Xerxes I
| Xerxes I | |
|---|---|
| King of Persia and Media Great King King of Kings King of Nations Pharaoh of Egypt | |
 Rock relief of Xerxes at his tomb in Naqsh-e Rustam | |
| King of Persia | |
| Reign | 486–465 BC |
| Coronation | October 486 BC |
| Predecessor | Darius I |
| Successor | Artaxerxes I |
| Born | 519 BC Persia |
| Died | August 465 BC (aged 53 or 54) Persia |
| Spouse | Amestris, (disputed: Vashti and Queen Esther) |
| Issue | Darius Hystaspes Artaxerxes I Arsames Amytis |
| Dynasty | Achaemenid |
| Father | Darius I |
| Mother | Atossa |
| Religion | Zoroastrianism |
Xerxes the Great was a Shah of Iran (485–465 BC) of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. Xerxes was son of Darius I and Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus the Great. After Darius died, Xerxes became the Shah of Persia. He took up the title of Shahanshah (King of Kings). In the Graeco-Persian Wars at the Battle of Thermopylae, Xerxes defeated the Greek warriors and annexed parts of Greece. After winning at Thermopylae, Xerxes then took control of Athens with his army.