Xerxes I

Analytical Essay # 115399

History > Greek and Roman
History > Leaders
History > Middle Eastern

Xerxes I

Looks at the dark and light sides of the achievements of Xerxes I of Persia.

2,045 words () | 4 sources | APA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that historians treat Xerxes I of Persia very harshly. Xerxes' massive invasion of Greece, which represented ingenious engineering, resulted in a victory at Thermopylae and the capture of Athens. According to the paper, however, the taking Athens was essentially Xerxes' last successful move. Why? The paper posits that, after Thermopylae, Xerxes was a different and more emotionally unstable commander.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Post-Thermopylae Xerxes the Great
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In the famous Battle of Thermopylae, Xerxes saw his forces held back by a few hundred Spartans and other Greeks supporting them. Due perhaps to the above mentioned tendency of the winners to write the hisotry books, most think of this battle in terms of the heroic stand of the "300". But ultimately, despite the heroics of the Spartan warriors, Xerxes won this battle, after the betrayal of Ephialtes, and moved on to surround and capture his main goal: Athens. Capturing Athens was something that had long been a dream for Xerxes, and was one of the foci of his invasion campaign."

Sample of Sources Used:

Califf, D (2002). Thermopylae: The Immediate Aftermath. Marathon. New York: Hyperion.
Kelly, T (2003). Persian propaganda. Iranica Antiqua 38(3).
Porter, B (2005). Xerxes' Greek Campaign. Military History 22(4).
Xerxes I (c. 519-465 BC) (2003). Hutchinson's Biography. New York: Norton.