Modern and Ancient Interpretations of Xerxes Essays

Ancient and modern sources present differing views of Xerxes. It’s difficult to make a judgment of Xerxes character and effectiveness as a King since there is a bias in a majority of these sources. Ancient Persian Ancient Persian sources are mostly inscriptions and reliefs found in Persepolis though there are also inscriptions found in other parts of the Persian Empire. An example are the Daiva inscriptions â€Å"A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth †¦ who made Xerxes king, one king of many, one lord of many†. This states that Ahuramazda made Xerxes king and supports Xerxes. It emphasizes his right to rule through divine sanctions. In many bas-reliefs Xerxes is much larger than his counterparts. The size of the king, the robes†¦show more content†¦Xerxes gets angry and has Pythius’ eldest son cut in half and orders the army to march between the two halves. - Another example is Xerxes having the engineers of the Hellespont Bridge executed after the bridge was destroyed. This is contradicted by ancient Persian archaeological sources where Xerxes claims that he is â€Å"not hot tempered†¦I am ruling firmly over my own will† Aeschylus - The Persians Aeschylus’ The Persians is an Athenian tragedy with a moral purpose designed to reaffirm the power of the Greek gods. In the play, Xerxes’ invasion of Greece is presented as an example of hubris or excessive pride, which must be punished by the gods. Xerxes actions lead to the downfall of his empire and the demoralization of Xerxes. The Persians was written for a Greek audience so naturally it is biased and inconsistent. Modern historians present Xerxes in a less biased light however; they share differing opinions on his success as a king and as a military commander. Olmsted states, â€Å"Against one military failure†¦must be placed a whole series of victories†. Victories include Xerxes extensive building programs and swift suppression of Egyptian and Babylonian revolts. 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