Xerxes and the Bridge of Hellespont

The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History · May 6, 2026 · 7m

In 480 BCE, Xerxes I ordered the construction of a massive pontoon bridge across the Hellespont (modern Dardanelles) to invade Greece. This episode dives into the engineering marvel—a double bridge of 674 ships anchored by massive cables—and the logistical feat of moving an army of perhaps 300,000 men and supplies across the strait. We discuss the Phoenician and Egyptian engineers who built it, the famous story of Xerxes ordering the Hellespont whipped after storms destroyed the first bridge, and how the crossing itself became a symbol of Persian ambition and overreach. We also explore the…