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Xerxes I And Greco-Persian Wars Essay

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Edin Palmar
ENC1102 (TR 8:25-9:40am)
Prof. Minchener
7 April 2015
The Reign of Xerxes I and the Greco-Persian Wars
Xerxes I was born in 519 BC to King Darius and Queen Atossa of the Persia Empire, the strongest and most feared empire in all the land at that point. Due to the Persian kings always being greatly involved in the wars, the king was to appoint an heir to succeed him in case he dies in battle. Questions immediately arose about who would be the next king of the Persia. Two candidates, Artobazanes and Xerxes, both being half brothers, attested that they were “legitimate heirs” of the Persian throne (Abbott, 29). The mother of Artobanzanes stated that he was Darius’ eldest son and thus held the most hereditary rights. However, Atossa stated that Xerxes was the eldest grandson of King Cyrus, the creator of the Persian Empire, and thus was the “true representative of the royal line” (30). King Darius agreed …show more content…
Although his army was superior in number and in ships, they were defeated off the island of Salamis. The “narrow waters of the straits” left the Persian fleet exposed and vulnerable as “easy targets” for the Greeks (Hanes, 78). This battle was only the Greeks first victory, and the first of the few that propelled the Greeks towards a Persian-free future. Xerxes, anxious to view his army “deliver the final blow” of the war, set up a throne on Salamis to view his great victory (Knox, sec. Battle of Salamis). However, being disgusted of watching his fleet beaten by the smaller Greek fleet and greatly reduced being “fit for nothing but the long voyage home,” Xerxes retreated back to Persia leaving his cousin, General Mardonius in charge of the Persian army, to fight their way home as best as they could (Green, 197-8). The Greeks had now broken the Persian fleet but still had to fight Xerxes “unconquered field-army” that awaited them opposite of the Salamis strait (198). War still raged

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