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Xerxes was born in approximately 520 BC, and was the son of Darius the Great, who was the previous King of Persia, and his Queen consort, Atossa. Atossa's father was Cyrus the Elder, a former King of Persia before Darius. Xerxes also had four direct siblings: Achaemenes, Hystaspes, Masistes and Mandane.
 When Xerxes succeeded his father as King of Persia, he was married to Amestris, who became his Queen consort. Together they had five children: Darius, Artaxerxes, Hystaspes, Rodogyne and Amytis. Artaxerxes later became King, after Xerxes was murdered by his senior advisor, Artabanus, in 465 BC. |