Artaxerxes ii biography sample

Artaxerxes II initially wanted to resolve the conflict peacefully, but the negotiations fell through. Artaxerxes defended his position against his brother Cyrus the Younger, who with the aid of a large army of Greek mercenaries called the " Ten Thousand ", attempted to usurp the throne. Though Cyrus' mixed army fought to a tactical victory at the Battle of Cunaxa in Babylon BCCyrus himself was killed in the exchange by Mithridates, rendering his victory irrelevant.

The Greek historian Xenophonhimself one of the leaders of the Greek troops, would later recount this battle in the Anabasisfocusing on the struggle of the now-stranded Greek mercenaries to return home. Artaxerxes became involved in a war with Persia's erstwhile allies, the Spartans, during the Corinthian War BC. To redirect the Spartans' attention to Greek affairs, Artaxerxes subsidized their enemies through his envoy Timocrates of Rhodes ; in particular, the AtheniansThebansand Corinthians received massives subsidies.

Tens of thousands of daricsthe main currency in Achaemenid coinagewere used to bribe the Greek states to start a war against Sparta. According to PlutarchAgesilaus said upon leaving Asia Minor, "I have been driven out by 10, Persian archers", a reference to "Archers" Toxotai the Greek nickname for the darics from their obverse design, because that much money had been paid to politicians in Athens and Thebes to start a war against Sparta.

After that, the Achaemenid satrap of Hellespontine PhrygiaPharnabazus IItogether with former Athenian admiral Cononraided the coasts of Peloponnesiaputting increased pressure on the Spartans. This encouraged the resurgence of Athens, which started to bring back under her control the Greek cities of Asia Minor, thus worrying Artaxerxes II that his Athenian allies were becoming too powerful.

In BC, Artaxerxes II betrayed his allies and came to an arrangement with Sparta, and in the Treaty of Antalcidashe forced his erstwhile allies to come to terms. This treaty restored control of the Greek cities of Ionia and Aeolis on the Anatolian coast to the Persians, while giving Sparta dominance on the Greek mainland. In BC, he campaigned against the Cadusians.

Although successful against the Greeks, Artaxerxes had more trouble with the Egyptianswho had successfully revolted against him at the beginning of his reign. An attempt to reconquer Egypt in BC under the command of Pharnabazussatrap of Hellespontine Phrygiawas completely unsuccessful, but in his artaxerxes ii biography sample years, the Persians did manage to defeat a joint Egyptian—Spartan effort to conquer Phoenicia.

In BC, Pharnabazus was reassigned by Artaxerxes II to help command a military expedition into rebellious Egypt, having proven his ability against the Spartans. After four years of preparations in the Levant, Pharnabazus gathered an expeditionary force ofPersian troops, triremes, galleys, and 12, Greeks under Iphicrates. Pharnabazus and Iphicrates appeared before Pelusiumbut retired without attacking it, Nectanebo Iking of Egypt, having added to its former defences by laying the neighboring lands under water, and blocking up the navigable channels of the Nile by embankments.

Diodorus Siculus xv. Fortifications on the Pelusiac branch of the Nile ordered by Nectanebo forced the enemy fleet to seek another way to sail up the Nile. Eventually the fleet managed to find its way up the less-defended Mendesian artaxerxes ii biography sample. Then, the annual Nile flood and the Egyptian defenders' resolve to defend their territory turned what had initially appeared as certain defeat for Nectanebo I and his troops into a complete victory.

After several weeks, the Persians and their Greek mercenaries under Iphicrates had to re-embark. The expedition against Egypt had failed. The Achaemenid defeat in Egypt led to unrest among the Achaemenid nobility. Following the failure of Pharnabazus II in Egypt, Datames had been entrusted by the Persian king with the chief command of a force designed for the recovery of Egyptbut the machinations of his enemies at the Persian court, and the risks to which he was in consequence exposed, induced him to change his plan, and throw off his allegiance to the king.

He withdrew with the troops under his command into Cappadociaand made common cause with the other satraps who were revolting from Persia. The Pharaoh Nectanebo provided financial support to the rebelling satraps and re-established ties with both Sparta and Athens. Artaxerxes again attempted to mediate in conflicts between the Greek city-states at the time of the Theban hegemonyespecially the Theban—Spartan War.

He sent Philiscus of Abydosa hyparch vice-regent and military commander of the Achaemenid satrap Ariobarzanesto Delphi in order to help the Greek negotiate peace. Before returning to Abydos, Philicus used Achaemenid funds to finance an army for the Spartans, suggesting that he was acting in support of the Spartans from the beginning. This Peace proposal was rejected by most Greek parties except Thebes.

Sparta and Athens, dissatisfied with the Persian king's support of Thebesdecided to provide careful military support to the opponents of the Achaemenid king. Athens and Sparta provided support for the revolted satraps, in particular Ariobarzanes. Sparta sent a force to Ariobarzanes under an aging Agesilaus IIwhile Athens sent a force under Timotheuswhich was however diverted when it became obvious that Ariobarzanes had entered frontal conflict with the Achaemenid king.

Much of Artaxerxes' wealth was spent on building projects. He restored the Palace of Darius I at Susa[ 43 ] and also the fortifications; including a strong redoubt at the south-east corner of the enclosure and gave Ecbatana a new apadana and sculptures. The tomb of Artaxerxes II is located at Persepolisand was built on the model of his predecessors at Naqsh-e Rustam.

Ochus eventually removed authority other brother Ariaspes Justin, Ariaratusas well as the adulterine Arsames ibid. The suggestion is said to have abstruse sons by his concubines Justin, loc. This is twelvemonth of the Babylonian Nabonassar era beginning in November, B. Shortly after, inthe king died. Steve put it to somebody Studia Iranica 4,pp.

The Full of years Persian fragment A 2 Sc is escape a stone tablet. Gignoux, Glossaire nonsteroid inscriptions pehlevies et parthes, House. Unrestrained, London,p. Fragments of the Greek historians performance cited according to F. Jacoby, Die Fragmente der griechischen HistorikerBerlin, The attack was carried out in on the other hand failed, due to disagreement in the middle of the leaders Pharnabazus and Iphicrates position Athens cf.

Bibliography : See likewise, for coinage, the works scheduled under Artaxerxes I: Babelon, pls. British Museum Cataloguepls. Plutarch was a biographer and author known by the Greek and Latin names Plutarchos and Plutarchus. Their works significantly impacted the development of the essay, biography, and chronological writing in Europe from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

The two most significant of his roughly works are the Moralia and Ethica. A collection of more than 60 essays on moral, religious, physical, political, and literary issues, and the Bioi Parallel Lives, in which he recounts the great acts and protagonists of Greek and Roman troops, legislators, orators, and politicians. Epaminonda and Scipio, the first couple, and probably a prologue and formal presentation, are lost.

These heroes were picked as much as feasible for their resemblance of character or profession. The current order results from a later rearrangement largely based on the chronological order of the Greek subjects, who are given precedence in each pair. The first actual fire temples probably date from the time of Artaxerxes II. Perhaps it was time to acknowledge what the enemies had in common There's a fine film based on this book where the action is set in New York gangland.

Called The Warriors it became a cult hit. A term coined by the Palestinian writer Edward Said to describe the way the west has preferred to view the east: a place of exotic and savage decadence. It is a sophisticated form of racism. There are many fascinating details. Xenophon and other officers enjoyed opportunities to go off on hunting trips:.

There were no trees, but all sorts of game - very many wild asses, and many ostriches. And there were bustards and antelopes. The asses were much faster than the horses; they would run away and then stop until the horses caught up, when they would run off again. It was only possible to catch them if they stationed horses as intervals, like in a relay race.

Their meat was like venison, only tenderer. But you can catch the bustards, as they only fly a short way, like partridges, and soon become exhausted. Their meat is excellent. This Old Persian word was once thought to mean "a columned hall" such as are found at Persepolis and Susa. It's now thought likely that it actually means "the place of waters".

The "apadana" referred to by Artaxerxes could thus have been a temple of Anahita - goddess of water. These two gods are mentioned here for the first time in an official inscription. She is, in particular, the goddess of all waters.