Mark Gagnon

Right, Christos?

Or the truth.

Or maybe.

All right.

Let's just see.

All right.

I would argue that the real Xerxes is probably more complicated.

So, our boy Herodotus and our Greek sources are probably a little bit biased.

Or... Correct.

Yeah.

So, we just have to consider this when we're referencing, right?

Now, the good news is that we do also have some Persian sources.

Xerxes himself left inscriptions at Perzopolis and at the Naqsh-e-Rostam that basically paint a completely different picture.

And in these descriptions...

Xerxes presents himself as a very pious and deliberate ruler who's acting under the guidance of Ahura Mazda, the supreme god of Zoroastrianism.

He doesn't describe himself as a raging tyrant.

Now, of course, what tyrant would describe himself that way?

But he goes on to describe himself as righteous and maintains the cosmic order.

And of course, these inscriptions are propaganda on the other side.

They never mentioned the defeats and they present the king as literally a servant of God.