Artaxerxes I

Lore & Background

After discovering the murder, Artaxerxes killed Artabanus and his sons. The Persians initially lost to the satrap Achaemenes but later defeated the Athenians under Megabyzus after a two-year siege. Inaros was captured and taken to Susa. Artaxerxes offered asylum to Themistocles, his father's former enemy, after Themistocles was ostracized from Athens. He granted him several cities for his maintenance. Themistocles adopted Persian customs and language. In the Bible, Artaxerxes is described as commissioning Ezra to lead a group of Jews to Jerusalem and later sending Nehemiah to rebuild the city walls. Scholars debate whether the biblical Artaxerxes refers to Artaxerxes I or II.

Reader's Guide

Artaxerxes I's reign is significant for its administrative and religious policies, particularly his support for the Jewish community as recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. By commissioning Ezra and Nehemiah, he facilitated the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and the restoration of Jewish religious life, which had lasting cultural and historical impact. The disputed Peace of Callias, if historical, would mark a formal end to Greco-Persian hostilities. His asylum to Themistocles demonstrates a pragmatic approach to former enemies. The medical hypothesis that his uneven limb lengths resulted from neurofibromatosis adds a modern scientific perspective. Overall, Artaxerxes I's reign represents a period of consolidation, cultural exchange, and religious patronage within the Achaemenid Empire.

Did You Know?

• Artaxerxes I was known in Greek sources as 'Long-handed' (Makrókheir) because his right hand was allegedly longer than his left.
• He offered asylum to Themistocles, his father's former enemy, after Themistocles was ostracized from Athens, granting him several cities.
• The 17th-century theologian Roger Williams cited Artaxerxes as a model of a 'good' non-covenant king who tolerated religious diversity.