XERXES I. (the name is perhaps akin to Sanskrit kshatra, king), king of Persia, was the eldest son of Darius and his second wife Atossa, and was appointed successor by his father, in preference to Artabazanes, his eldest son by his first wife, whose children were all born before Darius became king. Darius died in the beginning of the year 845 n.e., in the midst of his preparations for a third expedition against Greece. Xerxes, after having subdued the rebellious Egyptians, and appointed his brother Achremenes governor, gave his whole attention to the completion of the preparations begun by his father, which occupied nearly four years. Immense hordes of men were gathered together from all parts of the vast Persian empire, from the steppes of Central Asia, from the banks of the Indus and its tributaries, and from the interior of Africa; an enormous fleet was furnished by the Phenicians and other maritime nations subject' to Persia; stores of provisions sufficient to support the immense army were collected at different points along the intended route Of march. A bridge of boats, an English mile in length, under the superintendence of Egyptians and Phenicians, was built across the Hellespont. The bridge, however, was destroyed by a storm, on which (according to the Greek historians);Xerxes ordered the heads of the engineers to be cut off, and was so enraged at the rebellious and disrespectful sea, that be ordered 300 lashes to be administered to it, and a set of fetters to be cast into it. Another bridge, consisting of a double line of boats, was built; and a canal was cut through mount Athos, at the point of the peninsula of Acte in Macedonia, on which the fleet of Mardonius had been wrecked ix 492 B.C. The preparations were completed in 481 B.C., and in the auturnn of that year, XeixQs arrived at Sardis, where be wintered. In the spring of the fol lowing year, the vast assemblage began to march toward the Hellespont; and, according to Herodotus, it took seven days and nights to march across the bridge. After crossing the Hellespont, the march was continued along the Thracian coast toward Doriscus on the Hebrus, where a halt was made on a large plain, and the army numbered. The fleet drew up near to Doriscus. According to Herodotus, the whole number of fighting men, military and naval, amounted to nearly 2,500,000, and the fleet consisted of 1207 ships of war, besides 3,000 smaller vessels. These numbers were considerably increased during the march between Doriscus and Thermopylae by the Thracians, Macedonians, 3Iagnesians, and other nations through whose territories Xerxes passed on his way to Greece. Herodotus supposes that the number of camp-followers, exclusive of eunuchs and women, would amount to more than that of the fighting-men; so that, according to him, the whole number of people assembled on this occasion would be considerably over 6,000,000, a number greater than the entire population of Ireland. This number is doubtless greatly exaggerated; still, it cannot be doubted that this 'was one of the greatest multitudes ever brought together for any purpose under the sun. Grote, who discredits the immense numbers given by Herodotus, nevertheless says: "We may well believe that the numbers of Xerxes were greater than were ever assembled in ancient times, or perhaps at any known epoch of history." This immense force moved on,with
out resistance through submissive nations till it reached Thermopylae (q.v.),where it was brought to a stand by the army of Leonidas (q.v.). Although the Greeks were entirely defeated and slain, it was not without heavy loss to the Persians. On the same day, and on the third day after, the Persian fleet, which had previously suffered severely from a storm, was defeated with heavy loss by the Greeks off Cape Artemisium in Eubcea. Xerxes continued his march on to Athens through Phocis, which he laid waste, and Beotia, whose inhabitants joined him, with the exception of those of PlatEea and Thespia. which cities he burned. A detachment which be sent to attack Delphi net with a signal defeat. When Xerxes arrived at Athens (in the summer of 480, three months after crossing the Hellespont), he found the city deserted, the Athenians having sent their families to Trcezen, .gins, and Salamis. Athens was destroyed. Meantime the two fleets had sailed round from Eubcea and taken up their positions in the narrow strait between Salamis and the Attic coast, where the famOus naval battle of Salamis took place (Sept., 480 B.c.). See SALAMIS. Xerxes witnessed the fight from a lofty throne which he had caused to be erected on one of the slopes of mount 2Egaleus, "The rocky brow Which looks o'er sea-born Salamis." Xerxes was apparently confounded at the unexpected and inglorious result of all his mighty preparations for the overwhelming of Greece, and, becoming alarmed for his personal safety, fled, under an escort of 60,000 men, with all haste toward the Helles pont, which he reached in 45 days. The bridge of boats having been again destroyed by a storm, he crossed over to the Asiatic coast in a vessel. Mardonius was left with 300,000 men to carry on operations in Greece. In 479 B.C., the Greeks defeated Mar donius in the famous battle of Platrea (q.v.), and on the same day gained another victory over the Persians at Mycale in Ionia. Next year (478 n.c.), the Persians lost their last possession in Europe by the capture of Sestos on the Hellespont. The war was con tinued for a few years longer, though the struggle was now virtually at an end. Little more is known of the personal history of Xerxes, except that, in 465 B.c., lie was murdered by Artabanus, who aspired to tLe throne, and was succeeded by his sou Artaxerxes. From all that is known of Xerxes, he appears to have been utterly ignoble in character, vain-glorious, licentious, cruel, cowardly—the very in short, of the worst kind of eastern potentate. His history would be scarcely worth recording were it not for his connection with Greek history. His famous invasion was undertaken apparently for no other purpose than to gratify a weak-minded vanity, which was delighted with the idea of being able to assemble at one time "ships by thousands" and "men in nations," who were at the mercy of his unprincipled caprice.