Xerxes, the Achaemenid – Strategy and Guide

Intro

Xerxes inherited the mighty Achaemenid Empire at a time of crisis and elevated it to unprecedented greatness. After a series of military campaigns to quell revolts at home and expand Persian territory abroad, Xerxes turned his focus inward. He devoted his vast treasury to enriching his empire – maintaining an extensive road system, establishing lightning-fast communication networks, and completing grandiose monuments like his opulent palace at Persepolis. Both colossal architectural wonders and fawning literary accounts speak to the reverent fear Xerxes inspired in his enemies and the lavish luxuries he bestowed upon his people. Xerxes has another persona called Xerxes, King of Kings.

Strategy

!!! Work in progress !!!

Lines

• Intro: “Under my hand, wherever there is conflict and chaos, I strike it down. I will have peace, even amidst ashes.”
• Attacked: “Your raiders would challenge the center of the world? Typical.”
• Declares War: “Your warriors march forward into the flames of their own destruction.”
• Defeated: “I was an emperor; now just a pawn in someone else’s game.”

Civilopedia Entry

“Persia” originates from the Greek name for the land of the Farsi people, also referred to as “Aryans” in ancient texts. At its height under Xerxes, the Persian Achaemenid Empire stretched from Egypt and Greece in the west to the Indus River Valley in the east. Despite its immense size, Persia boasted sophisticated transportation networks, efficient bureaucratic systems, and a clear lingua franca that united its diverse, multicultural population.

Xerxes ascended the throne in 486 BCE following the sudden death of his father, Darius the Great. He immediately set out to subdue rebellions in Egypt and Babylon, enacting brutal vengeance on the latter. But Xerxes is most famous for his massive invasion of Greece, amassing an army so large he built a bridge across the Hellespont just to march them into Europe. After burning Athens, his forces were eventually turned back at the pivotal naval battle of Salamis.

Returning to Persia, Xerxes shifted his focus to domestic development. He funded a dramatic boom in arts, infrastructure, and monumental construction. The ruins of his magnificent palaces and imposing gateways still inspire awe today, even as the imperial treasury he drained to build them has long since turned to dust. Xerxes fell to an assassin’s blade in 465 BCE, but the Achaemenid Persian Empire he ruled endured as the greatest the world had yet seen.

Unique Ability: Silk Road

• Increased Trade Route limit with all other leaders
• Culture and Gold bonuses per Age for creating Trade Routes or Roads with Merchants
• Extra Culture and Gold per Age from Unique Buildings and Improvements

Agendas

Lord of Coin: Xerxes likes civilizations with fewer Trade Routes than him and dislikes those with an equal or greater number.

Trivia

• Xerxes’s leader ability references the famous Silk Road trade network, while his agenda reflects his focus on developing commerce and infrastructure.
• This persona emphasizes Xerxes’s domestic policies and the Persian Achaemenid Empire he ruled.

TL;DR

Xerxes, famed for his failed invasion of Greece, was the last and greatest Persian Achaemenid emperor. He elevated Persia to the status of largest empire the world had yet seen, with highly developed infrastructure, trade, and culture. Xerxes draws huge benefits from Trade Routes and gets extra bonuses for Unique Buildings and Improvements.