Xerxes

XERXES, Son of Darius, Son of Hystaspes, and his Successor in the Kingdom of Persia: He ascended the Throne in the Year of the World 3519, before Christ 481, before the Vulgar Æra 485. He was Son to Atossa, the Daughter of Cyrus, and Darius his Father declared him King a little before his Death. To him are applied these Words of Daniel; Behold there, shall Dan. ix. 2, 3, &c.stand up yet three kings in Persia, (these three are Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius Son of Hystaspes) and the fourth shall be far richer than they all. And by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the Realm of Grecia. And in effect, when Xerxes had subdued the Egyptians, the Phœnicians, the Isle of Cyprus, Cilicia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Lycia, Caria, Mysia, Troas, the Hellespont, Bythinia, and Pontus, with whom he made War for the Space of three or four Years; he then sent Ambassadors into Greece, to demand Earth and Water, as a Token of their Submission. a But this being refused, he set out the Year following, and set upon the Greeks by Sea and Land, with such a prodigious number of Forces, that the like had never been seen before. It is well known from History how this great Undertaking miscarried. He returned to Susa, and thence to Ecbatana. He was killed in the Year of the World 3531, before Christ 469, before the Vulgar Æra 473; and his Successor was Artaxerxes surnamed Longimanus. Xerxes reigned only twelve Years.

We are informed by Josephus,¹ that this Prince confirmed to the Jews all the Privileges that had been granted them by Darius the Son of Hystaspes, his Father,

Vol. III. that this Affair really happened to Jacob. The Account of Moses seems to admit of no other Explication; and Jacob’s Infirmity, which was a Consequence of it, proves that this must be something more than a Dream.

and particularly, that which assigned to them the Tributes of Samaria, for the Charge of the Sacrifices that were to be offered in the Temple of Jerusalem.

In the second Year of his Reign he marched against the Egyptians;² and having overcome them, he increased the Yoke of their Servitude. He gave the Government of this Kingdom to his Brother Achemenes, and at the end of the Year returned to Shushan.

Proud of the Success of this Expedition, he resolved upon a War against the Grecians, at the Instigation of Mardonius the Son of Gebrias, who had married one of his Sisters.³ Josephus⁴ thinks, that the Jews were ordered to march with him in this Expedition; and he applies to them what the Poet Chærilus says, in the Description he gives of the several Nations of which the Army of Xerxes was composed. There was a People, says he, that had something extraordinary in their Mein and Dress: Their Language was Phœnician: They inhabit the Mountains of Solymæ, along which there is a great Lake. They wear their Hair cut round. Salmasius⁵ is of the same Opinion with Josephus. And since the Jews were in Subjection to Xerxes, what Reason could he have to excuse them from going along with him to this War, as well as the other Nations under his Jurisdiction? Yet Scaliger, Bochart, Annæus, and most of the Learned now maintain, that Chærilus intended to speak of the Solymi of Pisidia. See SOLYMI, before.

After his Return from this famous and unfortunate Expedition, Xerxes gave Orders to demolish all the Temples of the Grecian Cities in Asia,⁶ which was executed accordingly. There were none spared but that of Diana at Ephesus, probably Aaa⁷ bably by reason of its Magnificence. He did the same in all the Places through which he passed, destroying in the Course of this Expedition all the idolatrous Temples he found on his Way. This was neither out of Aversion towards the People, nor out of any Singularity of Temper, that he was induced to do this: But it was out of Zeal for the Religion of the Magi, in which Zoroaster had instructed him, and had infused into him the utmost Horror of Idols and Images. At his Return he passed through Babylon, where he destroyed Idolatry and Idols,⁸ by the same Motive that had prevailed with him to pull down the Grecian Temples. Thus the Prophecies of Jeremiah were fulfilled, Jerem. l. 2.who says, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces, her Idols are confounded, her Images are Jerem. li. 44,47,52.broken in pieces. And again; I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up. I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon.

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