Xerxes I was the son of Darius I and his second wife Atossa. His date of birth ranges between 519 and 521 BC. e. He took his throne in 486 BC. e. with the help of his mother, who had a tremendous influence at the court and did not allow the eldest son of Darius from the first marriage of Artobazan to ascend. After the death of his father, Xerxes inherited a huge Persian empire, whose territory stretched from the Indus River in the east to the Aegean Sea in the west, and from the first rapids of the Nile in the south to Transcaucasia in the north. Such a vast kingdom was difficult to keep: anti-Persian uprisings constantly flared up in different parts of the empire. Suppressing them, the new ruler tried to further strengthen his power on the ground, to make it unitary. So, having dealt with the rebellion in the Babylonian kingdom in 481 BC. e., Xerxes ordered to take to Persepolis (the capital of the Achaemenid empire) a golden statue of the supreme deity and patron saint of Babylon, Marduk. By doing this, he deprived the Babylonians of the opportunity to crown their kings in the presence of their gods and thereby liquidated the Babylonian kingdom, turning it from a vassal state to a grassroots satrapy.
For the ruler of Persia, it was important not only to keep the subordinate lands in check, but also to constantly expand his expansion. Like his father, Xerxes looked to Europe, but the Greeks stood in his way, the history of confrontation with which began under Daria. The origins of the confrontation lay in the uprising of the Ionites in 499 BC. BC, when the city-states of Athens and Eretria aided the rebels and incurred the wrath of the Persians. He set out to take revenge on the Greeks and moved to conquer Athens, but his troops were defeated at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. e. A few years after his accession to the throne, Xerxes decided to continue his father's work and conquer the Greek city-states. As Herodotus writes in his “History”, before preparing for the campaign, the tsar told his nobles: “And the sun will not shine over any other country adjacent to ours, but I will turn all these countries with your help into a single state and will go through the whole Europe ... There is not a single city and people in the world that would dare to rebel against us. "
The Persians punish the sea on the orders of Xerxes. (wikipedia.org)
The first difficulty on this path was the crossing of the troops of Xerxes through the Hellespont Strait (present-day Dardanelles). For this, pontoon bridges were built near the city of Sista, each more than one kilometer long. When the work was completed, a storm arose at sea and destroyed the structures. The angry king, according to Herodotus, "ordered to give the Hellespont three hundred blows with a whip as punishment, and to lower a couple of fetters into the open sea." At the same time, the heads of the people who were in charge of the construction of the bridges were cut off. Then the bridges were rebuilt and fastened more securely. On the day of crossing the Hellespont, Xerxes asked the Sun God not to interfere with his conquest of Europe and threw precious objects (a sacrificial bowl, a golden goblet and a Persian sword) into the water to appease the sea. This time the Hellespont was calm and the crossing was successful.
Battle of Thermopylae
The Persian invasion began in 480 BC. e. from the Battle of Thermopylae. Athens, Sparta and other Greek cities rallied in the face of the "Persian threat." In order to have a real opportunity to resist the superior forces of the enemy, it was decided to meet the enemy at the Thermopylae Gorge, whose narrow passage allowed them to detain the Persians on their way to Hellas. According to various sources, the army of Xerxes consisted of 200 or 250 thousand soldiers. At the beginning of the battle, the Greeks had 5-7 thousand fighters. The alliance of Greek forces was led by the Spartan king Leonidas. For two days he managed to hold back the onslaught of Xerxes' army, but on the third day, the Persians surrounded the army of Leonidas thanks to the betrayal of a local resident named Ephialtes, who showed them a roundabout mountain path. Leonidas, along with 300 Spartans, as well as the Thespians (about 700 people) and Thebans (about 400 people, which are usually not mentioned in the legends about three hundred Spartans), remained to fight with Xerxes until their last breath. As a result, he and his army were killed, but forever went down in history thanks to the displayed valor. Together with the "300 Spartans", Xerxes went down in history as the main negative hero of this plot.
Hike to Greece
Xerxes himself wanted to associate his name with the conquest of free Greece. He moved on to Athens. The city abandoned by the inhabitants was captured and plundered. The Acropolis was badly damaged - the statues of the gods were desecrated and destroyed. After that it seemed to Xerxes that Greece was in his hands. However, in the future, the Greeks won important victories at Salamis (480 BC) and Plataea (479 BC). The Persian king, who suffered a crushing defeat both at sea and on land, had to return to Asia - the destroyer of Athens, but not the conqueror of the Greeks.
Alexander the Great with getters in captured Persepolis. (wikipedia.org)
Returning to his empire, Xerxes decided to dissolve the bitterness of failure with carnal passions. According to Herodotus, at first he "was inflamed with passion" for the wife of his brother Masist, but he could not persuade her to treason. Then he conceived to marry his son Darius to the daughter of the Masistas and thereby become close to the woman he desired. When the son brought his young wife Artaina to the house, he lost interest in her mother and began to indulge in love pleasures with his daughter-in-law. Xerxes' wife Amestrida believed that the king's infidelity was rigged by the Masist's wife and decided to destroy her. She arranged for Xerxes' bodyguards to disfigure the unfortunate woman beyond recognition. In response, Matista decided to revolt, but was overtaken by Xerxes and killed.
Xerxes was going to immortalize his name in history not only by military victories. His return from a failed campaign in Greece was also marked by an increased focus on architectural projects at Susa and Persepolis. He began to finish building Apadana Darius - a large and richly decorated audience hall. Its roof was supported by 72 columns with elaborate capitals in the form of lion's or bull's heads. The hall was decorated with reliefs in which delegates from 23 provinces of the Achaemenid empire brought their gifts to Darius. After completing the construction of Apadana, Xerxes built a palace for himself in Persepolis, much larger than his father's palace complex. It was also richly and expertly decorated with sculptures and reliefs.
The fruits of Xerxes' labors were not as durable as he had hoped. In 330 BC. e., almost a hundred years after his death, Alexander the Great, during his Persian campaign, captured and destroyed Persepolis, turning into ruins and the palace of Xerxes and the famous Apadana. The legendary commander did exactly the same as the once Persian king in Athens.
The last years of Xerxes' life were marked by a worsening economic situation in his power. The reason, perhaps, lay in the tsar's ambitious plans to build new temple and palace complexes in Persepolis, on which huge funds were spent. Persepolis sources dating from 467 BC e. (two years before the death of Xerxes), they say that famine reigned in the city, the royal barns were empty, and the price of grain jumped sevenfold. At the same time, uprisings broke out again in the Persian satrapies, and loud victories were far in the past. It is obvious that Xerxes' position was becoming more and more precarious. The head of the royal guard Artaban decided to take advantage of this. In August 465 BC. e. he persuaded the eunuch-butler Aspamitra to take him to the king's bedroom. Sleeping Xerxes was stabbed to death in his own bed. Then Artabanus persuaded the younger son of Xerxes, Artaxerxes, to kill the heir to the throne, his brother Darius. Having done this, Artaxerxes ascended the throne, and soon removed Artaban from his path. who had his own plans for the Persian throne. The new ruler of the Achaemenid state also had a middle brother, Hystaspes. During the palace coup, he was at the post of governor of Bactria. Later, he tried to raise an uprising, but was defeated in two battles and killed in 464 BC. e.
The reign of Xerxes lasted a little over 20 years. He managed to preserve and expand his empire a little, but the super task set by him remained unfulfilled. The Greco-Persian wars were fought even before 449 BC. e. until Artaxerxes signed the Peace of Kallias with the Union of Athens. Hellas did not succumb to the Achaemenids, and Xerxes, instead of the horror of the peoples, experienced the contempt of his subordinates, who took his life. The preservation of independence as a result of the Greco-Persian wars contributed to the flourishing of ancient Greek culture. True, the cohesion of the policies of Xerxes' time was far in the past. Torn apart internal conflicts, Hellas eventually came under the rule of the Macedonian king. And already from Europe, which Xerxes never conquered, Alexander the Great set out on a campaign against Persia to end the existence of the Achaemenid empire.
Xerxes I is one of the greatest Persian kings of the Achaemenid dynasty. Ruled the Persian Empire from 486 to 465. BC e. The Persian king Xerxes was called "the king of all kings." He ascended the royal throne at the age of 35.
The character and appearance of Xerxes
Historians of the East considered the Persian king an experienced warrior and just statesman. The king himself called himself wise, defending the law and just in punishment, protecting the oppressed, never drawing hasty conclusions or making hasty decisions, carefully considering all matters. He also considered himself cruel when he punished for wrongdoing, and very generous when he encouraged achievements before the empire.
Xerxes himself considered himself well-built physically, which made him a good warrior. Herodotus confirmed the fact that King Xerxes was a tall and stately warrior, handsome in the prime of his youth.
Xerxes' reign
At the beginning of his reign, King Xerxes had to face a series of uprisings that needed to be filed. During the life of his father Darius, a major uprising began in Egypt. The young tsar managed to suppress the uprising a year after his accession. The uprising was brutally suppressed, and Egypt was subjected to further infringement.
In the same year, the Babylonians revolted, but the rebellion was soon suppressed. In 482, the uprising began again, but already in 481 the city was recaptured, and a trial would be held over the rebels. The city itself was plundered by Xerxes, and most of it became uninhabited.
Wars with the Greeks
When the uprisings stopped, the king urgently began to prepare for a new campaign against the Greeks. Several Greek states expressed their support for Persia (Argos, Thessaly), the rest were preparing for defense. Sparta led an alliance against the Persians in 481.
In the summer of 480, the Persian army entered the territory of Greece with an army of two hundred thousand.
Battle of Thermopylae
To conquer Athens and Sparta, the Persians had to pass through the Thermopylae gorge. To his surprise, King Xerxes there met with resistance from the Spartans. Several hundred Spartan warriors and several thousand warriors from other city-states settled down in phalanx in the narrow Thermopylae Gorge.
The defense was led by the king of Sparta Leonidas himself. The Greeks fought off the attacks of the Persians for two days, while having an army ten times smaller than that of the Persians. On the third day, the Persians bypassed the gorge from the rear, and the defenses were broken. However, the losses were colossal, killing several hundred Greeks, the Persians lost tens of thousands.
The sacking of Athens
After Xerxes passed through Thermopylae, he began to besiege Athens, which were eventually plundered, several hundred soldiers were taken prisoner. The Persian army did not meet significant resistance.
Battle of Salamis
The Battle of Salamis became almost decisive in the Greco-Persian wars, since in cases of defeat, many Greeks faced captivity and death. The Persians had a huge advantage in the number of ships, although they could not use this advantage. A strong wind began and the Persian ships were thrown one on one. The weather helped the Greeks gain victory.
Decisive Battle - Plataea
In 479, the Battle of Plataea took place. The Greeks had at their disposal 30 thousand soldiers, and the Persians about 70 thousand. But despite the numerical advantage, the Persians were defeated and were forced to retreat.
After the defeat in Plataea, Xerxes decided to end the war with Greece and took up state affairs.
State of affairs in the country
Many satraps were dissatisfied with the fact that Xerxes had lost the war to the Greeks and many thought about an uprising. But, despite the unrest, King Xerxes began an active construction policy, and also carried out a religious reform.
Murder
Around 467, famine began in the country, and grain prices increased by about 7 times. Xerxes removed high-ranking officials from their posts, for which, according to historians, he was killed in his bedroom in 465. Perhaps, his son Artaxerxes I, who after the death of his father became king, had a hand in his murder.
Plan
Introduction
1 The beginning of the reign. Conquest of the revolted peoples
1.1 The uprising in Egypt
1.2 Babylonian uprisings
2 Hike to Greece
2.1 Preparing for the hike
2.2 Greeks prepare to fight back
2.3 Crossing the Hellespont
2.4 Battle of Thermopylae
2.5 Fleet Actions
2.6 Sack of Attica
2.7 Sea battle off the island of Salamis
2.8 Greeks Prepare for the Decisive Battle
2.9 Battle of Plataea
3 Continuation of hostilities in the territory of the Persians
3.1 Battle of Mikala
3.2 Siege of Sesta
3.3 The Greeks form the Delian Maritime Union
3.4 Battle of Eurymedon
4 Furnishings in the State
5 The murder of Xerxes by conspiracy
6 Wives and children
Bibliography
Introduction
Xerxes I (Old Pers. Hshayarshan which means "King of Heroes" or "A Hero Among Kings") - Persian king, ruled in 486 - 465 BC. e., from the Achaemenid dynasty.
The son of Darius I and Atossa ascended the throne in November 486 BC. e. at the age of about 36 years. He was lethargic, narrow-minded, spineless, easily obeyed the influence of others, but was distinguished by self-confidence and vanity.
1. The beginning of the board. Conquest of the revolted peoples
1.1. Uprising in Egypt
In January 484 BC. e. Xerxes succeeded in suppressing the rebellion in Egypt, which began during the life of his father. Egypt suffered a ruthless reprisal, the property of many temples was confiscated. In exchange for Ferendat, who apparently died during the uprising, Xerxes appointed his brother Achaemenus as satrap of Egypt. According to Herodotus, Egypt was subjected to an even greater yoke than before. Since then, the participation of indigenous people in the government of the country is even more limited - they are allowed only to lower positions; and Xerxes and subsequent Persian kings do not honor the Egyptian gods. True, in the Hammamat quarries the name of Xerxes is inscribed in hieroglyphs, but this king did not obtain material for Egyptian temples, but for his buildings in Persia, delivering it by sea. Unlike their predecessors, Xerxes and the kings who followed him did not consider it necessary to accept the Pharaonic titles - only their Persian names written in hieroglyphs in cartouches have survived to us.
1.2. Babylonian revolts
Then they had to pacify Babylon, who again decided to revolt. Ctesias reports that this revolt broke out at the beginning of the reign and was caused by the blasphemous opening of the tomb of a certain Belitan, and then pacified by Megabyzus, Xerxes' son-in-law and Zopyr's father. Strabo, Arrian, Diodorus also speak of Xerxes' sacrileges in Babylonian temples, and Arrian dates them to the time after Xerxes returned from Greece.
In all likelihood, there were several uprisings. Initially, the Babylonians revolted under the leadership of Bel-shimanni. It is possible that this uprising began under Darius, under the influence of the defeat of the Persians at Marathon. The rebels captured, in addition to Babylon, the cities of Borsippu and Dilbat. In two cuneiform documents found in Borsippa, dated "to the beginning of the reign of Bel-shimanni, king of Babylon and the Countries." The witnesses who signed this contract are the same as those found on the documents of the second half of the reign of Darius and the first year of Xerxes. Obviously, Bel-shimanni rebelled against Darius and took the bold title of "king of the Countries", which had not yet been encroached upon by the False Buchadnezzers. But two weeks later in July 484 BC. e. this uprising was suppressed.
In August 482 BC. e. the Babylonians rebelled again. Now the rebellion was headed by Shamash-eriba. This rebellion is evidenced by one Babylonian document - the contract of the merchant bank Egibi, dated Tashrit 22 (October 26), the year of the entry into the reign of Shamash-Erib, "the king of Babylon and the Countries", and the witnesses of the transaction are the same as those mentioned in the documents of the times of Darius; the son of one of them is mentioned already under the 1st year of Xerxes. In any case, the uprising did not last long - this is evident from the presence of one document from the "beginning of the reign". The rebels achieved major successes by capturing Babylon, Borsippa, Dilbat and other cities, since most of the military garrisons stationed in Babylon were sent to Asia Minor to participate in the upcoming campaign against Greece. The suppression of the uprising was entrusted to Xerxes' son-in-law Megabyzus. The siege of Babylon lasted several months and ended, apparently, in March 481 BC. e. severe reprisals. City and other fortifications were torn down. Even the course of the river was diverted and the Euphrates, at least temporarily, separated the residential part of the city from its sanctuaries. Some of the priests were executed, the main temple of Esagila and the ziggurat of Etemenanki also suffered greatly.
Herodotus also does not know anything about him, but he informs, without knowing it, interesting information that Xerxes took away from the temple of Bela (Esagila) a colossal, weighing 20 talents (about 600 kg), a golden statue of a god, killing the guarding priest. Of course, the Greek historian believed that the cause was greed. In fact, as we know, it is deeper. The suppression of the revolt entailed extreme measures: the destruction of the temple and the removal of many items from the treasury of this temple to Persepolis; the golden statue of the god Marduk was also sent there, where it was probably melted down. Thus, Xerxes not only actually, but also formally liquidated the Babylonian kingdom, turning it into an ordinary satrapy. Having deprived Babylon of the statue of Marduk, Xerxes made the appearance of kings in it impossible. After all, the applicant had to receive royal power "from the hands" of God. From that time on, the title of the king on Babylonian documents also changed: on those dated by the "year of accession" Xerxes is also called "the king of Babylon, the king of the Countries"; on those from the first four years of his reign - "king of Persia and Media, king of Babylon and the Countries"; finally, from the 5th year (480 - 479), the designation "king of the Countries" begins, which remains with all the successors of Xerxes.
2. Hike to Greece
2.1. Preparing for the hike
By the end of the 1980s, the situation in Persia had stabilized, and Xerxes began to vigorously prepare for a new campaign against Greece. For several years, work was underway to build a canal (12 stages long, more than 2 km) across the isthmus in Halkidiki in order to avoid bypassing Cape Athos, where the Mardonian fleet died. A bridge was also built across the Strimon River. Numerous workers from Asia and the adjacent coast were herded into the construction. Food warehouses were created along the coast of Thrace, two pontoon bridges, 7 stades long (about 1300 m) each, were thrown across the Hellespont. Diplomatic preparations for the campaign were also carried out; ambassadors and agents of Xerxes were sent to various states of Balkan Greece and even to Carthage, which was supposed to distract the Greeks of Sicily from participating in the war with Persia by military actions. To prepare the campaign, Xerxes attracted prominent Greek fugitives who were at his palace. Argos and Thessaly expressed obedience to Persia. In many Greek cities, not excluding Athens, there were strong pro-Persian groups.
2.2. Greeks prepare to fight back
But a number of Greek states were preparing to fight. In 481 BC. e. a pan-Hellenic union was created with the center in Corinth, headed by Sparta. It was decided to meet the Persians on the border of Northern and Central Greece, at Thermopylae. The mountains at this point are close to the seashore, and the narrow passage was easy to defend. Simultaneously with the actions of the ground army, a fleet operation was planned near the island of Euboea, so that the Persians could not break through the Eurip Strait and find themselves in the rear of the Greeks. Since the position at Thermopylae was defensive, the Greeks decided to send a small part of the united Greek army there, only about 6.5 thousand people, led by the Spartan king Leonidas I.
2.3. Crossing the Hellespont
In the summer of 480 BC. e. The Persian army, numbering, according to the research of modern historians, from 80 to 200 thousand soldiers (Herodotus gives absolutely fantastic figures of 1 million 700 thousand people) began to cross the Hellespont. A storm that hit at this time swept away the pontoon bridges, and a number of Persian soldiers drowned in the sea. The enraged Xerxes ordered to whip the sea with whips and throw chains at it to pacify the raging elements, and to cut off the heads of the overseers on the work. The crossing lasted seven days continuously. The further advance of the Persian army to Thermopylae passed without difficulty and in August 480 BC. e. the Persians approached the Thermopylae Gorge. A strong fleet accompanied the Persian army by sea. In addition to the Persians, all the peoples subject to Xerxes took part in the campaign of Xerxes: the Medes, Kissians, Hyrkanians, Babylonians, Bactrians, Sagartians, Saki, Indians, Aryans, Parthians, Khorasmiyas, Sogdians, Gandarias, Dadiks, Caspians, Sarangians, Paktia, , Wigs, Arabs, Ethiopians from Africa, East Ethiopians (Gedrosia), Libyans, Paphlagonians, Lygia, Matiena, Mariandin, Cappadocians, Phrygians, Armenia, Lydians, Misians, Bithynians, Pisidians, Cabalias, Milia, Moschinians, Macchones, Tibarene , mars, colchians, tribes from the islands of the Persian Gulf. In the fleet served: Phoenicians, Syrians, Egyptians, Cypriots, Cilicians, Pamphiles, Lycians, Asiatic Dorians, Carians, Ionians, Aeolians, and the inhabitants of the Hellespont.
2.4. Battle of Thermopylae
The position at Thermopylae made it possible for the Greeks to delay the advancing enemy for a long time, but the trouble was that, in addition to passing through the gorge, another mountain road led to the south, known to the locals and, possibly, to Persian intelligence. Leonidas, just in case, sent a detachment of 1000 Phokidians there. When several attempts by the Persians to break through the Thermopylae Gorge were repelled, an elite detachment, including the Persian Guard, moved around the mountain road; a local traitor volunteered to be the guide. Caught by surprise, the Phokidians, under a hail of arrows, climbed to the top of the mountain and took up defense, the Persians, not paying more attention to them, continued their march and went behind the Greeks. When Leonidas found out about what had happened, he released most of his detachment, and he himself with the Spartans, Thespians and some other Greeks remained in place, to cover their retreat. Leonidas and all those who remained with him perished, but, having delayed the advance of the Persians, they made it possible to mobilize the Greek forces, pulling them up to Isthmus and evacuate Attica.
I. Even before accession, the latter had three sons from the daughter of one of his associates (during the coup of 522 BC) Gaubaruva. Then, after Daryavakhush ascended the throne, the daughter of Kurush II Atoss bore him four more sons. Reflecting on which of them will inherit the royal power after him, Dariavakhush finally opted for Hshayarsha.
When he became king in December 486 BC, he was faced with two difficult tasks: to suppress the rebellions in the satrapies and to carry out the conquest of Greece (preparations for this war were intensively conducted all the last years of Daryavakhush's rule). By 484 BC Khshayarsha managed to put an end to the uprising in Egypt that had begun during his father's lifetime. But immediately after that, in the summer of 484 BC, the Babylonians rebelled. The performance was led by a certain Belshimanni, who managed to capture Babylon, Borsippa and Dilbat. It was soon defeated, but in 482 BC the revolt was repeated under the leadership of Shamashriva. The tsarist commander Bagabukhsha managed to take the city only in March 481 BC. The Persians robbed the Babylonian temples and destroyed the fortifications that were still preserved. The golden statue of the god Marduk was taken to Persepolis and probably melted down. The Babylonian kingdom, which formally continued to exist up to this time (all the Persian kings, including Hshayarsha himself, upon accession to the Persian throne, were crowned in the same way as the kings of Babylon), was abolished, and Babylonia was reduced to the position of an ordinary satrapy.
Only having accomplished all this, Hshayarsha was able to start a long-prepared campaign against Hellas. In the spring of 480 BC, a huge Persian army set out from Cappadocia. In terms of its scale, this enterprise had no equal in the history of the Achaemenid state. All 46 peoples subject to the Persians took part in the campaign, putting up a large number of foot and mounted soldiers, as well as many ships. (The total number of Persian troops, according to Herodotus, exceeded 5 million people. Modern historians consider this figure to be many times exaggerated and believe that there could not be more than 100 thousand people in the Persian land army. about 1400) There were hardly more than 700 of them, and only 200 were fast.) Having crossed to Europe on the pontoon bridge built across the Hellespont, Hshayarsha easily passed Thrace and Macedonia. The Thessalians - the inhabitants of Northern Greece - also expressed obedience to the king. But when the Persian army approached the Thermopylae passage (through which the road from Thessaly to Central Greece lay), it was blocked by a small Greek detachment (6500 people) led by the Spartan king Leonidas I. Hshayarsha did not start the battle for four days, expecting that Leonidas would be intimidated numerous Persian troops and himself will retreat from the passage. When this did not happen, he began, one after another, to send his troops into a frontal attack. On the first day, the Medes and Kissians fought with the Greeks. However, they were unable to dislodge the Greeks from the narrowest point of Thermopylae and retreated with heavy losses. Then the king threw his Persian guard against Leonidas - a detachment of immortals. These were brave warriors, but it was very difficult for them to fight in the gorge. The Greek hoplites, despite the fact that there were much fewer of them, managed to repel all the desperate attacks of the enemy. On the third day of the fighting, the Persians managed to learn about a secret path that, bypassing the mountain, led to the rear of the Greek soldiers. Moving along it, the Persians surrounded the army of Leonidas (having released the allies, he remained to defend their withdrawal with some Spartans and Thespians) and killed them all to the last man.
At the same time, a struggle at sea unfolded. Here the Persians, as in the times of Daryavakhush, were in a lot of trouble due to bad weather. Off the coast of Magnesia, not far from Cape Artemisium, their fleet was caught in a violent storm. The storm raged for three days, and during this time several hundred Persian ships sank. Then, in August 480 BC, there was a great naval battle at Cape Artemisium. It lasted three days. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but were unable to achieve a decisive advantage. Finally, having learned of the capture of Thermopylae by the enemy, the Greeks retreated. Hshayarsha captured Doris, Phocis, Lokris and other regions of Central Greece without a fight. The Boeotians themselves went over to his side, and the Athenians, unable to defend their city, left it without a fight and crossed with all their household and property to the island of Salamis. The Persians took possession of empty Athens and burned them to the ground.
The outcome of the war was decided in the Salamis naval battle, in which more than 800 ships participated from both sides. It took place on September 28, 480 BC in the Gulf of Salam near Athens. From the very beginning, the Persians occupied a very uncomfortable position - their large and heavy ships huddled in a narrow place and were deprived of freedom of maneuver. Therefore, despite their great courage and numerical superiority, the battle ended with a heavy defeat for them. Most of the Persian fleet was destroyed. The domination of the sea passed to the Greeks, however, with significant land forces, Hshayarsha still hoped to win the war. He himself went to Asia, but left in Greece a significant part of his army (40-50 thousand soldiers), led by Mardonius. In 479 BC there was a great land battle at Plataea. In it, the Persians were finally defeated, and Mardonius died. In the same year, the Greeks landed in Asia Minor and again defeated the Persians at Mikale in Ionia. This victory served as the signal for the revolt of the Ionians. All the islands of the Aegean Sea soon drove out the Persian garrisons and joined the anti-Persian naval alliance led by the Athenians. The war continued in subsequent years. In 466 BC, the Greeks at Eurymedon (in the south of Asia Minor) won a double victory over a large Persian army - at sea and on land. After her, the Aegean Sea finally came under their control.
The inner life of Persian society at this time can be learned from the works of Greek historians. So, Herodotus gives an interesting cut of the mores prevailing at the Persian court. In the ninth book of his work, he tells how Hshayarsha was inflamed with passion for the wife of his brother Masist. However, no matter how hard he tried, he failed to persuade her to have a love affair. In order to somehow get closer to this woman, the king arranged the marriage of her daughter Artainta with his son Daryavakhush. But, having accepted this young girl into his house, the king suddenly lost interest in the wife of the Masist and fell in love with Artaina, who soon gave herself up to him. Hshayarsha's wife Amestrid found out about this connection and flew into a rage out of jealousy. She, however, turned her anger not to her husband's mistress, but to her mother, since she was considered the culprit of this relationship. On the king's birthday, when Hshayarsha, according to Persian custom, had to fulfill any desire of his wife, Amestrida asked him for a gift from his brother's wife. Hshayarsha involuntarily had to fulfill this desire. Having got the unfortunate woman, the queen ordered the bodyguards to cut off her breasts, as well as her nose, ears and lips, cut out her tongue and send her home in this form. The masist, seeing his wife so terribly mutilated, immediately fled. He hoped to get to Bactria (where he was a satrap) and raise a rebellion there, but Hshayarsha sent a detachment of loyal people in pursuit of him. They overtook the king's brother on the way and killed along with all his sons. Hshayarsha himself did not die of natural causes either - he was killed by the conspirators - the chief of the guard Artaban, with the assistance of the eunuch Aspamitra, in August 465 BC right in his bedroom while sleeping.
Filmmakers and screenwriters, filming films about historical figures, often distort history in the direction of drama and heroism. This technique is necessary for a more interesting and exciting plot. We decided to compare what historical figures looked like in cinema and in reality.
(10 photos total)
1. Xerxes I. "300 Spartans"
Xerxes is a Persian king from the Achaemenid dynasty who ruled from 486-465 BC. He came to the throne at the age of about 36 years. According to ancient legends, Xerxes was lethargic, narrow-minded, spineless, easily subordinated to other people's influence, but was distinguished by self-confidence and vanity. Eastern sources depict a completely different personality. They portray Xerxes as a wise statesman and an experienced warrior. Xerxes himself in an inscription found near Persepolis and, incidentally, which is essentially only a copy of the inscription of Darius I, declares that he is wise and active, a friend of truth and an enemy of lawlessness, protects the weak from oppression of the strong, but also protects the strong from injustice from the weak , knows how to control his feelings and does not make hasty decisions, punishes and rewards everyone in accordance with his misdeeds and merit.
2. Achilles. "Troy"
Achilles is a hero of the Trojan War, the son of Peleus, king of the Myrmidons in Phthia (Thessaly), and the sea goddess Thetis. The bravest hero in the ancient legends of the ancient Greeks. Legend has it that Thetis dipped the baby in the waters of the Styx, which is why no weapon could damage the body of Achilles. Only the heel remained vulnerable, for which his mother held him, lowering him into an underground river. After Thetis left Peleus, Achilles was handed over by his father to the centaur Chiron, who fed him the entrails of lions and boars, taught him healing, the art of singing and playing the lyre. According to the canonical version of the myth, Achilles was killed by Paris, whose arrow was directed by Apollo to the hero's only vulnerable spot - his heel.
3. Maximinus I Thracian. "Gladiator"
The prototype of General Maximus from the film "Gladiator" is Gaius Julius Ver Maximin the Thracian. Roman emperor from March 20, 235 to March 22, 238, the first "soldier emperor" and the first emperor to rise to this position from the very bottom. He stood out for his enormous growth and physical strength. In early childhood, he was a shepherd, as well as the leader of the youth, he set up ambushes against robbers and guarded his own from their attacks. He began his military service in the cavalry under Septimius Sever. He stood out for his enormous growth (according to unverified data - over 2.5 m) - a woman's bracelet could only be worn on a finger, and was also distinguished by valor, courageous beauty, indomitable disposition, was stern and arrogant, contemptuous in handling, but often showed justice.
4. William Wallace. "Brave Heart"
William Wallace is a Scottish knight and military leader, one of the leaders of the Scots in the War of Independence from England. Guardian of Scotland (regent) 1297-1298. Revered in Scotland as a patriot and hero of the people. In the film, Wallace's image is very different from the real prototype (William is represented as a peasant who fights without armor, etc.).
5. George VI. "The King Speaks"
George VI - King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia and South Africa since December 11, 1936. George VI is the father of the current Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II.
6. Cleopatra VII Philopator. "Cleopatra"
The last queen of Hellenistic Egypt from the Macedonian Ptolemaic dynasty. Glorified for the dramatic love story for the Roman commander Mark Antony. During her reign, Egypt was conquered by Rome, Cleopatra herself committed suicide in order not to become a prisoner of the first Roman emperor Octavian Augustus. Cleopatra became one of the most popular antique characters in films and literary works.
7. Leonid I. "300 Spartans"
Leonidas - the king of Sparta from the clan of Agids, who ruled in 491-480 BC, the son of Anaxandris. He was considered a descendant of Hercules in the 20th generation. For ten years of his reign, Leonidas did nothing significant, but immortalized his name with the battle at Thermopylae. With six thousand soldiers (including a personal guard of 300 Spartans), he defended the Thermopylae passage during the advance of the Persian troops and died in battle.
8. Alexander the Great. "Alexander"
Macedonian king from 336 BC from the Argead dynasty, commander, creator of a world power, which disintegrated after his death. In Western historiography, it is better known as Alexander the Great. Even in Antiquity, the glory of one of the greatest military leaders in history was entrenched in Alexander. Having ascended the throne at the age of 20 after the death of his father, the Macedonian king Philip II, Alexander secured the northern borders of Macedonia and completed the subjugation of Greece by defeating the rebellious city of Thebes. In the spring of 334 BC. Alexander began the legendary campaign to the East and in seven years completely conquered the Persian Empire. Then he began the conquest of India, but at the insistence of the soldiers, tired of the long march, he retreated.
The cities founded by Alexander, which in our time are the largest in several countries, and the colonization of new territories in Asia by the Greeks contributed to the spread of Greek culture in the East. Almost at the age of 33, Alexander died in Babylon from a serious illness. Immediately his empire was divided by his generals (diadochi) among themselves, and for several decades a series of wars of diadochi reigned.
9. Pu Yi "The Last Emperor"
The last emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty - Aisinjuelo (in Manchu - Aisin Giro, "golden family") was born on February 7, 1906, and already in 1908 he was enthroned. As a result of the 1911 revolution, Pu Yi abdicated the throne on February 12, 1912. Power passed to President Yuan Shikai. After living for 13 years in "preferential terms", Pu Yi in 1924 was expelled by the republican army. In 1932 he became the supreme ruler of Manchukuo. August 19, 1945 is the last day of the reign of the last emperor of China.
10. Spartacus. "Spartacus: Blood and Sand"
Former warrior from Thrace, captured by the Romans and turned into a gladiator slave. He led an uprising on the territory of modern Italy in the period 74-71 BC. His army of fugitive gladiators and slaves defeated several Roman legions in several battles, including two consular armies. These events went down in history as the uprising of Spartacus - the third largest slave uprising in Rome after the first and second Sicilian uprisings.