Participation in wars:
Invasion to Greece. Internecine wars. Wars with sakam.
Participation in battles:
Fermopiles. Salamin.
(Xerxes I of Persia) Persian king from the dynasty of Ahemenide, son Darius I
Xerxes was the son of Darius I and Athosa, daughter Kira Great, the first king of the achemenid powers. Darius I, who had six more sons, in the end, chose the pox, perhaps on the grounds that he was born first when the Darius himself became king (522). In 486 BC. Darius I., Preparing a new campaign against Greece and intending to suppress the uprising in Egypt, died at the age of sixties four years. In November, Xerxes climbed the throne
In the first years of its board Xerxes It was forced to engage in strengthening his power and first of all, announced his loyalty to the moral and ethical principles, which had previously formulated by his Great Father. In 484 BC. The king mercilessly suppressed the uprising in Egypt And in the future, it did with this country as a conquered province. The next uprising (summer 484) occurred in Babylon, it was possible to suppress it only by March 481 BC. e. After taking the city by storming strengthening and city walls of Babylon were broken, the main sanctuary of the city was hit, most of the priests were decapitated, and the main thing is the Golden Statue of the Supreme God Marduk was taken into Persepol and probably repulsed to the coins. This is a little Babylon To one of the grassroots satrapy, the capital of the Babylonian kingdom, formally considered a separate and part of the Persian empire, lost its political importance.
In 483 BC. Xerxes Officially commanded starting all the necessary preparations for the campaign on the Greeks. That the fleet does not fell victim to a storm, as happened in 492 BC Cape Athos, it was decided to break through the channel through the sandy experiencing in the eastern part of the Halkidika Peninsula. On Gellesponte, Abidos, two pontoon bridges about 1,300 meters long were constructed. All these works took about three years. In addition, the provision was harvested, and warehouses were arranged along the coast of Thrace and Macedonia. The company began in 481 BC, when the Grand Persian Army, who was personally led by the Grand King, came out of Cappadocia and, crushing through Galis, arrived through Lydia and Frigia to Gellespont. However, the next storm destroyed both bridges and enraged Xerxesshe ordered to beat the revolving sea, and then immerse the shackles in his water. In the spring of 480 BC. The Persian army, crouching through the strait, without meeting any resistance, moved through Frakia, Macedonia and Fessenia. In Fermopyl August 11, 480 BC. The Greeks and Persians first met on land, while several battles had already happened to the sea (Cape Artemisius). These battles showed Xerks that it would be not easy to conquer the Greeks. The following battles - at Salamin, Mikale and Payments Forced Persians to abandon their plans to conquer Greece. He himself, Xers, after the Salaminian battle, was forced to hastily go east, because the new uprising was broken in Babylon.
Period of reign Xerxes After the Greek company is known much worse. The Greeks that did not refund out the ideas of the liberation of Malaya Asia continued to expand the zone of hostilities, but conflicts began between the main participants in Sparta and Athens, so the Persians received a breather. Recent Persian Winners - Athenian Femistokl Both Spartinean PAVSANI - turned out to be in the opal and began to lively cooperate with satrapy Xerxes. Themistokle managed to flee to Persians, and the PAsania, accused of treason, was sentenced to death and died of hunger in one of the sanctiors. Military actions in the West of the Persian Empire were carried out with varying success, but in the East Xerxes Conducted an enterprising concluded policy: so, for the first time, the Sakian tribe of Dahov, who inhabited to the east of the Caspian Sea was conquered. With a copy there was large-scale construction in the sowes, Persepola, Vane and in other places. Despite the external successes, the position of the Persian Tsar was not durable and in 465 BC. Xerxes, not without the positions of his younger son of Artaxerks, was slaughtered by Enun asphamitra and the commander of the Tsarist Guard Artaban. Soon the remaining sons of Xerx were killed, and the new great king became Artaxerx I..
Herodotus "History":
"7.40 Ahead of the Persian troops there were conversations and pack animals. Then followed the travelers of different nations, but disorderly masses. When half of these pollen managed to pass, then the gap was formed and the road remained empty for some time.
The king was preceded by 1,000 selected Persian riders, the 1000 spearders moved behind them (also selected) with spears turned down to the ground. Then there were 10 sacred so-called Nisesky horses in a luxurious collection. The notes are called these horses that's why. There are an extensive plain in the mussels called Nise. On this plain and bred such big horses. For these 10 horses, the sacred chariot of Zeus was moved, which was lucky by 8 white horses. Behind the horses themselves followed the foot on foot, holding ultrasound in the hands, since none of the people could climb the sedney of this chariot. Behind this chariot, Xerxes himself was driving on a chariot harvested by the notice horses. Next to the king was the named Patramaf, the son of Persian Otana.
7.41 ... Behind the king followed 1000 spearnesses, the most valiant and noble Persians, by custom holding a spear up. Then another 1000 selected Persian riders went, and after the riders 10,000 hiking soldiers selected from the rest of the Persians. Of these, 1,000 people at the lower end of the copies were gold pomegranate apples. These warriors surrounded the rest of the ring. In the 9000 soldiers who went in the middle were silver pomegranate apples [at the lower ends of the copies]. There were also gold pomegranate apples and the spearmen with spears turned down to the ground. The nearest twenty of the Xerxes had gold apples [instead of grenades]. Through these 10,000, 10,000 Persian cavalry followed. Behind the Connection was formed again the gap in 2 stages and, finally, all the other unstroites were walked.
7.60 How great was the number of hulling of each people, I can't say for sure, because no one informs about it. The total amount of ground forces was 1,700,000 people (no comment). And the calculation was made as follows: they were driven into one place 10,000 people and, putting as close as possible to each other, circled around the line. Arriving a feature, let these 10,000 soldiers released and built a fence to a man to a pup with a height. After that, the other tens of thousands of people began to drive into the fenced place until everyone was calculated. Then the soldiers were distributed over tribes.
Artist Richard Scollins.
7.61-88 ... The following people took part in the campaign: first of all the Persians who were dressed and armed like. They had so-called tiara on their heads (soft [felt] caps), and on the body - motley chitons with sleeves from iron scales like fishing scales. On the feet Persians wore pants. Instead of [Allensky], they had braided shields, which were hung with quiver. They also had a short spear, big bows with reed arrow, and, in addition, the dagger hung on the right hover from the belt. Their leader was Otan, the father of the spouse of Cerks AMMESTORD ....
... Midyans are in the campaign of the same weapon, like Persians (weapons, actually, Midiy, and not Persian). The leader of Midyan was Tigran from [genus] of the achemenides.
Artist Richard Scollins.
... Kissea was also hiking also in Persian weapons, only instead of [felt] hairs, they wore Mitra. Anaf, son of Otana stood at the head of Kissiyev. Also, the girkans were armed in Persian. The boss was Megapan, subsequently the ruler of Babylon.
Assyrians in the hike wore copper helmets on the head, peculiarly woven with some kind of well-explanatory way. They had shields, spears and daggers, similar to Egypt, and, in addition, still wooden cloths with iron bumps and linen shells. Ellina is called their Syrians, and barbarians - Assyrians. Their leader was OTAP, Son Arthue.
Bactrians wore caps on their heads, very similar with mussels, cane Bactrian bows and short spears. Saki (Scythian tribe) was worn on their heads high isochki turbans, dense, so they stood straight. They wore pants, and armed were Sakski and daggers. In addition, they had more Sagaris - [double-edged] combat secrets. This tribe (it was, actually, Scythian) called Amirgian Sakas. Persians because of all Scythians is called Sakami. Bactrians and Sakas led Histas, the son of Darius and Atoses, Chira's daughter.
Indians made a campaign in cotton clothes and with reeds and arrows with iron tips. That was the armament of Indians. Their boss was Farnazafr, the son of Artabat.
Arias were armed with Midiy bows, and the rest of the armament they had Bactrian. At the head of Ariyev stood the sisamn, the son of Gulka. Parfyan, Chorasmia, Sogdians, Gandharia and Dadikov went hiking in the same weapons as Bactrians. The heads of them were: Parafyan and Khorasmiev - Artabas, the son of Farnak; Sogdians - Azan, Son Artei; Gandariev and Dadikov - Artiffius, Son Artabana.
Caspians were dressed in goat skins and armed with [their] local bowls from Persian swords. That was their armament, and the head of them was Aromard, the brother artiff. The saransights were frankly blotted with painted clothes and boots to the knees. Luke and spears they had middiy. Their leader was Ferentdat, son of megabase. The Pact was wearing goat skins, armed with local bows and daggers. At the head of the packtage stood Artaint, son of the Ifamitra.
Artist Richard Scollins.
Ucy, Miki and Fathers armed were like pactees. The bosses were: Utesi - Arsamen, son of Darius; In the pair of the same - the sirrometime, the son of Eabaz. The Arabs were dressed in long, highly selected brunas and wore very long concave [flexible] bows on the right side. Ethies also wore breeze and lion skins. The onions of their palm stems had a length of at least 4 elbows. The arrows are small, reed, at the end instead of iron tip - sharp stone, which they cut stones on rings for seals. In addition, they had a spear with the rally from the horn of antelope, pointed in the form of a tip. They had and clutches, upholstered by iron cones. Walking into battle, they stained half the body with chalk, and the other - Surikov. At the head of the Arabs and Ethiopians living south of Egypt, there was an Arsam, the son of Darius and Artistons, the daughter of Kira (her Darius loved the most of all his wives and ordered her image from chased gold). So, the leader of Ethiopses living south of Egypt, and Arabs were Arsam.
The eastern esthios (two ethiopian tribes participated in the campaign) were attached to the Indians. In appearance, they did not differ in anything, but only by tongue and hair. So, the Eastern Ethiopians have straight hair, and Libyan has the most curly hair in the world. Armed with these Asian esters are mainly in Indian, only on the head they wore a horsepie skin, constructed along with ears and mane. The mane served instead of Sultan, and the horsepie ears stick out straight. Instead of shields, they kept them as a cover of cavity skin. Libyans performed in leather robes with darts whose town was burned on fire. Their leader was Massageans, son of oariza.
Pafuladers went hike in wicker helmets, with small shields and small spears; In addition, they had still darts and daggers. Their legs were shoddowed to local boots, reaching the middle of their legs. Ligiing, Matyane, Mariandina and Syrians were hung in the same with the way of weapons. The Syrians are called Cappadocian. At the head of Pafalalov and Matienov stood dot, the son of megasidra; The head of Marianderinov, Ligiev and Syrians was gobry, son Darius and Artistons. The armament of frigians was quite similar to Paflagon, with a little only difference. According to Macedonian, while Frigians lived together with them in Europe, they were called Brigins. And after the relocation to Asia, they have changed their name to Frigians to Asia. Armenia, being immigrants from the Frigian land, had Frygian weapons. The head of those and others was Arthm, married to the daughter of Darius.
Armament of the leaders was almost the same as Ellinov. The leaders in antiquity were called Meohs, and [their present name] received from Lida, the son of Atis. Mysteries wore local helmets on their heads; The arms consisted of small shields and darts with the edge burned on fire. Mysteries - migrants from Lydia, and by the name of Mount Olymps they name Olympien. The leader of the leaders and the police was Artafrene, the son of Artafren, who along with Datisus attacked the marathon. Thracians in the hike on their heads were foxed caps. On the body they wore chitons, and over - the motley burgers. They had windings from deer skins on her legs and knees. Armed with them were darts, rasms and small daggers. After resettlement to Asia, this tribe received the name of the Vifinsev, and before, according to their own words, they were called the streets, as they lived on Strymone. As they say, Tevkras and Miai residents expelled them from habitats.
Artist M.Shinin
The head of Asian Thracians was Bassak, the son of Artabana. [... Pisidians] wear small shields from unseasonable bull skins. Everyone is armed with a hunting spear of Lycian work, and on the head they have copper helmets; Copper referential ears and horns are attached to the helmets, and from above - sultans. Their legs were wrapped with red rags.Kabaly - Meonian tribe, whose name is also Lasonia, armed in Kiliyki (I will tell you when I proceed to Cilician detachments). Miliev had short spears and raincoats, fastening [on the shoulder] buckle. Some of them wore Lycian bows, and on the head - leather helmets. All these peoples were led by the Bard, the son of Histan. Moshov had wooden helmets on the head; They wore small shields and spears with long tips. Tibars, Macrons and Mossici went hiking armed as Moshai. They were their supervisors: Moschov and Tibaren, Ariomard, Son Daria and Parmars, Daughter of Merdis, granddaughter of Kira; Macrons and Mossikov Artict, the son of Herassmia, who was Satrap on Gellesponte.
Mars wore braided native helmets on the heads. Armament them - small leather shields and darts. The collars on the heads were wooden helmets; They wore small shields from raw skin, short spears and, moreover, another daggers. The head of Mars and Krakhov stood Fagrandat, the Son of the Tempia. Alarodies and Saspira protruded armed as Kolfi. Their protesters were the masses, son of sirromitra.The tribes from the Islands of the Red Sea (exactly, from those islands where the king settled so-called exiles) were dressed and armed completely in a middiy. The leader of these islanders was Mardont, the son of Baghei, who two years later died at the head of [Persian fleet] in. These nationalities fought on land and made a path of army.
... So, the warlords were these people mentioned by me. At the head of them and the whole ground forces were Mardonius, the son of the gobry (who later commanded Persians c); Titanathm, the son of Artabana, who filed a council against the campaign on Ellad; Meratomener, Son Otana (both of them - the sons of the Darius brothers, cousins Xerxes); Masist, son of Darius and Athosa; Herges, the son of ariaza, and megabiz, son of Zopira. These were the heads of all the land forces, except for 10,000 Persians.
At the head of this detachment, 10,000 selected Persian warriors stood guy, the son of Gulka. This detachment of Persians was called "immortal", and that is why. If someone suffered death or alert and he dropped out of this number, then [in his place] chose another and [because in the detachment] there were always exactly 10,000 warriors - no more and no less. Of all the peoples, the battle order of Persians was best, and they were the most valiant. Their gear was like I already said, and in addition, they shone with many luxury gold jewelry. They were accompanied by carts with concubines and a lot of servants in rich clothes. Food for them was taken (separately from other warriors) on camels and pack animals.
In Connection [Xerxes], however, not all nations served, but only the following: first of all the Persians. They wore the same weapon, like hiking, but only some had copper, chased work on their heads. There is a certain nomadic tribe by the name of the caliper. By origin and language is a Persian nationality, but their clothes are half the Persian, half the Pact. They exhibited 8,000 riders; Bronze or iron weapons, according to custom, no, except for the daggers. Instead, they only have arcana braided from belts. With these arcanes, they go into battle. They are fighting like this: coming down with the enemy, they throw arcanes from the loop and then drag to themselves who they caught - a horse or man. People caught in Arkan die. In the battle of calgrations stood near the Persians.
Artist Richard Scollins.
Midiy riders were equipped like their infantrymen, as well as kissy. The Indian riders wore the same equipment with hiking warriors, but they were driving not only on horsebacks, but also on chariots, harnessed horses and wild donkeys. The armament of Bactrian riders was the same as the hiking warriors, just as Caspis. And the Libyans had the same weapon with hiking warriors. All these nations have also drove on chariot. Caspians and faults were armed as well as hiking warriors. Arabs also had the same weapon with hiking warriors, but they all drove on camels, on the speed of non-inferior horses.Only alone these nations served in Connection. The number of the cavalry was 80,000 riders, not counting camels and chariots. The riders [other nations] were built by squadron, the Arabic [riders] stood the earliest. After all, horses could not make camels, and that the horses would not be frightened, they were put behind. The heads of the cavalry were Harmifras and Typhra, the sons of Datisa. The third boss - Farnus Zalemog and remained in sardah.
Persian King Xerxes I is one of the most famous characters ancient history mankind. Actually, it was this ruler who led his troops to Greece in the first half of the V century. It was he who fought with Athenian goplites in the Marathon battle and with Spartans in the very widely promoted today in popular literature and cinema
The beginning of the Greek Persian Wars
Persia at the very beginning of the V century was a young, but aggressive and already powerful empire who had time to conquer a number of eastern peoples. In addition to the other territories, the Persian king Darius also mastered some Greek colonies-polishes in (territory of modern Turkey). During the years of Persian dominion, among the Greek population of Persian satrapy - the administrative territorial units of the Persian state were called, often raised uprising, protesting against the new orders of Eastern conquerors. It is the help of Athens with these colonies in one of these uprisings and led to the beginning of the Greek-Persian conflict.
Marathon battle
The first general battle of the Persian landing and the Greek troops (Athenian and the Platyeza) was the resulting in 490 BC. Thanks to the talent of the Greek commander of Miltiad, who competently used the system of Goplites, their long spears, as well as the inclined locality (the Greeks were tested by Persians from the slope), the Athenians won, stopping the first invasion of Persians into their country. Interestingly, a modern sports discipline "Marathon Running" is connected with this battle, which is a distance of 42 km. It was so much that an antique messenger ran from the battleship to Athens to report the victory of compatriots and fall to death. The preparation of a more mass invasion was prevented by the death of Darius. A new Persian king Xersx I, who continued the case of his father climbed onto the throne.
Farmopil battle and three hundred Spartans
The second invasion began in 480 to our era. King Xerxes led a numerous army of 200 thousand people (according to the estimates of modern historians). Macedonia and Fracey were very quickly conquered, after which the invasion began from north in Besotia, Attika and Peloponnese. Even the coalition forces of the Greek policies could not withstand such numerous forces collected from the many peaches of the Persian Empire. The weak hope of Greeks was the opportunity to adopt a battle in a narrow place, through which the Persian army was held in its way to the south - Fermopyl gorge. The numerical advantage of the enemy would not be so noticeable here that left hope for a victory. The legend that the Persian king Xerxes was almost a bit here in three hundred Spartan warriors - some exaggeration. In fact, in this battle took part from 5 to 7 thousand Greek soldiers from different policies, not only Spartan. And for the width of the gorge of this amount was more than enough to successfully restrain the enemy two days. Disciplined Greek phalanx Rivne kept the system, really stopping the hordes of the Persians. No one knows how the battle ended, but the Greeks were betrayed by one of the residents of the local village - Efial. Man who showed the Persians by a workaround. When Tsar Leonid learned about betrayal, he sent troops to the policy for regrouping forces, remaining to defend and delay the Persians with a small detachment. Now they really remained extremely small - about 500 shower. However, no miracle happened, almost all defenders were interrupted on the same day.
What was later
The Farmopil Battle never fulfilled the task that Greek men were laid on him, but it became an inspired example of heroism for other defenders of the country. The Persian king Xerxes I still managed to win here, but in the future I suffered a crushing lesion: at sea - a month later, during Salamine, and on land - in the battle of payments. The Greek-Persian war continued for the next thirty years as a protracted sluggish conflict, in which the advantage was increasingly leaning towards policies.
Xerxes I was the son of Darius I and his second wife atost. His birth date ranges between 519 and 521 to N. e. He took his throne in 486 to n. e. With the help of a mother who had a huge influence at the courtyard and did not allow the topics of the eldest son Daria from the first marriage of art base. After the death of his father, the inheritance of Xerks got a huge Persian empire, the territory of which extended from the Indian River in the East to the Aegean Sea in the West, and from the first threshold of the Nile in the south to the Transcaucasus in the north. Such an extensive kingdom was difficult to keep: in different parts of the Empire, anti-Parisian uprisings were constantly broken. Suppressing them, the new ruler tried to strengthen its power in the field, to make her unitary. So, dealing with Bunt in the Babylonian kingdom in 481 BC. E., Xerxes ordered to take into Persezepol (the capital of the Empire of Ahemenidov), the golden statue of the Supreme Divine and the patron of Babylon Marduk. Having done this, he deprived Babylonian opportunities to crown his kings in the presence of their gods and thereby eliminated the Babylonian kingdom, turning it from the vassal state to the lower satrapy.
For the ruler of Persia, it was important not only to keep subordinate land in the UDD, but also to constantly expand their expansion. Like his father, Xerxes looked at Europe, but on his ways were the Greeks, the history of the confrontation with which began during Daria. The origins of the confrontation lay in the uprising of Ionites in 499 BC. E. When the city-states of Athens and Eretria helped the rebels and brought the anger of Persians. He assimary to take revenge on the Greeks and moved to conquer Athens, but his troops were divided into the battle of the Marathon in 490 BC. e. A few years after his focus on the throne, Xersx decided to continue the case of the Father and to conquer the Greek cities-states. Herodotus writes in his "history", before preparing for a campaign, the king stated his facilities: "And the sun will not reach the sun over any other country adjacent to ours, but all these countries I will treat with your help in a single power and pass through the whole Europe ... There is no more city and the people in the world, which would dare to rebel against us. "
Persians punish the sea by order of the xerxes. (Wikipedia.org)
The first difficulty on this path was the crossing of Xerx's troops through the Strait Gellespont (the current Dardanelles). For this near the city of Sista, pontoon bridges were built, each longer than one kilometer. When the work was completed, a storm rose to the sea and destroyed the design. The angry king, according to Herodotus, "ordered to give Gellespont to the punishment of three hundred blows to the whip, and to lower a couple of shackles in the open sea." At the same time, people who managed the construction of bridges were cut off heads. Then the bridges were rebuilt again and fastened more reliably. On the day of the transition through Gellespont, Xerx, asked the Sun's God, not to prevent His conquest of Europe and threw precious items in the water (sacrificial bowl, golden cup and Persian sword) to abrupt the sea. This time, Gellespont turned out to be calm and crushed successfully.
Battle in Fermopilah
The invasion of Persians began in 480 BC. e. With battle in Fermopils. Athens, Sparta and other Greek cities were rallied in the face of the Persian Threat. In order to have a real opportunity to resist the superior forces of the enemy, it was decided to meet the enemy from the Fermopyl gorge, whose narrow passage allowed to delay the Persians on their way to Ellad. According to various sources, the twist of Xerxes consisted of 200 or 250 thousand soldiers. At the Greeks to the beginning of the battle, there were 5 - 7 thousand fighters. He led the Alliance of the Greek Forces Spartan Tsar Leonid. Two days he managed to restrain the onslaught of the Army of Cerks, but on the third day, the Persians surrounded by the army of Leonid thanks to the betrayal of the local resident by the name of Efialt, which would show them a bypass mountain path. Leonid, together with 300 Spartans, as well as with the fezzians (about 700 people) and the Fivans (about 400 people, about which in the legends about the three hundred Spartans are usually not mentioned) remained to fight the Xerxian to the last breath. As a result, he and his army died, but were forever entered the story due to the manifested valor. Together with "300 Spartans", Xerxes entered the story as the main negative hero of this plot.
Hike in Greece
Kerumba himself wanted to tie his name with the conquest of free Greece. He moved on, at the Athens. The city left the city was captured and looted. Acropolis was strongly injured - the statues of the gods were defiled and broken. After that, Xerks seemed to be Greece in his hands. However, in the future, the Greeks won important victories in Salamin (480 BC) and with payments (479 BC). The Persian king, who suffered a crushing defeat and at sea, and on land, had to return to Asia - the destroyer of Athens, but not the winner of the Greeks.
Alexander Macedonian with heterlers in the captured Persepolis. (Wikipedia.org)
Returning to his empire, Xerxes decided to dissolve the bitterness of the failure of the carnate passions. As Herodot writes, at first he "praised passion" to his brother Masista, but could not lend her to treason. Then he conceived to marry the daughters of Masysts of his son Daria and thereby get close to the welcome woman. When the son led his young wife to Artaant to the house, he cooled to her mother and began to indulge in love joy with the daughter-in-law. Cerks Amemod's wife believed that the infidelity of the king was adjusted to the wife of Masist and decided to destroy her. She arranged that the Kerx's bodyguards were dishatty of unhappy. In response, Matist decided to raise the uprising, but he was overtaken by Xerx and killed.
People's name in the history of Xerxes gathered not only by military victories. His return from the failed hike to Greece was also marked by the enhancement of attention to architectural projects in the sowes and Persepol. He began to win the Apadan Daria - a big and richly decorated audience hall. Its roof was maintained 72 columns with skilled capitals in the form of lionic or bullish heads. The hall was decorated with reliefs in which delegates from the 23rd of the provinces of the Empire of Ahemenides brought their gifts to God. After completing the construction of Apadan, Xerxe built for himself in Persepole Palace, significantly superior to the size of the palace complex of his father. It was also abundantly and masterfully decorated with sculptures and reliefs.
The fruits of the works of Kerks were not so durable as he expected. In 330 BC E., Almost across a hundred years after his death, Alexander Macedonsky captured and destroyed Persepol, turning into the ruins and the Palace of Xerxes and the famous apadan. The legendary commander came in the same way as the once Persian king in Athens.
The last years of the life of the Xerxes was noted by the deterioration of the economic situation in his power. The reason may have roof in the ambitious plans of the king on the construction of new temple and palace complexes in Persepole, which went out of huge funds. Persepolskiy sources dated 467 a year BC. e. (Two years before the death of Xerxes), they say that hunger reigned in the city, the royal barns were empty, and the prices for grain jumped seven times. At the same time, the uprisings were broken out again in Persian satrapy, and the loud victories remained far in the past. Obviously, the position of Xerxes became more and more shaky. This decided to take advantage of the head of the royal guard Artaba. In August 465 BC e. He sat down the eunuha-butler aspamitra to spend it into the bedroom of the king. Sleeping xerxes was slaughtered in his own bed. Then Artaba persuaded the younger son of Kerks Arupsserts to kill the heir to the throne, his brother Daria. Having done this, Artaxerxes climbed the throne, and Artaabana soon removed from his way. who had their own plans for the Persian throne. The new ruler of the Agemenid Power was still the middle brother of Histsp. During the palace coup, he was on the post of governor of Bactria. In the future, he tried to raise the uprising, but was defeated in two battles and killed in 464 BC. e.
The reign of Xerxes lasts a little over 20 years. He managed to preserve and expand his empire slightly, but the tops set as it remained unfulfilled. Greco-Persian wars were carried out before 449 BC. e. While Artaxerxes has not signed with the Athenian Union of Calliev Mir. Ellade did not succumb to Ahemedam, and Xerxes instead of the horror of the nations experienced the contempt of his subordinates who took his life. The preservation of independence as a result of Greco-Persian wars contributed to the flourishing of ancient Greek culture. True, the cohesion of the seasons of the xerxes was far in the past. Tell by internal conflicts, Ellad eventually ended up under the rule of the Macedonian king. And already from Europe, which did not conquer Xerxes, Alexander Macedonian went to Persia to stop the existence of the Achmenide empire.
Deciding to go to Greece, Xerxist actively wondered to the campaign. They were produced in a huge amount throughout the Persian kingdom. As many as two years (483-481. Before R. H.) Xerxes collected the army. Herodotus's news about this is probably borrowed from people's Greek legends and Persian legends, as well as his stories about the grace of Kira; But, at least we have greatly reduced the numbers given by him, as the people exaggerated by the people, we will still have to say that the preparation of Xerxes to the conquest of Greece were colossal. Seaside peoples: Phoenicians, Egyptians, Kilikyan, Cypriots and in the particular Greeks of the Anatolian coast and the islands of the Aegean Sea prepared war ships and transport ships for the troops; And experienced masters of peoples, skillful in engineering work, Egyptians, Phoneyan and the Greeks, were sent to break through the end of the Athos Cape in the city of Sanai Channel width of 80 feet so that the fleet could pass here, not having the need to go about the cape, the tip of which storms were constantly played And the ships of the former expedition were killed; Other masters meanwhile built two bridges through Gellespont (Dardanelles) in the narrowest place of the strait, near the city of Sista; There from the rocky protrusion of the shore at Madita to Abidos, the width of the Strait is only 5,000 feet. A across the strait was put on the ships on strong ropes, the ships were laid out of the logs of logs, making it with his railings. On the "White Coast" near Gellespont and in all Greek cities in the Thracian coast, the Macedonia itself prepared huge reserves of the province for warriors and feed for horses and for livestock, the huge herd of which should have followed the army for its food. Xerxes published the commandment so that all the peoples of all regions of His kingdoms sent an army for a trip to Greece.
"There was not a single people in Asia, which Xerxes would not lead to this war," heodood says. "He ordered one nations to prepare military ships, to others to send infantry, or a horseman, or vessels for transporting horses, or long vessels for the construction of bridges, or a court with a provinet." Xerxes were so confident in the victory that when Greek traces were captured in Sardakh, tortured by the head of the troops of the region and were convicted of death, he ordered them to free them and show them all the army. Ships floating from Ponta (Black Sea) to Greece with cargo bread, he dialing freely to continue swimming, saying that she will bring in Greece to Greece, will take advantage of the Persians.
1. The channel across the Afonov's ended three years. Herodotus tells about it so (VII, 22 and next): "The ships became among the Chersoness city of Elenta; They brought many warriors of all kinds of tribes; These warriors, forced in the work of the screamers, washed by the channel alternately. Foreign and inhabitants of Athos. For work, the Persians Bubar and Artahi observed. Where the cape is adjacent to the mainland, it has 12 stages (about 2 versts) width; This is a plain with small hills. Barbarians distributed work between different peoples and conducted a channel line completely directly through the end of the city of Sana. When they dug the channel, almost all the peoples of the kingdom of Xerxes were digging by its one width and from above and below; Because the walls are constantly collapsed, and those people made them a double job! Only Phoenician showed here, as everywhere, mind and art. They dropped the width of the channel at the top twice as much as it should be the width of the bottom of it and made the walls of his detached, digging it the lower, the more. There is also a meadow; They had the market on it, and they were brought to flour from Asia in large quantities. " The channel had such a width so that two trills could go near; The entrance and exit from it were reinforced by dams. Employees, the corneled canal, brought and bridge over Stream.
2. Bridges for the transition of Xerx's troops through Gellespont was built in this way: put five-step courts and tries into a number; That bridge, which was closer to Ponte, had them 360, and the other bridge - 314, the five-stepwell vessels were delivered by the formation, and trills along the flow. By installing the ship, threw a big anchor, because there is a strong wind. For the passage of small vessels of Xerxes were left in three places of passages. By installing the ships on the anchors, they stretched strong ropes through them and tightened them with wooden cores; Phoenician ropes were linen, and Egyptian were made from Biblos. Linen ropes were so fat that the elbow weighed pound. Stretching the ropes, made the bridge outline from the logs of such a length, which width should have to have a bridge; The logs were put tightly one to another and tied them with ropes. The boards were laid on the logs, the land was saturated on the dump truck and tightly hid it. That bridge, which was to the West, did from both sides the fence so that the one for whom this bridge was appointed, did not see the sea and did not scare. That bridge, which was closer in Ponte, was intended for the transition of the twice killer.
In the fall (481), the troops of the Eastern and Northeastern Mountains gathered in the Cappadocian city of Kritral, where Kerumba came to them and led them but the royal road through Koman, Ankira, Pesssinunt, Knee, Colosse, Collaboy to the main city of Lydia, Sarda.
In Klenah, the pythies lived, the richest man in the world; He made a wonderful treat all his troops and provided his own treasures to the king; Xerxes richly awarded him and gave him a title of his friend. On the Jawner of Unusual Beauty, Xerxes hung the Golden Decoration and left the warrior from the detachment of the immortal keeper of this tree. - The followers of the teachings of Zarathustra had religious respect for high and beautiful trees.
In Sardakh, Xerxes heard that the storm broke the bridges on Gellespont; He ordered to cut off the heads of builders for not knowingly make work firmly. According to the stories of the Greeks, Xerxes ordered to avail the sea: to give the recalcitrant elements of 300 strikes with beaches and throw shackles into it. Bridges for troops were built again and fastened with thicker ropes; The sea has been submitted by the IGU imposed on him.
In the spring of 480, the Cerks army went out of the Sard to Gellespont. Then again were sent to Greece Heralds demand that the king would be given land and water. Xerxes told them not to go to Athens and in Sparta. The army went with a coastal, through Antarnese and Admitte. In front of the sardami lay on the sides of the road two halves of the dissected human body. It was the eldest son of the Khalensky Rich: Pythies in the hope of the location that Xerxes asked him, so that he was left to oversight for the economy, one of the five sons, former in the troops. Announcing this request, Xerxis came as his father Darius at such a request of the eobaz: ordered to kill the eldest soul of the petitioner and put a blurred body on the road to the warning to everyone. When the Cerks army went through the land, where she used to stood three, the scandadra waters did not take this set of people and animals to drink. Mages and king brought a sacrifice consisting of 1000 bulls on the Pergamsky Hill. According to Herodota, Xerxes visited the place where the Palace of Priama stood and listened to the stories about the Trojan War. At the ABido Plain, a high stage was folded from a white stone; Xerxes looked from her huge army and fleet. He decided to look at the approximate battle of ships. It was arranged; Victory won Sidonian. Overlooking Gellespont, covered with ships, coastal and ABIDOS, covered with army, Xerxes, according to Herodota, said that he was happy, and then I cried with the thought of the brethren of human life. Artaban, taking advantage of this mood, repeated him his objections against the campaign to Greece; But they now stayed in vain, Xerxes appointed him by the state ruler at his absence, and he returned to the desire.
On the day, with whom the transition of Xerx's troops began, Magi early in the morning committed prayers at the bridges, waiting for the altars of Fimiam, and fell away the road by myrtov branches. When the sun seemed, Xerxes took the golden sacrificial bowl, raised her with a prayer for the God of the Sun, not to meet obstacles to the conquest of Europe, and threw, according to Herodota's story, in the waves of Gellespont, this bowl, Golden Cup and Persian sword.
The first went through the bridge detachment of 10,000 immortal with wreaths on the heads. For them they walked troops of various nations. On the second day, the Xerxians himself went with the army. 1000 equestrian and 1000 hiking bodyguards were walked ahead, selected warriors, also decorated with wreaths; Then he led ten sacred horses, perfectly decorated; Behind them, the sacred chariot of Mithra rushed; She was brought eight white horses. He was driving Xerxes, surrounded by his relatives, sotrazniki and friends: there were also a pisteristrate, and Demarat. The tsarist retinue was followed by the detachments of equestrian and hiking bodyguards. Having stopped at the European coast, Xerxes watched the rest of the old army; The troops walked across the bridge seven days and seven nights between the rows of people set on both sides with the scams in the hands of ordering.
The briefs of the bridges, the Cerks army went through Chersonese by the Thjasy Cardia and Agora's cities, then turned to the West to Dorisk; There, on the plain Gebra, a review was appointed. The fleet, consisting of 1200 Trier, entered the Enos of Harbor, at the mouth of Gebra; Transport ships were pulled ashore between the zone and the lady; There were 3000; More part of these were sea boats that had 30 rowers. Bridges ordered to leave integers; Washing them were charged with residents of Abidos.
Course Code: Persian Znamers, Armenian and Cappadocian Soldiers (from left to right)
On the plain at the city of Dorisk, the kvrksz army was listed and divided into squads. To find out the number of all those who participated in the campaign - cavalry, infantry, sailors and obligations - they counted 10,000 people, put them tightly to each other, outlined this place and circled fence. After the other people began to enter this fence, how much will fit, and noted how many times it is repeated; The fence was filled 170 times. Thus, according to the story of Herodot about this account, the number of all the warriors who went to Greece, along with a huge number of people who were on warships and transportation vessels or those who went to the martial vehicle, reached a unheard of 1,700,000 people. And then the troops of Thracians and Macedonian joined them. True, the number of servants was enormous and these people were not warriors; True, the account method was not accurate; And of course, his figure was very exaggerated by the tradition; But still, it should be reliable that Xerxes led to Greece a army, which consisted of more than 800,000 people, and the fleet, in which 1200 warships were believed to the crew, stretching up to 250,000 people.
Listing an army by distributing it on tribes and by the kind of weapons, appointing reliable bosses from among their relatives and sotraznikov, Xerxic made a big view of everything land fork; He drove on the fighting chariot on the front of the infantry and cavalry; The scribe was sidden to record his tribal names; Then Xerxes made a wonder fleet; He traveled him on a fast Sidonskaya ship. No other conqueror either before, never later led to war such many different peoples, which was in that troops, which was overlooking Xerxes on the plain Gebra. Warriors of each people were in their national clothes and with their popular weapons.
Course of Xerxes: Chaldean infantrymen, Babylonian archer, Assyrian infantryman (from left to right)
The Persian and Middian infantry of the Kursksov troops was in the Pestry Kaftani, Shanvarah and Tiara; It was a weapon: a big bow with reed arrows, a short spear and a dagger at the belt. In addition to the Persians and Middes, there were warriors from the tribes who lived in the steppes of the oxus and jacshit, the Saki Ski's Ski, armed and combat secretion; East Iran's troops: Bactrians, Aryans, Girkans, Parfyan, etc. were Kerks and troops from the shores of Inde; Their clothes were white, of paper fabric; They had bows and cane arrows; There were smooth-haired Ethioples that had horsepower horsepower with ears and mane instead of helmets; Their shields were covered with a caravel skin. There were militant mountaineers of the southern and western coast of the Caspian Sea, in wooden helmets, with shields from the skins. At the warriors of the nuclear euphrates and tigers were copper helmets with fried decorations and linen shells; They were armed with upholstered rapid bolavs. Were in the troops of the xerxes and peoples of the south: Arabs in white clothes with long bows, skillful arrows, Ethiople in leopard and lion skins, with spears, at the end of which instead of iron was a pointed rogue of gazelles, Libyans in leather shells. There were Xerxes and the peoples of Malaya Asia, who had long acquaintances of the Greeks, Pafulads, Cappadocians, Frygians, in boots with short ones, in wicker helmets, with small shields and darts, the edge of which was just a wooden burned; Lidyan, whose weapons were almost the same as Greek; Viphins in motley clothes, in the boots made of deer skins, in foxhearts. An equally varicer was also the cavalry of the Xerxian troops, in which 80,000 people were considered. There were Midyans and Persians in heavy lats on hot battle horses; There were light riders of nomadic callers who had the only leather rope with a loop (Arkan); There are a lot of fighting chariots, harvested by horses and ongrami, there were semi-day Arabs on high drromaternal. The army of the Cerks was followed by a unpelled plenty of cart and pack animals with a provinet, many crews with the concubines of the king and nobles, and many servants.
Course of Xerxes: Goplit from the subjectful Persians of Greek Ionia, Lidi Goplit (from left to right)
That was the army, which now went three departments to Streamon through the land of the Thracian tribes and the fields of the Greek cities of the Mesmenvria, Marone and Abders, forcing the tribes who lived away from the sea, to go along with him, and seaside cities join the ships to the fleet. Only warlike bisalties who lived in the forests of snow covered mountains, ventured to defend their independence. The population of Greek cities, forced not only to give ships and the army, but also to treat Xerxes with his sotrazniki, feed all the army when a hike through their lands was so ruined that he ran, throwing her homes. The treatments were the time that Persians had the custom to take all the dishes served on the table. A fleet approached Akana to the troop of Xerx; He was now more numerous, since the ships of the Greek cities of the Thracian coast joined him; It was now considered to be 1327 Trier.
The sailors and sea soldiers of the Xerx troops were also very variegated by clothes and armament. On the Phoenicians were linen shells; The number of Phoenician ships was 300; the number of Egyptian 200; On the Egyptians there were wicker helmets and shells; They were armed with iron hooks. Cypriot karis led to the aid of Xerxes of 150 Trier; On the heads of the kings were bandages. The number of kilician ships was 100; There were helmets and wool clothes on the sailors; Kilikian's armament accounted for small round shields from the whirlpool, darts and swords. Lycons sent 50 ships; Their soldiers had goat skins on the shoulders; They had hats with feathers: they had a bow with underwent cane arrow. Carians who had 70 trielers were armed almost the same as the Greeks, and differed from them just what sickles and daggers had. All the Greek cities of the Asian coastal and the islands were also forced to send their ships; The number of their trieer extended to 427; Such a number of ships did not have the entire fleet of European Greece.
Course's army: Ethiopian archer, infantryman from Khorezma, Baktri infantryman, rider from Ariana (from left to right)
Xerxes showed great mercy to the residents of Akanf for worked hard when driving a channel. From Akanf, the Cerks army went through the Halkidik mountainous Peninsula to the city of Terma. On this way, his lions were disturbed by: ranging at night from the mountains, they attacked camels. The fleet, pass the channel, a breakthrough through the eases of Athos, reinforced the capes of Sitonia and Pallena and connected with the army in the Termian Bay; The army, safely by the mountains, is located along the coast before the mouth of Galiacmona (in 5 geographical miles from the term). Tsar Macedonian Alexander joined his army to Persians and began to serve their guide. From Macedonia, two ways were led to Fessiona: one on the coastal of Peteria to the mouth of the paradise and from there in the Tempery Valley; The other was going through the Mountains of Olympus, the forest crouched and in many places were very cool. Both ways represented such difficulties that would be almost completely insurmore, if in places that were comfortable for defense, troops were delivered. But not only Macedonian conquered Xerks, they submitted, after some hesitation, and the Fessenians. The army, which consisted of Peloponnes and Athenians, was sent along the EVBE system to the Tempery Valley. The authorities over him was entrusted to Spartan Evenet and Femistoklu. It consisted of 10,000 goplites and was intended to protect, with the help of Fessenians, passages through the Olympus gorge. When the Fessenians sent the Persian king of the land and water, it was forced to retreat. - The coastal road was uncomfortable for Persians: the rocks were approached so close to the river, which barely remained a place to pass the carts; Xerxes just drove up at the Sidonskaya ship at the mouth of Pena. Warriors sent forward, paved comfortable roads through the mountains and swamps, excited from the sea; The army passed there through the land of the arrivals in Lapaf and gear and descended from the mountains to the Pena Valley.
And here they stood at the gate of Greece, those countless troops, about which Persian old people from Eschila say: they went out of the desire, went from Ekbataan, from the city of Kissors, the equestrian sites went; others sailed on ships; Infantry and infantry, selected army, went to the armed onion cavalry, terrible in appearance, brave in battle. As a swarm of the bees, the army of Xerxes along the ropes fortified by the bridge through the Strait of Gella, the daughter of Atamanta, laying on the sea Yarmo; - Arrows from Mizia, Residents of St. Tmol, soldiers of rich in gold Babylon in motley clothes; Rowers from the Nile Delta - everyone went to enslave Greece. A strong lord of a crowded kingdom, a god-like descendant of the golden kind, led immortal warriors to Greek land. Xerxes sat on the Assyrian battle chariot, similar to the bloodthirsty Dragon, and encouraged the black eye of the army, skillfully beat the spears, skillful shooting from the bow. Who stands against this set of people, what kind of stronghold will it hold this flood? The Persian people are courageously, the Cerks army, and is given to him the fate of victories and take cities.
