ The Histories’ as well, especially when one compares him with other Persian monarchs mentioned in the work, such as Cyrus and Darius I. Nevertheless, Xerxes’ failed expedition against Greece was not placed entirely on his shoulders by Herodotus. Instead, the blame is placed on Mardonius, one of Xerxes’ cousins, and an influential figure in the Persian court.
Who Was Xerxes the Great?
Jonathan is the Editor of All About History magazine, running the day to day operations of the brand. He has a Bachelor's degree in History from the University of Leeds. He has previously worked as Editor of video game magazines games™ and X-ONE and tech magazines iCreate and Apps. He is currently based in Bournemouth, UK.
Xerxes was not the eldest of Darius' sons but, as the first-born of his marriage with Atossa, was chosen as successor. Upon Darius' death, Xerxes' older half-brother, Artabazenes, claimed the throne but was rebuffed because his mother was a commoner while Xerxes' mother was the daughter of the great Cyrus.
first gave Xerxes a feeling of deep self-satisfaction, but later he began to weep. When his uncle, Artabanus (the one who had at first freely expressed his opinion and advised Xerxes not to attack Greece) noticed that Xerxes was crying he said, `My lord, a short while ago you were feeling happy with your situation and now you are weeping. What a total change of mood!' `Yes,” Xerxes answered. `I was reflecting on things and it occurred to me how short the sum total of human life is, which made me feel compassion. Look at all these people – but not one of them will still be alive in a hundred years' time'(VII.45-46).
Timeline
A number of clubs and secret societies were founded that allowed their members to indulge their debauched tastes, but none were more notorious than the Hellfire clubs. They combined an 18th century trend of affronting societal notions of morality through acts of blasphemy with excessive drinking and sexual deviancy.
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Nevertheless, hubris was a common motif in Greek mythology, and many Greek characters, such as Oedipus and Bellerophon, are known to have suffered from hubris as well. One feature that perhaps separates Xerxes from these Greek characters is his behavior as an ‘Easterner’.