All Topics  
Artaxerxes II of Persia

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Artaxerxes II of Persia
 
 
  Topics Artaxerxes II of Persia Topic Home

Artaxerxes II Mnemon (Old Persian
Old Persian language

The Old Persian language is one of the two attested Iranian languages . Old Persian appears primarily in the inscriptions, clay tablets, seal s of the Achaemenid dynasty era ....
: ?????????????? Artaxšaçra, ) (ca. 436 – 358 BC) was king of Persia
Persian Empire

The 'Persian Empire' was a series of successive Iranian or Persianization empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland, and beyond in Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus....
 from 404 BC until his death. He was a son of Darius II of Persia
Darius II of Persia

Darius II , originally called Ochus and often surnamed Nothus , was king of the Persian Empire from 423 BC to 404 BC.Artaxerxes I, who died shortly after December 24, 424 BC, was followed by his son Xerxes II....
 and Parysatis
Parysatis

Parysatis was the 5th century BCE illegitimate daughter of Artaxerxes I, Emperor of Persia and Andia of Babylon.She was the half-sister of Xerxes II, Sogdianus and Darius II....
.

efended his position against his brother Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger

Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia and Parysatis, was a History of Persia prince and general. The time of his birth is unknown, but he died in 401 BC....
, who was defeated and killed at the Battle of Cunaxa
Battle of Cunaxa

The Battle of Cunaxa was fought in 401 BC between Cyrus the Younger and his elder brother Arsaces, who had inherited the Persian Empire throne as Artaxerxes II in 404 BC....
 in 401 BC, and against a revolt of the provincial governors, the satrap
Satrap

Satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces of ancient Medes and Persian Empire empires, including the Achaemenid Empire and in several of their heirs, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic civilization empires....
s (366 – 358 BC). He also became involved in a war with Persia's erstwhile allies, the Sparta
Sparta

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the Eurotas River in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From circa 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars....
ns, who, under Agesilaus II
Agesilaus II

Agesilaus II, or Agesilaos II was a king of Sparta, of the Eurypontid dynasty, ruling from approximately 400 BC to 360 BC, during most of which time he was, in Plutarch's words, "as good as thought commander and king of all Greece," and was for the whole of it greatly identified with his country's deeds and fortunes....
, invaded Asia Minor.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Artaxerxes II of Persia'
Start a new discussion about 'Artaxerxes II of Persia'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Artaxerxes II Mnemon (Old Persian
Old Persian language

The Old Persian language is one of the two attested Iranian languages . Old Persian appears primarily in the inscriptions, clay tablets, seal s of the Achaemenid dynasty era ....
: ?????????????? Artaxšaçra, ) (ca. 436 – 358 BC) was king of Persia
Persian Empire

The 'Persian Empire' was a series of successive Iranian or Persianization empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland, and beyond in Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus....
 from 404 BC until his death. He was a son of Darius II of Persia
Darius II of Persia

Darius II , originally called Ochus and often surnamed Nothus , was king of the Persian Empire from 423 BC to 404 BC.Artaxerxes I, who died shortly after December 24, 424 BC, was followed by his son Xerxes II....
 and Parysatis
Parysatis

Parysatis was the 5th century BCE illegitimate daughter of Artaxerxes I, Emperor of Persia and Andia of Babylon.She was the half-sister of Xerxes II, Sogdianus and Darius II....
.

Reign

He defended his position against his brother Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger

Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia and Parysatis, was a History of Persia prince and general. The time of his birth is unknown, but he died in 401 BC....
, who was defeated and killed at the Battle of Cunaxa
Battle of Cunaxa

The Battle of Cunaxa was fought in 401 BC between Cyrus the Younger and his elder brother Arsaces, who had inherited the Persian Empire throne as Artaxerxes II in 404 BC....
 in 401 BC, and against a revolt of the provincial governors, the satrap
Satrap

Satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces of ancient Medes and Persian Empire empires, including the Achaemenid Empire and in several of their heirs, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic civilization empires....
s (366 – 358 BC). He also became involved in a war with Persia's erstwhile allies, the Sparta
Sparta

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the Eurotas River in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From circa 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars....
ns, who, under Agesilaus II
Agesilaus II

Agesilaus II, or Agesilaos II was a king of Sparta, of the Eurypontid dynasty, ruling from approximately 400 BC to 360 BC, during most of which time he was, in Plutarch's words, "as good as thought commander and king of all Greece," and was for the whole of it greatly identified with his country's deeds and fortunes....
, invaded Asia Minor. In order to redirect the Sparta
Sparta

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the Eurotas River in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From circa 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars....
ns attention to Greek affairs, Artaxerxes subsidized their enemies: in particular the Athenians
Athens

Athens , the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the List of cities by time of continuous habitation, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
, Thebans
Thebes, Greece

Thebes is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, Greece, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain....
, and Corinthians
Corinth

Corinth, or Korinth Corinth is now the capital of the Prefectures of Greece of Corinthia. The city is surrounded by the coastal townlets of Lechaio, Isthmia, Kechries, and the inland townlets of Examilia and the archaeological site....
. These subsidies helped to engage the Sparta
Sparta

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the Eurotas River in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From circa 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars....
ns in what would become known as the Corinthian War
Corinthian War

The Corinthian War was an Ancient Greece conflict lasting from 395 BC until 387 BC, pitting Sparta against a coalition of four allied states; Thebes , History of Athens#Classical Athens, Corinth, and Argos; which were initially backed by Achaemenid Dynasty....
. In 386 BC, Artaxerxes II betrayed his allies and came to an arrangement with Sparta, and in the Treaty of Antalcidas he forced his erstwhile allies to come to terms. This treaty restored control of the Greek cities of Ionia
Ionia

Ionia is an ancient region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey, the region nearest Izmir, which was historically Smyrna. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Hellenes settlements....
 and Aeolis
Aeolis

Aeolis or Eolis or Aeolia or Eolia was an area that comprised the west and northwestern region of Asia Minor, mostly along the coast, and also several offshore islands , where the Aeolians Ancient Greece city-states were located....
 on the Anatolian coast to the Persians, while giving Sparta dominance on the Greek mainland.

Although successful against the Greeks, Artaxerxes had more trouble with the Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
ians, who had successfully revolted against him at the beginning of his reign. An attempt to reconquer Egypt in 373 BC was completely unsuccessful, but in his waning years the Persians did manage to defeat a joint Egyptian–Spartan effort to conquer Phoenicia
Phoenicia

Phoenicia was an ancient civilization centered in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coastal regions of modern day Lebanon, extending to parts of Israel, Syria and the Palestinian territories....
.

He is reported to have had a number of wives. His main wife was Stateira
Stateira (wife of Artaxerxes II)

Stateira was the name of the wife of Artaxerxes II of Persia....
, until she was poisoned by Artaxerxes' mother Parysatis in about 400 BC. Another chief wife was a Greek woman of Phocaea
Phocaea

Phocaea, or Phokaia, was an ancient Ionian Ancient Greece city on the western coast of Anatolia. Colonies in antiquity from Phocaea founded the colony of Massalia in 600 BC, Emporion in 575 BC and Velia in 540 BC....
 named Aspasia (not the same as the concubine of Pericles
Pericles

Pericles was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and general of History of Athens during the city's Age of Pericles?specifically, the time between the Greco-Persian Wars and Peloponnesian War wars....
). Artaxerxes II is said to have more than 115 sons from 350 wives.

He is identified as the Persian king Ahasuerus
Ahasuerus

Ahasuerus is a name used several times in the Hebrew Bible, as well as related legends and apocrypha....
 of the Purim story in traditional sources.

Building projects

Much of Artaxerxes's wealth was spent on building projects. He restored the palace of Darius I at Susa, and also the fortifications; including a strong redoubt at the southeast corner of the enclosure and gave Ecbatana a new apadana and sculptures. He seems not to have built much at Persepolis.

See also

  • Artaxerxes I
    Artaxerxes I of Persia

    Artaxerxes I was king of the Persian Empire from 465 BC to 424 BC, although other historians would place the beginning of his reign at 475 BC....
  • History of Persia
  • The Anabasis
    Anabasis (Xenophon)

    Anabasis is the most famous work of the Ancient Greece professional soldier and writer Xenophon. The journey it narrates is his best known accomplishment and "one of the great adventures in human history," as Will Durant expressed the common assessment....
  • Ten Thousand (Greek)
    Ten Thousand (Greek)

    The Ten Thousand were a group of mercenary units, mainly Ancient Greece, drawn up by Cyrus the Younger to attempt to wrest the throne of the Persian Empire from his brother, Artaxerxes II....


External links