Mark Gagnon

But Xerxes' end was unfortunately very violent.

In 465 BC, Xerxes was assassinated in his own palace, and the details here, once again, will vary depending on the sources.

Theseus, a Greek physician who later served at the Persian court and wrote a history called Persica, gives us the most detailed account.

though to see us is generally considered less reliable than Herodotus.

According to the most common version of the story, this is basically what happens.

All right.

The commander of the royal bodyguards, basically this guy named Artabanus conspired to kill the king.

Some accounts say that Artabanus murdered Xerxes in his bed at night.

Others provide

a more elaborate conspiracy involving eunuchs and palace intrigue.

And even Aristotle tells another version in which Prince Darius, who was Xerxes's eldest son, was killed first and then Xerxes, which is a reversal of the normal sequence of events.

Regardless, these conflicting accounts of Xerxes's death remind us how murky history gets when different sources have an agenda.

Honestly, it's kind of like how the news still works to this day.

The story of what we're told really depends on who's telling it and when and why.

What happened next was, unfortunately, a bloody power struggle.

Artabanus apparently tried to manipulate the secession, possibly attempting to take the throne himself.

He reportedly told Xerxes' son, Artaxerxes, that the murder had been committed by his brother, Prince Darius, prompting Artaxerxes to kill his own brother.

You see what's happening?

The bodyguard murders Xerxes and then tells the prince basically, hey, it was actually one of the other princes, you should take him out.

So then when Artaxerxes eventually discovers the truth, he then kills Artabanus.