Xerxes – College Essay Example

his real name remains unknown. During his reign, Xeroxes improved his skills in horsemanship, archery, and gardening along with his status. After the death of Drains I, Retractable, who was the eldest son of Drains XI, claimed the throne based on the tradition of succession. However, Xeroxes argued that he descended from Cyrus the Great and that it was the will of god Aura Mazda for him to be the next king. Ultimately, thanks to Tattoos' authority and persuasion, Xeroxes was crowned and succeeded his father without any challenge.

According to Catties' account, Xeroxes's brother Armaments contested the throne as satrap of Bacteria but was convinced with gifts and promised to be second in command after Xeroxes. Armaments then crowned Xeroxes as the new King and remained loyal until his heroic death at Salamis. However, Herodotus provides a different version stating that a violent quarrel erupted between Drains' sons over the succession.
Demarcates, a deposed Spartan king, informed Drains that in Sparta, it was customary for the son born after his father became king to also become king. Thus, Drains declared Xeroxes as his heir.
According to Herodotus, Xeroxes would have become king regardless due to the immense influence of Tattoos. Among Drains' other sons desired by Aura Mazda, he chose Xeroxes as the greatest successor. Aura Mazda is a revered god who appointed Xeroxes as one king among many. Identifying himself as Xeroxes, the great king and Persian Chainmen in the Song of Drains, he acknowledges being favored by Aura Mazda.

The Administration of the Persian Empire functioned under a hereditary monarchy where kings inherited their thrones from their fathers. As an absolute ruler, Xeroxes governed his realm

from his palaces but received significant assistance in administration. The empire consisted of over 20 satrapies ruled by satraps accountable to the king when Xeroxes assumed power. These satraps had various responsibilities such as collecting tribute, raising military funds, administering justice, managing the economy, and minting silver coinage.
King Xeroxes imposed tribute across the entire empire using an administrative structure established by Cyrus the Great based on Babylonian and Median bureaucracy.Drain was familiar with the governing methods of previous rulers in the large empire, which influenced his reforms in central administration. Key advisers to the king included nobles, courtiers, and members of his family. The king's family members and local experts played a crucial role in providing information for warfare tactics and resolving revolts.

Treasuries were established in major cities, each under the responsibility of a chief Treasurer (Zanzibar), where all subjects paid taxes to the king. These taxes were stored, recorded, and used for administering the empire.

The various countries within the empire had previously been ruled by other nations like Persians who incorporated cultural and governmental aspects from Medes and Babylonians. Local laws were established allowing cases to be appealed to satraps or Xerxes himself. A panel of royal judges formed a high court with lifetime tenure.

The satrapies made efforts to maintain local institutions in new areas to prevent disruptions and rebellions. Provinces referred to administrative districts sometimes aligned with natural political and ethnic borders of countries.

Shortly after Xerxes became king, he faced a challenge suppressing a revolt that started during his father's reign under Drains' leadership.Egypt rebelled against increased taxes, corruption within the Persian administration, and the use of skilled workers as laborers on construction

projects. The revolt was initially suppressed by Drains, but he passed away before fully quelling it. His son Xerxes took over and eventually succeeded in suppressing the revolt. However, this led to harsh treatment of the Egyptian people and confiscation of temple property. Xerxes, an unpopular king in Egypt, did not build any temples and treated the country as a conquered province. He entrusted his brother Casements with governing Egypt instead of employing Egyptians in his administration.

After Drains' death, Xerxes marched against rebels and subjected Egypt to even harsher slavery than before. Casements ruled Egypt until he was killed by a Libyan named Innards, son of Semitic.

Similarly, Babylon revolted due to taxation issues, loss of skilled workers, and expenses associated with hosting the Persian court and garrison. Two revolts occurred in different years resulting in the killing of satrap Cyprus. Xerxes sent his brother-in-law Megabytes to crush the rebellion.

As punishment for their revolt, Babylon faced severe consequences such as destruction of its fortifications and execution of its leaders. Persian nobles were given their land. Additionally, a gold statue from the temple of Bell Maraud was melted down and a priest who objected to this was killed.
The Euphrates River was diverted, resulting in the division of the city. Taxation remained high. Xeroxes no longer included the title "King of Babylon" in his official titles. The satrapy known as "Babylon and the lands beyond the river" was split into two smaller satrapies, which diminished Balloon's political status. Despite this, Babylon did not experience economic decline after the Revolt. During both uprisings, Xeroxes imposed severe punishments on the Babylonians, such as destroying fortifications, executing priests, damaging religious sanctuaries,

and seizing valuable religious property to be taken to Prolepsis. Babylon lost its previous political status as a special province of the Chainmen empire and became part of Assyria's new satrapy. In terms of religious policy, prior to adopting Zoroaster's teachings, Persians worshipped numerous minor gods referred to as "Divas". Under Xeroxes' rule, "Dave" encompassed both benevolent and malevolent deities. Aura Mazda was highly revered by Xeroxes as the god responsible for creating the earth; it seems that Aura Mazda was also worshiped primarily by Chainmen kings. Similar to his father Drains, Xeroxes aimed to recognize Aura Mazda as the supreme creator deity and acknowledged that his kingship was bestowed through Aura Mazda's favor. By worshiping Aura Mazda, religion acquired significant political implications since it validated Xerxes' claim to power and allowed his reign to seek divine approval.
Xerxes emphasized the importance of devotion to righteousness, or "Art," and named his son Arteries to demonstrate his commitment to Art. He declared himself an adversary of the divas, possibly the evil gods of early Aryans, positioning himself as representative of Aura Mazda and light. Xerxes developed a personalized religion centered around holy Art, truth, and righteousness, encouraging Arteries to prioritize these values in his rule. Persian kings tolerated other religions for political reasons, allowing worship of foreign gods in Egypt, Babylon, and elsewhere. The Magi were priests associated with fire temples; it is unclear if they truly believed in Zoroastrianism. They openly conducted rituals and also interpreted dreams and made prophecies for the King. Xerxes' reign reflected tolerance towards others' beliefs and practices, creating a generally compromising religious atmosphere. His building program, Prolepsis, symbolized Persian achievements under

the protection of Ramadan, the creator god of Zoroastrianism.

When Xeroxes succeeded his father Drains as king, there were some unfinished building projects that remained. These royal building projects were significant during both Drains' and Xeroxes' rule. The remarkable structures and sculptures at Prolepsis serve as unique evidence of Xeroxes' role as the Persian Empire's king. Following the invasion of Greece, Xeroxes prioritized completing his father's construction plans for Prolepsis.

Xeroxes' building programs were made possible thanks to the Empire's natural and human resources. "The gate of All Lands," also known as the gate of All Lands, served as the sole entrance to the complex, requiring all who entered to pass through it. The walls surrounding the platform highlighted its importance as the primary gateway to the entire complex. Sculpted guards adorned the stone walls at both front and rear entrances. At one side stood a pair of colossal bulls, while at another side stood a pair of man-bulls in a serialized form. South of the gatehouse was The Pedant, a large building used for receptions by kings. Construction on The Pedant began during Drains' reign but was completed during Xeroxes'. It sat on a three-meter high terrace with two grand flights of stairs embellished with sculptures depicting nobles, courtiers, guardsmen, royal grooms, personal attendants, and representatives from twenty-three nations offering tribute to the king.During Xeroxes' reign, it is possible that these sculptures were beautifully decorated. Another building on the terrace was the hall of one hundred columns, also called the throne room. This structure was initiated by Xeroxes and finished by his son Arteries I in the late fifth century BC.

The main characteristics of this

room included 112-meter high columns supporting a flat cedar roof, brick walls over three meters thick, and doorways and windows with large stone frames. Additionally, there were a gatehouse and eight stone doors adorned with reliefs depicting scenes from the royal court – showing the king receiving visitors or battling monsters.

Xeroxes' palace in Prolepsis was twice as big as Drains and had two staircases with carved reliefs. Towards the end of his rule, Xeroxes began constructing another palace on the highest point of the platform.

Xeroxes was renowned for his skills as a builder in Prolepsis. Unfortunately, he passed away before completing both the Hall of One Hundred Columns and his Palace. In terms of foreign policy, Persia prioritized conquest rather than forging alliances due to its vast Empire. They employed tactics of submission to prevent constant warfare.Envoys were dispatched to demand 'earth and water' as a symbol of submission, which proved to be a clever strategy, allowing the Persians to conserve resources and eventually expand their territories. This approach gave them an advantage compared to engaging in continuous warfare. Invasion of the Greek mainland occurred after Drains, Xeroxes' father, passed away, making Xeroxes the leader of the Persian military forces. Although Drains had previously invaded Greece in 490 BC and suffered a defeat, ten years later Xeroxes had to decide whether to carry out his father's plan for revenge against Greece. To execute this plan, Xeroxes devised a strategy to attack Greece from the Satrapy of Thrace. They constructed forts and stocked towns with grain along their route for supplies during their expedition. Xeroxes was confident that the Greeks would fear the power of the

Persian Army.

The Battle of Thermopile took place at Leonia, located north of Thermopile at a narrow pass between mountains and sea known as the gateway to Athens. Leonia's force consisted of 300 Spartan hiplines supported by 7000 allied troops with the aim of delaying Persian forces until completion of the wall across the Isthmus. The Greek naval fleet ensured that Persian Naval forces remained trapped without being able to attack Athens. Xeroxes waited for four days before sending troops to assault the Greek camps, anticipating their withdrawal due to being outnumbered. However, this resulted in high casualties for Persians.

The Xeroxes sent the Persian immortals, but their attempt was unsuccessful, just like the other troops. A Greek traitor showed the Persians a path through the mountains behind the Greek troops. Leonia made the decision to send most of the troops home, keeping only 300 Spartan soldiers and some Allied troops to defend the pass. Unfortunately, Leonia and the 300 Spartans were surrounded by Persian forces and ultimately perished. However, their efforts at Thermopile allowed enough time for Greeks to evacuate Athens and build a protective wall at the Isthmus.

The Persians attacked from front while closing in from behind, overwhelming Greeks with projectile weapons. The Battle of Artemisia took place at sea where Greek forces had an advantage due to their knowledge of local weather conditions. Initially stationed at Artemisia, Greek fleet later moved to narrowest part of channel at Challis after engaging Persian fleet. This tactical maneuver resulted in numerous wrecks among Persian warships, including transport and grain ships.

Despite inflicting damage on Persian fleet following defeat at Thermopile, Greek fleet returned to Salamis where Athenians

had been evacuated to.The significant loss of ships in Battle of Artemisia greatly impacted naval superiority and prevented full-scale sea battle for Persian fleet.

The outcome of the battle of Salamis was significantly influenced by the damage inflicted on the Persian fleet. As a result, they sailed to the bay of Appealer, which served as Athens' port and joined forces with their occupying army. Xeroxes inspected the fleet, which received reinforcements from various Greek states. Queen Artemisia advised Xeroxes to wait for the Greeks to run out of supplies, arguing that they would eventually surrender. However, Xeroxes ignored this advice and ordered the fleet to prepare for battle.

The Greek ships were equipped with rams that allowed them to ram and turn easily against the Persian ships. In this encounter, 200 Persian ships were lost while only 40 Greek ships were lost. Spartan Hiplines wiped out the Persian immortals stationed on Statelier Island. The Battle of Salamis marked a significant turning point in the Persian wars as it was a victory for Greece where a significant portion of Persia's fleet was destroyed, rendering them unable to participate in sea battles.

In the Battle of Plate, 30,000 Spartan hiplines, 8000 Athenians, and soldiers from other Greek states gathered to fight against Marooning and his Persian soldiers. The Greeks changed their camp location at night and were attacked by Marooning at dawn resulting in his death. This led to a collapse in the Persian chain of command and their troops retreating.In the end, despite their defeat, the Persians were bested by the Greeks in this battle. While the Greek victory in the Persian wars was seen as a triumph, Xeroxes

considered it a success due to his original goal of punishing the Greek cities that supported the Ionian revolt. Xeroxes valued and sought advice from influential Persians and non-Persians alike, maintaining strong relationships with them. He had a close circle of friends known as the kings' friends and benefactors. Tattoos, Xeroxes' mother, played a significant role in aiding him to ascend to the throne and advising him on various matters within his empire. Megabytes, his brother-in-law, played a crucial part in suppressing the Babylonian revolt. Marooning, his cousin and uncle-in-law, remained loyal until his death at Plate during the war against Greece. Additionally, Xeroxes formed alliances with non-Persians like Demarcates, an ex-Spartan king who aligned himself with Persia's court, and Themselves,a leader from Athens who turned to Persia after being ostracized from Athens.Political and personal relationships were important to Xeroxes,and he valued counsel from non-Persians.Historically,Xerxoes has been portrayed in various ways including Hollywood movies.In ancient times,the portrayals tended to be overwhelmingly negative.Herodotus depicted him as violent,inconsistent,vulnerable,and exceedingly brutal."However, there are varying depictions of Xeroxes throughout history. Some view him as having noble and compassionate qualities, while others portray him as cowardly, hasty, loathsome, ridiculous, despicable, and a tyrant with womanish traits. Persian sources present a different perspective, depicting him as tall, regal, and handsome in the Prolepsis reliefs. However, the movie 300 portrays Xeroxes negatively as a gigantic, womanish, arrogant tyrant who invades Greece for inaccurate reasons. The film also inaccurately depicts his appearance with small gold jeweled shorts/underwear and piercings on his face along with gold chains adorning his body. Despite its inaccuracies, the movie 300 demonstrates the bias against Xeroxes and how it

is influenced by Greek historians' biased views. Herodotus shares the same intention as the Jack Snyder film - to entertain rather than provide accurate historical accounts due to his tendency to exaggerate events for entertainment value. This source is valuable in revealing biases in representations of Xeroxes. Additionally, it should be noted that Artisans orchestrated Xeroxes' death as commander of the royal bodyguard in the Persian court.Despite having the same name as Xeroxes' uncle, Artisans gained influence through popularity in religious matters and harem intrigues instead of inheriting his status. In order to secure Xeroxes' successor, Artisans strategically placed his own seven sons in influential positions within the Persian court. However, historical sources indicate that Artisans later murdered Dairies, Xeroxes' oldest son and heir to the throne. This series of events ultimately resulted in Arteries, another son of Xeroxes, ascending to become the new Persian king. Nonetheless, dissatisfaction grew within Artisans towards Arteries which led him to attempt murdering him. As a consequence, a confrontation between Arteries and Artisans ensued with Arteries seeking justice for his father's death by eventually killing Artisans.