Artaxerxes IIArtoxerxes II

Artaxerxes Memnon; the eldest son of king Darius II and Parysatis.

In Greece he was called The Great Warrior.

When Darius died, Artaxerxes became the king of Persia and ruled from 404 to 358 BCE; Artaxerxes was a suspicious man and was easily convinced that his younger brother, Kyrus (Cyrus), was plotting against him and trying to steal the throne.

Artaxerxes had Kyrus arrested for treason; their mother, Parysatis, intervened and Kyrus was allowed to go free; Kyrus never forgave the indignity his brother had heaped upon him and, if he had not been his brother’s enemy before his arrest, he was surely his enemy afterwards.

When Kyrus finally had enough support to mount a revolt against Artaxerxes, he marched from the city of Sardis into the heart of Persia and was utterly defeated at the battle of Kunaxa (Cunaxa) in 401 BCE; Kyrus was killed in the final battle.

Artaxerxes ruled Persia from 404-358 BCE.