Podcast Summary: The Ancients — Xerxes the Great (Jan 25, 2026)

Overview

This episode of The Ancients, hosted by Tristan Hughes, explores the life and reign of Xerxes the Great, ruler of the Persian Empire (Achaemenid dynasty) in the early to mid-5th century BCE. Often remembered primarily for his invasion of Greece, Xerxes’ broader legacy, political maneuvers, family dynamics, and religious reforms are explored in detail with guest Reverend Professor Lloyd Llewellyn Jones of Cardiff University, author of Persians: The Age of Great Kings.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Xerxes’ Reputation and Legacy

• Xerxes is mostly known through the lens of Greek sources and pop culture (like the film 300), but the episode seeks to uncover the "Persian version" of his reign.
• "He's one of those kings that was written about in the Middle Ages, in the renaissance, in the 19th century...he still has a cachet about him." — Reverend Jones [02:47]

2. Etymology and Meaning of ‘Xerxes’

• Xerxes is a throne name, not his birth name.
• “It means something like ruling over the heroes...it's quite a grand [name].” — Reverend Jones [03:40]

3. Sources on Xerxes

• Most Persian sources are royal inscriptions, often formulaic and repetitive.
• Greek sources dominate, but often distort events through a Hellenic lens.
• Example: The famous story of Xerxes loving a plane tree is revealed to be a misunderstood Persian religious act (a tree cult) by the Greeks [04:04–06:44].

4. The Persian Empire Before Xerxes

• Darius the Great (Xerxes’ father) ruled the largest and most sophisticated empire the world had seen, with Persepolis, Susa, and Babylon as centers [07:07–09:13].
• Efficient bureaucracy, communications, and satrapy system established.

5. Succession and the Role of Royal Women

• No standard primogeniture: kings had many wives and children, causing perpetual succession crises.
• “Herodotus says...Xerxes was a dead ringer for the crown because his mother, Atossa, was all powerful.” [10:53]
• Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great, gave Xerxes powerful legitimacy (porthogeniture: “born into the purple”), and her influence as queen mother was pivotal [12:12–13:10].

6. Early Reign: Consolidating Power

• Xerxes faces and quickly puts down major revolts in Egypt and Babylon shortly after accession, proving military acumen [17:24–19:38].
• He is intent on being seen as Darius’ legitimate heir and extends the grandeur of Persepolis with monumental architecture (e.g., Gate of All Lands) [13:16–16:50].

7. Family Relations and Administration

• Bond with brothers largely cooperative; many served as satraps or generals, though suspicion of succession-related violence lingers [17:20].
• Royal harem and children: Xerxes' consorts were from noble Persian families, but foreign concubines and their children could rise to influence [26:29–28:22].

8. Eunuchs and the Court

• Eunuchs held major administrative and military roles, acting as trusted intermediaries, messengers, and advisers [28:22–31:49].
• Greek sources philosophized about their presence and functions, often misunderstanding their pivotal status.

9. Greece: Myth, Reality, and Strategic Calculations

• The Greek Wars were only one facet of Xerxes’ reign. The importance of controlling the Aegean, not defeating the Greeks per se, is emphasized.
• “As far as Xerxes is concerned, he came back from Greece...quite triumphantist.” — Reverend Jones [36:23]
• His burning of Athens and the death of Leonidas at Thermopylae were seen as personal successes [34:59–36:27].
• Themistocles, Athens’ savior, eventually ends up exiled but accepted as a Persian dignitary under Xerxes [38:54–40:25].

10. Shift to Religious Reform

• Later in his reign, Xerxes issues unique inscriptions (the “Diva Inscription”) asserting Ahura Mazda should be worshipped exclusively, signaling an attempted religious unification rare in Persian tradition [41:48–45:36].
• These controversial inscriptions were later found repurposed in latrines—evidence of courtly opposition [45:52].

11. Dynastic Turbulence and Assassination

• As Xerxes' reign grows lengthy, tensions among his sons (notably Ocus) and power struggles increase [46:55–48:38].
• A Babylonian astronomical diary offers an unusually terse but telling account: “Xerxes, as it were, comma, his son killed him.” [48:16]
• Greek stories paint the end of Xerxes’ reign as rife with familial intrigue, betrayal, and assassination—his son (likely Ocus, later Artaxerxes I) kills him in bed [51:37–53:11].
• “A long reign, and long reigns tend to be dangerous, four kings towards the end.” — Reverend Jones [46:57]

12. Aftermath and Attempted Erasure

• Artaxerxes I distances himself from his father, eliminates his father's courtiers, and removes depictions of Xerxes from palatial reliefs and inscriptions [53:19–55:53].
• Evidence suggests religious policies under Xerxes may have been viewed poorly by successors.

13. Reappraising Xerxes' Legacy

• “I think we should see him as a very able king...a good military commander, a good leader, somebody who was very aware of the empire that he created.” — Reverend Jones [56:00]
• Xerxes’ legacy is richer and more complex than typically depicted in Hellenocentric narratives. His significance endures in history, culture, and popular memory [56:57–57:50].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Hellenic slant of sources:
  “I'm always after the Persian version of something...to strip away the kind of Greek writings and see if there isn't sitting underneath that, something which is more indigenous Persian.” — Jones [04:04]

• On succession and royal women:
  “Within the imperial system, nobody could get closer to the king than one of his women...Herodotus says...Xerxes was a dead ringer for the crown because his mother, Atossa, was all powerful.” — Jones [10:53]

• On the aftermath of the Greek campaign:
  “If Xerxes has a choice of Babylon or Athens, it would be Babylon every time.” — Jones [37:09]

• On the relationship with Themistocles:
  “Not only invites him to Susa, but gives him a house there, gives him a pension. Themistocles becomes completely Persianized.” — Jones [38:54–40:25]

• On his end:
  “Xerxes is murdered in his bed…nowhere is a king more susceptible to the knife than when he's in his bed, in his bath or drunk.” — Jones citing Xenophon [53:11]

• On rethinking Xerxes:
  “We should judge him far more favourably than historians have usually given him justice.” — Jones [56:50]

Timeline & Timestamps

• Xerxes’ image and sources: [01:20–06:44]
• Imperial background, succession dynamics: [07:07–13:10]
• Early reign, family, and legitimacy: [13:16–19:53]
• Harem, consorts, and eunuchs: [22:49–31:49]
• Greek Wars and their significance: [32:02–38:54]
• Themistocles’ exile and Persian life: [38:54–40:25]
• Post-Greek campaign, religious reforms: [41:40–45:36]
• Final years, intrigue, and assassination: [46:55–53:11]
• Legacy and successors: [53:19–57:50]
• Final reflections on Xerxes: [56:00–57:43]

Conclusion

This episode intricately deconstructs the life, reign, and multifaceted legacy of Xerxes the Great. Far from being a one-note antagonist, Xerxes emerges as a powerful, reforming, and ultimately tragic ruler—shaped and ultimately undone by the complexity of his own court, the ambition of his sons, and the myth-making of subsequent historians. The discussion encourages listeners to look beyond the Greek narratives and seek the Persian perspective for a fuller understanding of Xerxes and his world.