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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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.
Queen Mother As Key To Succession
- Persian succession lacked strict primogeniture, elevating the queen mother's influence in choosing heirs.
- Atossa's lineage as Cyrus's daughter secured Xerxes' legitimacy and powerful queen-mother status.
Persepolis As Imperial Stage
- Xerxes expanded Persepolis' ceremonial architecture and proclaimed a 'Gate of All Lands' to display imperial unity.
- He listed 33 peoples under his rule to emphasise the empire's diversity and control.
