| King of Kings | the Achaemenid |
- "Under my hand, wherever there is conflict and chaos I strike it down. I will have peace, even amidst ashes."
Xerxes I (c. 518 – August 465 BC), commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 486 BC until his death. He is best known for his invasion of Greece, achieving multiple victories and razing Athens before being forced to retreat after defeat. Upon his return to Persia, he dedicated himself to the construction of large monuments, such as the Gate of All Nations and the Apadana. He is a leader in Civilization VII.
This is one of Xerxes's two alternate personas, the other being Xerxes, the Achaemenid.
Intro[]
Shah of shahs, you bring the fire of ambition to the world. Its light glitters off of the gold in your throne room - and the bronze blades of your warriors. You conceive of a new world, one of wonders rising from the wilderness, of an empire that defies time, and one that will never forget your name - Xerxes.
In-Game[]
Xerxes, King of Kings has the 
Economic and 
Militaristic 
Attributes. His default colors are jet black and yellow.
His leader ability is Crusher of Rebellions. It grants +3 
Combat Strength for 
Units attacking in neutral or enemy territory, +100 
Culture and 
Gold per Age upon capturing a 
Settlement for the first time, +10% Gold in all Settlements, doubled in Settlements not founded by him, and +1 
Settlement Limit per Age.
His agenda is Lord of Fire. His Relationship decreases by a Medium Amount if a player is not at 
War, and increases by a Small Amount when they are.
Strategy[]
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Share your wisdom!
How do you use Xerxes, King of Kings? |
Lines[]
Xerxes is voiced by Mario Miguel De Candia. He speaks Avestan.[1]
| Line | Quote (English translation) | Quote (Avestan) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote | Under my hand, wherever there is conflict and chaos I strike it down. I will have peace, even amidst ashes. | ܐܝܟ ܕܐܝܬܐ ܬܢܢ ܘܐܦ ܫܪܝܪܘܬܐ ܕܕܪܓܘܐ. ܐܢܐ ܐܢܐ ܕܡܬܩܪܒ ܠܡܪܬܐ ܒܐܝܕܝ. ܐܢܐ ܐܢܐ ܠܠܒܘܫܐ ܘܐܦ ܠܐܪܥܐ.
Yaθā asti aēθra ca drəguua. Azəm ahmi mareta paiti zastā vī. Azəm ahmi vāstra, api zamā. |
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| Greeting | There is one head alone that sits at the center of the world, and it is mine. | ܚܕ ܪܝܫܐ ܒܠܚܘܕ ܝܬܒ ܒܡܨܥܝܘܬܐ ܕܥܠܡܐ ܘܗܘ ܕܠܝ.
Had rīshā b-leḥūd yathab b-meṣʿayyotā d-ʿālamā, w-hu d-lī. |
|
| Attacked | Your raiders would challenge the center of the world? Typical. | ܡܢܐ ܬܘܒ ܥܒܕܐ ܕܐܗܘܪܐ ܡܦܩ ܠܢܘܗܪܐ ܘܠܙܗܪܘܬܐ؟ ܡܪܟܒܬܐ ܐܝܬܝܗ.
Airiiθišai ahuruu-kāra-ta frāzəθra-tarəθraiti? Raθa asti. |
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| Declares War | Your warriors march forward into the flames of their own destruction. | ܘܡܪܟܒܬܐ ܕܛܒܘܬܐ ܡܡܛܝܐ ܠܢܘܗܪܐ ܘܠܙܗܪܘܬܐ.
Raθa-vaŋhūšai aiθi raota-aēθra-ta zarəθraiti. |
|
| Accepts Player's Deal | Indeed. Now, if you will excuse me. | ܐܝܢ. ܗܫܐ، ܐܘ ܪܘܚܐ.
Āiia. Nu, yā vā́təm. |
|
| Rejects Player's Deal | The gates are closed at this time. | ܘܦܬܚܐ ܗܫܐ ܠܐ ܥܒܕ ܡܐܕܡ.
Paθrōā nu vṛθraiti. |
|
| Defeat | I was an emperor; now just a pawn in someone else's game. | ܡ̣ܢ ܫܘܠܛܢܐ ܐܬܝܐ؛ ܗܫܐ ܐܝܢܗ ܦܬܚܐ ܒܙܗܪܘܬܐ ܐܝܬܝܗ.
Az xšaθra hāta; nu aiia paθra zarəθra-ta asti. |
Leader Path[]
| Level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| 2 |  Scythian Battle-Axe |
| 3 | Economic Attribute Node
|
| 4 | Exploration Economic Legacy Card |
Exploration Militaristic Legacy Card
| |
| 5 |  Lotus Blossom |
| 6 | Xerxes King of Kings Badge 1
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Xerxes King of Kings Banner
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| 7 | Militaristic Attribute Node
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| 8 | Modern Economic Legacy Card |
Modern Militaristic Legacy Card
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| 9 |  Golden Sceptre |
| 10 | Xerxes King of Kings Badge 2
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King of Kings
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Civilopedia entry[]
The term “Persia” originates from the Greek name for the empire of Iran, the land of the Farsi people, who are referred to as “Aryan” in other texts (bearing in mind the term’s association with North India and not with the strange alterations it carried in the 19th and 20th centuries). In the Achaemenid period, Persia was the largest empire at that point in history (Alexander the Great took that title a few years later). The empire extended from Egypt and parts of Greece in the west to the Indus River Valley in the east, encompassing and surpassing what we now know as the Middle and Near East today. Despite its size, or perhaps because of it, Persia had sophisticated transportation networks and bureaucratic and communication systems; was multi-cultural and multi-religious; and established a clear lingua franca throughout its domain.
Early on, the Persians took slow control over Mesopotamia as Babylon and Assyria declined. Under Cyrus the Great, it expanded into Asia Minor and transformed into an empire. Cyrus' line was overthrown by Darius – also "the Great" – who led the Persians to another wave of conquests, this time in Egypt and the Indus Valley. But this triumph was tenuous. With revolt brewing in Egypt, Darius suddenly died and was succeeded by Xerxes – the last and arguably greatest of the Persian emperors.
Xerxes became famous for his campaign against Greece, including the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis. He was a subject of Herodotus’s histories, an inspiration for Alexander the Great, and an icon for cruel tyrants – largely based on Greek perspective. However, while Xerxes was proud and occasionally cruel, he was no cartoon villain.
Xerxes descended from two great emperors – his father was Darius, and his grandfather (on his mother’s side) was Cyrus. He was raised by court eunuchs, as was the custom, and taught horsemanship (the Persians were only a few generations out from being Central Asian horse nomads). His life in the palace of Babylon was one of luxury.
Xerxes' early brush with destiny came when Darius, preparing to leave for Egypt to quash its rebellion, fell ill and unexpectedly died. In the wake of this death, the question of succession loomed. Should the crown go to Darius’ eldest? Or to Xerxes, the grandson of Cyrus? A debate was arranged to solve this question, and Xerxes won, taking the throne in 486 BCE, at the age of 35. He also inherited his father’s wars and immediately took to quelling Egypt, followed by Babylon after that city rebelled. He enacted a brutal vengeance upon Babylon, melting the statues of its gods in punishment. Indeed, Xerxes was staunchly religious (likely adhering to a precursor of Zoroastrianism).
Still, Xerxes is most famous for his invasion of Greece. Darius had attempted such a campaign, which seemed logical since Persia already occupied all of Asia Minor. However, Darius was thwarted at Marathon. Following in his father’s footsteps, Xerxes pulled no punches. He amassed a gargantuan army, built a bridge over the Hellespont (the straits at modern Istanbul), and marched his troops over it. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Xerxes' massive Persian army was stalled by only around 7,000 Spartans – a battle that has become the most renowned example of Spartan bravery in history. However, the keyword here is “stalled,” not “stopped.” Xerxes eventually continued down the Greek coast, and Athens was destroyed. Many Athenians fled to the island of Salamis and bunkered down as the Persians prepared a naval assault. Unfortunately, that battle did not go in favor of the Persians. After the Athenians won, the Persians – mindful of their fragile bridge over the Hellespont – decided that they’d had enough.
Alexander the Great would enact Greece's revenge more than a century later, but this failure brought an end to Xerxes’s plans of domination. Upon returning home to Persia, he turned his gaze inward, funding a dramatic boom in construction, arts, and infrastructure. Persian roads and postal relay systems were some of the most advanced the world had ever seen, and the great capital of Persepolis continued to rise in splendor. Though these ambitious projects did irreparable damage to the royal treasury, the remains of Xerxes’ palaces and monuments are still visible today. He was assassinated in 465.
In Greek texts, Xerxes often plays a foil to democratic Athens. Indeed, this Greek portrait colors our modern view of Asia and Asian antiquity. When the Greeks categorized the Persians as despotic, aggressive, fundamentally undemocratic, and weak from living in a soft climate of rich land, that says more about Greek resentment than it does about real history. This trope persists because Athens reports most of our Greek history, and they accomplished this by juxtaposing themselves with others: Athenian democracy versus Spartan militarism and Athenian freedom versus Persian despotism. They didn't necessarily chronicle things as they were; they made a political point.
Trivia[]
- Xerxes, King of Kings' leader ability references the rebellions in Egypt and Babylon he was forced to put down after he claimed the throne, while his agenda might reference his army's use of flaming arrows to burn down cities.
- This persona emphasizes Xerxes' military campaigns and conquests, and is named after one of the titles used by Persian rulers.
Gallery[]
.png "Xerxes King three-quarter length (Civ7).png (448 KB)")
Videos[]
First Look- Xerxes - Civilization VII
First Look: Xerxes
Related achievements[]
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Sailed the Seven Xerxes.
Win the modern age as Xerxes, King of kings.
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References[]
See also[]
- Xerxes in other games