Xerxes: A Persian Life by Richard Stoneman (review)

Greek or Roman accounts of the lives of individual rulers of the Persian Empire in the Achaemenid period are few, and likewise modern accounts. However, from the year 2015 we have not one but two works whose subject is Xerxes, son and successor to Darius the Great. One is by Emma Bridges; the second and quite independent, the volume under review, by Richard Stoneman. This monarch, of course, from the fifth century bc onwards, has been viewed primarily as the arrogant ruler of the years 480 and 479, who failed conspicuously to overwhelm the courageous Greeks at Salamis and Plataea. Stoneman, however, deals, so far as is possible, with his entire career. In Chapter 1, then, he sketches what is known of the earlier part of Xerxes’ life and his accession to the throne. Chapters 2 to 4 discuss in succession the vast multicultural Persian Empire, the place of the Persian king within it, and the religion of Xerxes. Chapters 5 and 6 cover the Persian attempts to subdue Greece. Chapter 7 is devoted to the important question of Xerxes’ achievements as a builder, while in 8 and 9 he looks respectively at Xerxes’ relationships with women and the remaining part of his life. Some conclusions are added on pp. 210–218.

Stoneman’s sources for this discussion include, of course, archaeology, principally for Chapter 7. For the narrative of his reign, naturally, Greek and Roman authors are important. However, Stoneman’s material ranges considerably beyond this, for he makes use of both the Persian tradition about the early rulers of Iran, which dates from the Middle Ages, and, in addition, some much more recent works, such as Gore Vidal’s novel, Creation (1981). His aim, as he states on p. 15, is not to portray the real Xerxes of history, but rather to suggest what life was like for a ruler such as Xerxes.

Although he does not provide any evaluation of the sources on which he depends, many of his observations are both interesting and useful, for example, his claim (42) that Xerxes’ Greek expedition and its failure, so important to the Greeks, may have been of little significance to Persia. The entire chapter entitled “Persepolis” (7) is particularly instructive, including as it does comments on the value of the art and the purpose of Persepolis (both disputed). Stoneman’s knowledge of the sources, primary and secondary, is of course enviable, and his narrative throughout is lively. However, he does not always give the reader, who may very well lack his knowledge, the assistance that he or she will probably need. At times, for example, he does not supply sufficiently exact information about the authors and works to which he refers. The allusion on p. 40 to Paul Kriwaczek, which does not provide the title, date, or page number, is only one illustration of this. Moreover, his reports of what the sources state can at times be misleading, such as his comment on p. 161 that Xenophon knew of Persepolis. Xenophon’s words at Cyr. 8.7.1, on which this is based, are no justification for such a claim. In addition, there are rather a large number of typographical errors, some of which may cause confusion. Still, all in all, this is an enlightening account and one well worth consulting.