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Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Artaxerxes I of Persia

Artaxerxes I was the fifth king in the Achaemenid Empire. He reigned for forty-one years which is quite a long time to rule especially in that era where war constantly broke out as kingdoms wanted to expand their territories and thus leading to the murder of rulers.

Therefore, this article will explore some fascinating facts about the king and how people used to live at the time that he was ruling. The article is also a great source of information for history enthusiasts who want to explore the past and understand how some actions from the past shaped the way things are being done in contemporary society.

1 His reign was tranquil

His long reign was generally peaceful, with Darius’s system of government functioning satisfactorily. A few satraps rebelled from time to time, for example, the governor of Bactria at the start of the reign who was quickly subdued. The government’s authority may not have been vigorously maintained in the borderlands and mountainous districts, but every other religion under his control in Asia may be said to have enjoyed a period of peaceful growth. Artaxerxes I., on the other hand, was not a creative genius

2 He practiced Zoroastrianism

During the reign of King Artaxerxes I, Zoroastrianism was a popular religion in Persia and it continued while he was king. The Zoroastrian belief is that there is one god known as Ahura Mazda. The god is compassionate and also the creator of the universe. In Zoroastrianism, one has to choose a path that they want to live in that there is the path of light that leads to Ahura Mazda and the path of evil that goes to the god’s adversary Angra Mainyu.

3 He had one long arm

According to a 2011 paper, the disparity in Artaxerxes’ limb sizes may have been caused by the inherited disease neurofibromatosis. This is interesting as it is not a fact that is widely known and it also means that the king was easily identified as his features were unique. This fact about the king can also be a source of encouragement as it shows that physical features do not determine the position that one can hold as the king ruled the Persian Empire for more than forty years.

4 He acknowledged God in the Bible

There are several instances in the bible where the king is mentioned. Artaxerxes was a Persian king who, under the leadership of Ezra, allowed the Israelites to reintroduce biblical practices in their rebuilt temple, and then granted them some political autonomy under the leadership of Nehemiah.

Both the accounts in Ezra and Nehemiah emphasize that it was God who inspired King Artaxerxes to show such favour to God’s people. “Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem,” Ezra 7:27 says. So Ezra believed that the idea to restore biblical worship in the temple came from God and that God implanted it in King Artaxerxes’ mind.

5 Egypt revolted during his reign

The king faced a revolt in Egypt from 460 to 454 BC. The revolt was led by Inaros II, a son of a Libyan prince known as Psamatik. Inaros revolted against the Persian Empire. They were assisted by the Athenian army and they managed to defeat the Persian army that was being commanded by Satrap Akheimenes.

After a two-year siege, the Persians retreated to Memphis, and the Athenians were finally defeated in 454 BC by the Persian army led by Megabyzus. Inaros was apprehended and taken to Susa.

6 His brother was murdered

King Artaxerxes I of Persia assumed the throne as king after his father and his elder brother Crown Prince Darius was murdered by Artabanus. Artabanus was the commander of the royal bodyguard. Therefore, there being no one older than him, Artaxerxes became the de facto heir to the throne. In retaliation for what the commander of the royal bodyguard had done, he killed him and his sons.

7 His relations with Greece

Military conflict between Greece and Persia had temporarily ceased following the severe defeat of the Achaemenid Empire by the Delian League of Athens and its allies at the Battle of the Eurymedon.

When Artaxerxes I of Persia ascended to the throne, he used a novel strategy to wear down the Athenians: he funded their enemies in Greece. Because of this, the Athenian decision to relocate the Delian League’s treasury from the island of Delos to the Athenian acropolis was made. The financial support of Athens’ adversaries inevitably led to a resumption of hostilities in 450 BC, when the Greeks launched an attack at the Battle of Cyprus.

8 He had a principal wife known as Damaspia

Queen Damaspia, a native Persian, was Artaxerxes’ main wife. Xerxes II, his father’s heir, was their only known child. Artaxerxes had several concubines, including Alogyne of Babylon, Cosmartidene of Babylon, and Andia of Babylon, with whom he had many children. Some of these children rose to prominence in the years following Artaxerxes’ death.

9 His death

Ctesias of Cnidus, a Greek historian, claims that Artaxerxes I of Persia and his queen Damaspia died on the same day in 424 BC, possibly during a military expedition. Their ashes were transported to Persia. His tomb is part of the Naqsh-e Rustam necropolis in Marvdasht, Iran.

10 Xerxes II assumed the throne after his death

Following the death of Artaxerxes I, Xerxes II was crowned King of Kings. His reign, however, was brief. His illegitimate brother, Sogdianus, who became the next king of kings, ordered his assassination. This shows that Artaxerxes II has a prosperous reign as king as he managed to rule the empire for more than forty years while his successor did not even reach five years.