| 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, King of Kings. He is available with the Xerxes (The Achaemenid) Persona DLC.
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, the Achaemenid has the 
Cultural and 
Economic 
Attributes. His default colors are olive and jet black.
His leader ability is Silk Road. It grants +1 
Trade Route Limit with all other leaders and +10 Trade Range, as well as +50 
Culture and +100 
Gold per Age after creating a Trade Route or Road and +1 Culture and Gold per Age on Unique 
Buildings and Unique 
Tile Improvements.
His agenda is Lord of Coin. His Relationship decreases by a Medium Amount if a player has at least as many Trade Routes as he does, and increases by a Small Amount if they don't.
Strategy[]
Different from his other persona, Xerxes the Achaemenid focuses less on 
Warfare but more on Economy. He wants his empire to become the trading hub of the world while fostering a unique identity and culture through his bonuses towards Trade and unique infrastructure.
Culture and Gold on unique infrastructure[]
Nice yields on a Step Pyramid, 2 Institutes and a Potkop in the Modern Age.
Xerxes gains bonus Gold from all unique infrastructure — both Buildings and 
Improvements — so any civilization with Unique Improvements tends to benefit more from his ability. This is especially impactful in the Antiquity Age, during which Gold is usually scarce. Unique improvements are often perceived as weaker than unique buildings or quarters, but in Xerxes’ case they become much more valuable: they provide extra Gold (and sometimes Culture), and unlike Buildings — which max out at 2 per Age — Improvements can be built across most of your empire, allowing their bonuses to scale widely.
Befriending 
City-States can further enhance this strategy. Many City-States grant access to additional Unique Improvements, which is especially helpful when your civilization's default Improvement is difficult to spam due to terrain or placement restrictions — or when your civilization simply lacks one altogether. A strong income then allows you to buy more Unique Improvements, creating a feedback loop of rapidly increasing yields. Because Unique Improvements replace existing basic Improvements, 
Towns tend to take advantage of this better than 
Cities, where Buildings and 
Quarters usually take priority.
The Emporium, unlocked by becoming the Suzerain of an Economic City-State, is exceptionally strong. It provides +2 Gold to a tile, plus an additional +2 Gold if a 
Resource is assigned to the Settlement. A likely unintended interaction adds another +2 Gold for each additional Emporium built in the same Settlement — meaning a City with three Emporiums would earn 4 Gold from the first, 6 from the second, 8 from the third, and so on. Emporiums are also comparatively cheap to buy, making them pay for themselves extremely quickly and providing a massive Gold engine to convert Towns into Cities and purchase 
Units and Buildings.
To further amplify your Improvement-based economy, remember the Serpent Mound in the Exploration Age. The extra 
Science and 
Production it grants — stacked on top of your Culture and Gold — can make Unique Improvements rival constructibles in yield, at only a fraction of the cost (though they cannot host 
Specialists like Quarters).
If your civilization instead has Unique Buildings rather than Improvements, you should still aim to become Suzerain of an Economic City-State early. Investing heavily into Emporiums will generate enough Gold to found more Cities than usual, allowing you to place more Unique Quarters. Since these Districts effects persist across Ages, this foundation can set up an extremely strong mid- and late-game economy.
Culture and Gold for starting a Trade Route[]
Establishing Trade Routes with Xerxes provides a substantial amount of Gold and Culture, making it important to begin setting them up as early as possible. The Culture gained is especially impactful during the early Antiquity Age, so it is advised to rush Code of Laws early; receiving a flat 50 Culture later in the same Age is significantly less valuable. The same logic applies to Economics in the Exploration Age and Steam Engine in the Modern Age.
In the Modern Age specifically, establishing Trade Routes becomes even easier: Merchants no longer need to physically travel to their destination, allowing you to instantly claim the generous 150 Culture per Trade Route the moment it is created.
Keep in mind that declaring War immediately cancels all active Trade Routes. If you want to maximize the number of times a Trade Route can be established — and therefore maximize Gold and Culture triggers — send your Merchants to the most 
Hostile empires first, as they are the most likely to declare War on you. After 
Peace is restored, you can repeat this process to gain additional payouts.
Extra Trade Route limit with other leaders[]
Xerxes starts with a maximum of 2 Trade Routes with every other leader, which can save a considerable amount of 
Influence. This extra Influence should be invested into friendly greetings and initiating or supporting 
Diplomatic Actions with other empires to maintain good 
Relations and prevent Trade interruptions caused by War. This is especially important with your neighbors, who are the most likely to become Hostile early on due to the negative border-contact modifier, but are also the easiest to establish Trade Routes with in the early game.
Remember that you are not playing Xerxes' aggressive persona — being overly 
Expansionist or 
hostile actually works against Xerxes the Achaemenid. In most cases, it is far more beneficial to rely on diplomacy during the Antiquity Age to build up the Economic momentum you will later exploit, especially once the 
Settlement Limit becomes less restrictive in future Ages. As with any Trade-focused leader or civilization, a simple friendly greeting costing just 20 Influence — combined with generally cooperative behavior — can go an incredibly long way.
Civilization recommendations[]
- Antiquity Age:
Mississippian: Although it may seem unorthodox, the Mississippians offer nearly everything Xerxes wants. Their unique Merchant, the Watonathi, grants a large burst of Gold (25 per Resource acquired) whenever a Trade Route is established. They also field an excellent defensive Ranged Unit, the Burning Arrow. Most importantly, they gain access to the Potkop, a powerful growth-focused Improvement with very lenient placement rules. Combined with Xerxes’ Desert bias, the Potkop helps mitigate the Food shortages that Desert empires often face, allowing Settlements to grow more comfortably.- Aksumite: A more conventional and expected pairing, as the Aksumite Hawilt also has relaxed placement requirements. Both Aksum and Xerxes focus heavily on generating Gold, making them highly synergistic — though arguably a bit one-dimensional, since Gold is generally easy to accumulate. Their Trade-oriented Unique Units are useful but not particularly powerful.
- Han: The Han also pair reasonably well with Xerxes, providing a Scientific and Diplomatic tilt that results in a well-rounded combination. The Great Wall can be placed with relatively few restrictions if you choose to focus on it, and the Han's extra Influence helps keep other empires Friendly while you expand your Trade Network.
- Carthaginian: An unconventional but surprisingly effective choice. Although Carthage lacks a Unique Improvement, their Unique Buildings can be placed in both Towns and Cities as long as they have a Coastal tile. Their unique ability, granting two Merchant Units whenever you train one, makes it extremely easy to fill all your Trade Route slots early. The absence of a Unique Improvement increases the importance of using Influence to befriend Independent Powers — making Influence more scarce — but the heavy Gold income you generate will be put to excellent use. Carthage has plenty of ways to convert Gold into power: buying Coastal infrastructure with the Gaulos, maintaining a Navy with the Quinquereme, and purchasing their unique Numidian Cavalry. All the extra Resources obtained through Xerxes' Trade Routes further increase the Combat Strength of Numidian Cavalry, turning you into a formidable military force as well as an economic one.
- Exploration Age: There are currently no Exploration civilizations with perfect synergy for Xerxes the Achaemenid, but several are worth considering:
- Songhai: Likely the strongest synergy in this Age. A spammable Improvement that can be built on Desert Terrain (matching Xerxes' bias) and a unique Merchant make them a natural fit.
- Shawnee: Offer a similar, though weaker, synergy via their Unique Improvement. However, if you intend to use either civ, plan ahead during Antiquity: establish your core Settlements near Navigable Rivers, which both Songhai and Shawnee rely on.
- Chola: Another seemingly obvious choice, as both Xerxes and the Chola excel at Trade Routes. However, Xerxes benefits less from the Chola's additional Trade Route capacities than most leaders, since he already begins with so many.
- Abbasid: A strong, well-rounded civilization under any leader and requiring little planning in Antiquity. If you are fortunate with Camels spawns, the Abbasids are always a safe and reliable choice.
- Ming: The Ming Great Wall benefits from Xerxes' bonuses toward Improvements, and they are easy to unlock regardless of your starting civilization.
- Modern Age: Depending on your strategy in the previous Age and your goals moving into the Modern Age, several options can work well for Xerxes:
- Mughal: The best pairing for Xerxes in the Modern Age. They are an Economic powerhouse and can significantly amplify Xerxes' strengths. However, they are somewhat one-dimensional, performing best when aiming for an Economic Victory and being less effective in other victory types.
- Qing: A solid Economic civilization with a Unique Merchant, offering good synergy. (Yes — this means Xerxes pairs well with all three Chinese civilizations: Han, Ming, and Qing.)
- Siamese: If you already played Songhai or Shawnee earlier and have many Navigable Rivers in your empire, Siam is a suitable follow-up. They provide Cultural bonuses and a Unique Improvement that also requires Navigable Rivers.
Memento recommendations[]
Xerxes, the Achaemenid synergizes very well with all 3 of his mementos:
- Incense Censer: +2 Culture per Age for every active Trade Route.
- Gold Fluted Phiale: +1 Trade Route Limit with all other leaders.
- Chalcedony Seal: +3 Culture and Gold for Unique Buildings and Improvements if you have 3 or more Unique Buildings or Improvements.
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. |
|
| 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. |
|
| 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 |  Incense Censer |
| 3 | Cultural Attribute Node
|
| 4 | Exploration Cultural Legacy Card |
| Exploration Economic Legacy Card | |
| 5 |  Gold Fluted Phiale |
| 6 | Xerxes Achaemenid Badge 1
|
Xerxes Achaemenid Banner
| |
| 7 | Economic Attribute Node
|
| 8 | Modern Cultural Legacy Card |
| Modern Economic Legacy Card | |
| 9 |  Chalcedony Seal |
| 10 | Xerxes Achaemenid Badge 2
|
Shāh of the Silk Road
|
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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, the Achaemenid's leader ability is named after the Silk Road, the famous trade network that connected the Eastern and Western worlds, while his agenda references the development of commerce in Persia during his rule.
- This persona emphasizes Xerxes' domestic policies, particularly his maintenance of the Royal Road, and is named after the empire he ruled.
Gallery[]
.png "Xerxes Achaemenid three-quarter length (Civ7).png (382 KB)")
.png "Xerxes Achaemenid portrait neutral (Civ7).png (26 KB)")
.png "Xerxes Achaemenid portrait neutral 256 (Civ7).png (92 KB)")
.png "Xerxes Achaemenid portrait happy (Civ7).png (24 KB)")
.png "Xerxes Achaemenid portrait angry (Civ7).png (25 KB)")
.jpg "Xerxes Achaemenid banner (Civ7).jpg (25 KB)")
Videos[]
First Look- Xerxes - Civilization VII
First Look: Xerxes
Related achievements[]
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Xerxing Red.
Win the modern age as Xerxes, the Achaemenid.
|
References[]
See also[]
- Xerxes in other games