Xerxes: Makers of History

In Short

This concise nineteenth-century biography recounts the rise and ruinous downfall of Xerxes I, the ambitious ruler of Persia who set out to reduce ancient Greece to a vassal state. Jacob Abbott traces the monarch's grand preparations, from bridging the Hellespont to channeling Mount Athos, through to the bloody stands at Thermopylae and the ruinous naval disaster at Salamis. Blending narrative history with moral reflection, Abbott illustrates how unchecked pride and tyrannical folly inevitably unravel an empire. The work endures because it transforms ancient classical history into an accessible, compelling human drama of power and overreach.

The Story

The narrative begins generationally with Xerxes’ father, Darius, whose own imperial ambitions were stirred by his queen, Atossa, and whose disputed succession was eventually settled in favor of Xerxes through the influence of the exiled Spartan king Demaratus. Before he can even embark on his great military campaign against Europe, Xerxes must navigate geographic and natural obstacles, including the legendary mysteries of the Nile’s annual overflow. Guided by his ambitious commander Mardonius and ignoring the grave warnings of his wise uncle Artabanus, Xerxes resolves to invade Greece, assembling an unprecedented fleet and infantry.

Engineering triumphs quickly sour into hubristic theater. When a violent winter storm destroys the vast pontoon bridges erected across the Hellespont, Xerxes orders the sea itself to be scourged with heavy whips and bound with iron chains, while summarily beheading the unfortunate engineers who constructed the bridge. A second bridge holds, and after elaborate religious libations poured into the water, the gargantuan host crosses into Europe accompanied by a majestic naval squadron.

As the Persian warmachine sweeps southward through Macedonia and Thessaly, Xerxes boasts of his power, fantasizing about damming rivers to drown entire valleys. Yet he soon confronts the unyielding resolve of the Greek states. Athens and Sparta, despite their profound ideological differences—the former rich, intellectual, and maritime; the latter stern, stoic, and fiercely martial—unite to resist the invasion. At the narrow pass of Thermopylae, a small force under King Leonidas halts the Persian advance, slaughtering waves of troops including the elite Persian "Immortals" and driving Xerxes into repeated fits of rage upon his elevated throne.

Simultaneously, at Artemisium and later in the narrow waters off Salamis, the Greek fleet outmaneuvers the Persian armadas. Driven into a trap by the cunning stratagems of Themistocles and warning intel from Aristides, the crowded Persian galleys are crushed. A terrified Xerxes abandons his troops, leaving Mardonius behind to complete a doomed conquest while he flees back to Asia along a route marked by famine and misery. Years later, having degenerated into a life of courtly carousal and tyranny in Susa, Xerxes meets a violent end at the hands of Artabanus, his own captain of the guard, in a bloody nocturnal court conspiracy that leaves his youngest son Artaxerxes upon the throne.

How It Unfolds

The succession is settled Darius must resolve a royal dispute between his sons Artobazanes and Xerxes before marching to war, ultimately naming Xerxes his successor after advice from the exiled Demaratus.

The monarch demands an invasion Disregarding the cautious counsel of his uncle Artabanus, Xerxes listens to the flattering predictions of Mardonius and prepares a colossal land and sea expedition against the Greek states.

The Hellespont is whipped When a winter gale destroys his initial pontoon bridges, Xerxes orders his men to execute the architects and lash the sea with chains and whips before successfully crossing on a reconstructed span.

The Greeks make their stand At Thermopylae, Leonidas and his men hold the narrow defile against overwhelming numbers, infuriating Xerxes as he watches his elite Immortals repeatedly fail to breach the Greek line.

The fleet is trapped at Salamis Believing the Greeks are attempting a chaotic retreat, Xerxes moves his galleys into the narrow straits, only to be crushed in a devastating naval ambush orchestrated by Themistocles.

The king flees his ambition Terrified for his personal safety, Xerxes leaves Mardonius to manage the remaining war effort and retreats across Asia, eventually dying in Susa at the hands of his own assassin, Artabanus.

The People

• Xerxes: The imperious Persian monarch who wants absolute dominion over Greece and total control over nature itself; his reckless ego and tyrannical wrath lead directly to the slaughter of his armies and his eventual assassination in his own bed-chamber.
• Mardonius: A bold and eager Persian general who wants glory and imperial plunder; he encourages Xerxes' invasion plans, assuring the king of an easy victory despite past naval disasters off Mount Athos.
• Artabanus: The venerable, cautious uncle of Xerxes who wants to preserve the empire from senseless ruin; he courageously warns the young king against the hazards of invading distant lands, drawing on the bitter lessons of Darius’ failed Scythian campaign.
• Themistocles: The crafty Athenian general who seeks to preserve Greece through strategic trickery; he outwits both the Persian navy and his own hesitant allies to force a decisive battle in the straits of Salamis.
• Demaratus: The deposed king of Sparta exiled to Susa, whose crucial insight into royal inheritance secures Xerxes' crown and whose deep knowledge of Greek warfare guides the Persian court.

In Its Own Voice

"He ordered the sea to be scourged with a monstrous whip, and directed that heavy chains should be thrown into it, as symbols of his defiance of its power..."

Xerxes orders an absurd punishment upon the waters of the Hellespont after a storm destroys his pontoon bridge.

"Three times he leaped from his throne, with loud exclamations of vexation and rage."

The Persian king watches in helpless anger as the Spartan defense at Thermopylae repulses his elite Immortals.

"Artaxerxes was aroused to a sudden and uncontrollable paroxysm of anger at this intelligence."

The prince rushes off to execute his innocent brother after being tricked by the assassin Artabanus following Xerxes' murder.

What It's Really About

The book explores the destructive nature of unbridled tyranny and the futility of human pride when set against natural laws and free peoples. Abbott contrasts the lavish, absolute power of Persian royalty with the disciplined, stoic liberty of the Greek city-states. Through Xerxes' absurd attempts to whip the ocean into submission and his willingness to sacrifice thousands for vanity, the narrative argues that unchecked autocracy inevitably breeds moral decay, military incompetence, and self-destruction. Beneath the historical recounting lies a timeless meditation on the fragility of empires built on hubris rather than wisdom.

Why Read It Today

This narrative offers a clear, scannable entry point for readers who find ancient texts like Herodotus daunting. Abbott writes with a lucid, unpretentious clarity that emphasizes human behavior, motive, and dramatic irony over dense academic debate. Readers fascinated by leadership failures, military history, or political intrigue will appreciate how fluidly the narrative moves from grand geopolitical maneuvers to intimate court betrayals.

While modern audiences must navigate some mid-nineteenth-century literary conventions and period geography, the prose remains remarkably accessible. Abbott does not drown the reader in dry dates or convoluted footnotes; instead, he concentrates on the vivid contrasts between Spartan stoicism and Persian court luxury. What stays with you long after reading is the memorable image of an all-powerful monarch weeping on a hill as his fleet burns below him—a striking reminder of how quickly blind arrogance turns to tragic ruin.