There are basically two theories now in place about the age of Xerxes
around
the sixth year of Darius. One is that he was only six years old and the
other he was 22 years old.
The 6-year-old history comes from Herodotus who claims that Darius
inherited
Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus, when he became king. He had three other
children from a previous wife, but Xerxes was the first-born son by
Atossa,
the eldest son after his king****p began. The background of that reference
was to explain why Xerxes, not the eldest son of Darius was chosen king
over
Darius' eldest son from a previous marriage. Persepolis began to be
built
by Darius in his 4th year and he finished his palace after about two
years.
A scence with Darius and Xerxes together designed for another building
shows
him as a young man though:
http://oi.uchicago.edu/gallery/pa_iran_paai_per_tre/3B10_72dpi.png
Therefore, by the 6th of Darius, Xerxes should have only been a 6-year-old
instead of a young man!
Now in the past, some archaeologists have tried to explain this by
claiming
the above scene was not actually Darius and Xerxes, but possibly Xerxes
and
Artaxerxes, or even Artaxerxes and Darius! But that was potentially
plausible until an inscription in the hem of the skirt of the king
depicted
in the Palace of Darius actually identifies him as Xerxes. Therefore, we
know for a fact that Xerxes was already a young man when Persepolis began
to
be built and, thus, indeed, the above scene represents the co-ruler****p.
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/dariusxerxespalace.JPG
(Xerxes at Palace of Darius)
Thus, it would seem quite clear at this point, that the story by Herodotus
is not sup****ted by the archaeological findings at Persepolis; that is,
that
Darius was already a young man in the 4th year of Darius.
CORRECTED HISTORY SUP****TED: However, based upon the redating of the PPW
to
403 BCE, based upon the rematching of an eclipse that occurs in the
beginning of the war which does not match 531 BCE but has a better match
for
an eclipse occurring on January 18, 402 BCE, we can calculate precisely
how
old Artaxerxes was in the 4th year of Darius.
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/402-431eclipses.GIF
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/431-402BCE.JPG
(two shot comparison)
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/403darkcomp.JPG
(dark comparison)
That is because Artaxerxes I dies in the 8th year of the war in 396 BCE
and
ruled for 41 years. That means he began to rule in 437 BCE. Per the
corrected Persian chronology based on the VAT4956 dating year 37 of
Nebuchadnezzar in 511 BCE, the 1st of Cyrus falls in 455 BCE and the 1st
of
Darius in 439 BCE. Therefore, Artaxerxes, who is the same king as Xerxes,
would not only have been his co-ruler, but would have been 18 years of age
when the co-ruler****p began in the 3rd year of Darius, 19-21 years of age
during the construction of the palace and likely depicted at 21 years of
age
in the bas-relief sculpted for the staircase of the Apadama which shows
Xerxes with Darius and staff. Of course, obviously, the young Xerxes
fits
the description of a 21-year old rather than a 6-year old.
CONCLUSION: The archaeology from Persepolis contradicts the history of
Herodotus that requires Xerxes to be about six years old when the palace
of
Darius was completed. The history from the Bible and from redated secular
events based upon eclipses would establish that Xerxes was about 21 years
old when the palace was completed, which is consistent with the
archaeology.
Of historical note, though, the story about Xerxes being born the same
year
his father became king, which became a factor in his being chosen over his
older brother does have some kernal of potential fact. That's because,
as
noted, with Artaxerxes ruling 41 years and dying at age 59, he would have
been 18 years old in 437 BCE, and thus he was born in 455 BCE
(437+18=455),
the year his grandfather Cyrus became king. Thus it would seem the
details
were simply adjusted around a bit, and Xerxes being the firstborn after
Cyrus became king became the legal argument for Xerxes being the successor
of Darius. The cir***stance was after Xerxes was born he was always
considered "Prince Xerxes" whereas his older brothers did not have that
title at birth.
Xerxes and Artaxerxes were the same king. This is confirmed by the Bible
(Compare Ezra 6:14,15 and Daniel 11:2). Further, the Bible limits the
rule
of Darius I to just six years! The formal history was adjusted to cover
this up but certain details rearranged from the original history as is the
case of Xerxes being born the year Cyrus became king vs when his father
became king. But the evidence at Persepolis sup****ts the Bible's history,
with no more than a 2-year investment of building at Persepolis by Darius,
who is known to have begun building there in his 4th year. Other
buildings
started by Darius with Xerxes during the co-ruler****p had to be completed
by
"Xerxes" with the Throne Hall clearly completed by "Artaxerxes." The
Persian kings adopted a second name when they became king.
Also of interesting note, based upon the corrected dating, is that indeed
the reign of Xerxes-Artaxerxes did overlap that of Darius, requiring them
to
be co-rulers. The evidence at the palace of Darius as well as in other
artistic depictions clearly are consistent with a short co-ruler****p
between
Xerxes and Darius, another point of contradiction with the current
timeline
which does not represent any co-ruler****p between the two kings, though
the
bas-reliefs at Persepolis are quite consistent with that short
co-ruler****p.
Archaeology at Persepolis thus sup****ts the corrected chronology, where
Artaxerxes is 18 in the 3rd year of Darius I rather than just 3 years old!
Lars Wilson
(New!) Corrected Timeline Outline:
http://www.geocities.com/siaxares/709guide.html
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