Xerxes

Xerxes is the Greek rendering of the Old Persian name Xšaya-ṛā and was borne by several kings of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. The most prominent is Xerxes I, who ruled from about 486 to 465 BCE and was the son of Darius the Great.

Xerxes I is best known for launching the second Persian invasion of Greece. In 480 BCE his forces crossed the Hellespont on pontoon bridges and advanced into Greece, marching against a coalition of Greek city-states. The campaign included the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis and continued to the land battles near Plataea and in the Peloponnese. The Greek victories halted the invasion and eventually led to the withdrawal of Persian forces from Europe. Domestically, Xerxes I continued building projects at Persepolis and other centers, and left a lasting impression in Greek and later historiography.

He died in 465 BCE and was succeeded by Artaxerxes I. Xerxes I’s reign and his invasion of Greece left a lasting mark on classical history and are central to discussions of ancient Persian military and political ambitions.

The name Xerxes also appears in later Achaemenid history, borne by other rulers such as Xerxes II and Xerxes III. These figures are far less documented and had relatively brief or contested reigns during the empire’s later period, but their names illustrate the continued use of the royal name within the dynasty.

In modern culture and literature, Xerxes appears in ancient sources such as Herodotus and in various adaptations of Greek tragedians, where his invasion of Greece has been a focal point.