The Ancients Xerxes the Great
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Jan 25, 2026 Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Professor of Ancient History specializing in Persian and Achaemenid studies, mines Persian sources to rethink Xerxes. Short takes cover his royal upbringing, court politics, monumental building at Persepolis and the roles of queens, eunuchs and satraps. The conversation contrasts Greek tales with Persian evidence and explores succession, rebellions and shifting religious policies under Xerxes.
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Throne Name As Political Branding
- Xerxes likely adopted the throne name Khashathah to project rulership over heroes and legitimize his status.
- Royal names and inscriptions reveal how he crafted royal identity beyond Greek narratives.
Plane Tree Story Reinterpreted
- Greek stories mock Xerxes' affection for a plane tree as romantic folly.
- A Persian cylinder seal shows him offering gold to a sacred tree, revealing a tree cult misread by Greeks.
Inherited Bureaucracy Enabled Empire Control
- Darius left Xerxes a highly organised empire with satrapies, roads, and communication systems.
- Xerxes inherited a mature bureaucracy that enabled fast imperial governance across vast territories.
