The Persian Empire | From Expansion to Stability, 479–405 B.C. (Lecture 16)

Lecture 16: In this lecture, we return to our narrative of Persian history, picking up in the later years of Xerxes, then looking at the kings who followed him: Artaxerxes I (r. 465–424/3 B.C.) and Darius II (r. 424/3–404/3 B.C.). This period—the mid- to late 5th century B.C.—saw a major shift in Persian history. Xerxes’s War in Greece was the empire’s last major attempt at expansion. After that, the Great Kings of the 5th century focused on maintaining stability and security through the use of diplomacy. Note that studying this era presents some serious source problems. We are forced to rely on the unreliable Ctesias, who served as royal physician at the Persian court in the late 5th century and wrote a history of Persia that survives only in fragments.

Suggested Reading:
Kuhrt, The Persian Empire, chap 8.
Llewellyn-Jones and Robson, Ctesias’ History of Persia.

Lecture 17: https://www.bitchute.com/video/T6K27vs8iyes/