Leadership
“I whipped the sea when it defied me. They called it madness. I called it refusing to accept limits.”— Xerxes I
Reported by Herodotus in 'Histories' (Book 7, 480 BCE). When storms destroyed his bridge, Xerxes ordered the Hellespont lashed.
The Story of Xerxes
Legacy
The Persian Icon
In his later years, Xerxes I transformed his vision for Persia by commissioning the construction of the magnificent Palace of Persepolis. However, a lesser-known tale tells of his encounter with the playwright Aeschylus in 471 BCE. Intrigued by the arts, Xerxes once sat incognito among his subjects to witness a performance. Unbeknownst to the audience, they were watching the ruler who dared to challenge the world - and who longed to grasp the beauty of human creativity and expression.
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