Dr. Roel Konijnendijk

Well, we've got a new king on the throne of Persia, and that's an important thing to acknowledge. Xerxes had come to the throne, not ever guaranteed to be the heir of Darius. There was no premogeniture in Persia, so it was always a bit of a free-for-all. But I think what Xerxes had in his favor is that he had the blood of Cyrus the Great and of his father Darius in his veins.

Well, we've got a new king on the throne of Persia, and that's an important thing to acknowledge. Xerxes had come to the throne, not ever guaranteed to be the heir of Darius. There was no premogeniture in Persia, so it was always a bit of a free-for-all. But I think what Xerxes had in his favor is that he had the blood of Cyrus the Great and of his father Darius in his veins.

Well, we've got a new king on the throne of Persia, and that's an important thing to acknowledge. Xerxes had come to the throne, not ever guaranteed to be the heir of Darius. There was no premogeniture in Persia, so it was always a bit of a free-for-all. But I think what Xerxes had in his favor is that he had the blood of Cyrus the Great and of his father Darius in his veins.

So I think that pushed him into the purple realm. And one thing that all Achaemenid kings needed to do at their accession, really, was first of all, bury their fathers and then show themselves to be militarily capable. So Xerxes is already up for a fight. The first opportunity comes, actually, with a sort of mini rebellion that goes on in Egypt.

So I think that pushed him into the purple realm. And one thing that all Achaemenid kings needed to do at their accession, really, was first of all, bury their fathers and then show themselves to be militarily capable. So Xerxes is already up for a fight. The first opportunity comes, actually, with a sort of mini rebellion that goes on in Egypt.

So I think that pushed him into the purple realm. And one thing that all Achaemenid kings needed to do at their accession, really, was first of all, bury their fathers and then show themselves to be militarily capable. So Xerxes is already up for a fight. The first opportunity comes, actually, with a sort of mini rebellion that goes on in Egypt.

And straight away, I mean, within the first months of his reign, he himself leads an army into Egypt and crushes whatever events are going on there in the Nile Delta and then returns to Persia. with a kind of, you know, his battle spirit up, really. It was a successful campaign. Xerxes was clearly not never been afraid of wars.

And straight away, I mean, within the first months of his reign, he himself leads an army into Egypt and crushes whatever events are going on there in the Nile Delta and then returns to Persia. with a kind of, you know, his battle spirit up, really. It was a successful campaign. Xerxes was clearly not never been afraid of wars.

And straight away, I mean, within the first months of his reign, he himself leads an army into Egypt and crushes whatever events are going on there in the Nile Delta and then returns to Persia. with a kind of, you know, his battle spirit up, really. It was a successful campaign. Xerxes was clearly not never been afraid of wars.

You know, he's been stationed, we know, as a young prince in places like Parthia on some of the border zones. Just the arrival of Xerxes onto the scene in itself is enough of a momentum to start thinking about change.

You know, he's been stationed, we know, as a young prince in places like Parthia on some of the border zones. Just the arrival of Xerxes onto the scene in itself is enough of a momentum to start thinking about change.

You know, he's been stationed, we know, as a young prince in places like Parthia on some of the border zones. Just the arrival of Xerxes onto the scene in itself is enough of a momentum to start thinking about change.

We have some cuneiform evidence now that he had been sent there by his father, probably as a satrap. Again, this is where kings learned their craft, really, was by doing jobs within the satrapies variously around the empire.

We have some cuneiform evidence now that he had been sent there by his father, probably as a satrap. Again, this is where kings learned their craft, really, was by doing jobs within the satrapies variously around the empire.

We have some cuneiform evidence now that he had been sent there by his father, probably as a satrap. Again, this is where kings learned their craft, really, was by doing jobs within the satrapies variously around the empire.

Yeah, he would have been still quite young at that time. So now he's, you know, into his early 20s, mid 20s, possibly at this point. needing to show himself as a capable king. Because even though, as we said in the last episode, the empire itself was run as a kind of family affair. In fact, there was constant infighting within that family.

Yeah, he would have been still quite young at that time. So now he's, you know, into his early 20s, mid 20s, possibly at this point. needing to show himself as a capable king. Because even though, as we said in the last episode, the empire itself was run as a kind of family affair. In fact, there was constant infighting within that family.

Yeah, he would have been still quite young at that time. So now he's, you know, into his early 20s, mid 20s, possibly at this point. needing to show himself as a capable king. Because even though, as we said in the last episode, the empire itself was run as a kind of family affair. In fact, there was constant infighting within that family.

And there were a myriad of brothers and half-brothers around Xerxes who were more than happy to take on the mantle of kingship and sit on the throne as well. So it was very important for Xerxes to get himself a family and get himself some victories.

And there were a myriad of brothers and half-brothers around Xerxes who were more than happy to take on the mantle of kingship and sit on the throne as well. So it was very important for Xerxes to get himself a family and get himself some victories.