Latest / The Achaemenid Empire: Persia's Golden Age of Power — Fexingo History / Artaxerxes II and the Rebellion of Cyrus the Younger
Transcript
- Lucas: So today we're zooming in on one of the most dramatic episodes in the later Achaemenid period — the rebellion of Cyrus the Younger against his brother King Artaxerxes II in 401 BCE. Luna: Wait, Cyrus the Younger — I've heard of him mostly from Greek sources, right? Lucas: Exactly. Actually, most of what we know comes from Xenophon's Anabasis, which is basically his firsthand account of marching with the Greek mercenaries who fought for Cyrus. But let's set the stage a bit. Lucas: After Darius II died in 404 BCE, his eldest son Artaxerxes II took the throne. But his younger brother Cyrus, who was the satrap of Lydia and a capable military commander, had ambitions of his own. Lucas: Cyrus had actually been involved in a plot to assassinate Artaxerxes already — their mother Parysatis, who was a powerful figure in the court, allegedly supported Cyrus. The plot failed, but Artaxerxes pardoned Cyrus and sent him back to his satrapy. Luna: So Cyrus just went back and started planning a full-scale rebellion? Lucas: Pretty much. He spent years building up his forces. And here's the interesting part — he hired a massive army of Greek mercenaries, about 10,000 of them, led by the Spartan general Clearchus. Lucas: Sparta was happy to help because they had their own grudges against the Persians from the Peloponnesian War. So Cyrus gathered his army — his Persian troops from his satrapy plus the Greeks — and marched east from Sardis toward Babylon. Luna: Babylon. So he was going straight for the heart of the empire. Lucas: Exactly. Artaxerxes II assembled a huge army to meet him. The two forces clashed at Cunaxa, a village north of Babylon, in 401 BCE. Lucas: The battle itself is fascinating. The Greek hoplites on Cyrus's side absolutely dominated the Persian left wing — they pushed through and routed them. But in the center, Cyrus personally led a charge against his brother's position. Luna: He was trying to kill Artaxerxes himself? Lucas: Yes. Cyrus fought bravely, even wounding Artaxerxes with a javelin. But he pressed too far ahead and was surrounded and killed by the king's bodyguard. Lucas: With Cyrus dead, the rebellion collapsed. His Persian troops surrendered or fled, but the Greek mercenaries were left stranded in the middle of Mesopotamia, hundreds of miles from home. Luna: That's where Xenophon comes in, right? He led them out? Lucas: Yes. After their commanders were treacherously captured and executed by the Persian satrap Tissaphernes during a parley, Xenophon and other Greek officers rallied the Ten Thousand and led a fighting retreat north through hostile territory — through Kurdistan, Armenia, and eventually reaching the Black Sea coast. Lucas: Xenophon's account, the Anabasis, became a classic. It's not just a military adventure story — it gives us incredible detail about Persian politics, culture, and geography. Luna: So what happened to Artaxerxes II after that? Did he have a long reign? Lucas: He did — he ruled until 359 BCE, about 45 years. But the rebellion exposed weaknesses. The empire became more unstable, with satraps in the west gaining more independence. Lucas: Artaxerxes II also faced revolts in Egypt and elsewhere. But he was a skilled diplomat. He eventually negotiated a peace with Sparta — the King's Peace of 387 BCE — which gave Persia control over the Greek cities of Ionia in exchange for Sparta's dominance in Greece. Luna: So in a way, Cyrus's rebellion backfired. It weakened the empire but also led to Persia playing kingmaker in Greece. Lucas: Exactly. And the story of the Ten Thousand had a lasting impact — it showed that Greek hoplites could defeat Persian troops in open battle, which later inspired Alexander the Great's invasion. Lucas: But that's a story for another episode. For now, I think the rebellion of Cyrus the Younger is a powerful reminder that even the greatest empires can be shaken by internal family rivalries. Luna: And that a small force of determined mercenaries can change the course of history. Lucas: Absolutely. Thanks for joining us on Fexingo History.