Artaxerxes II

Artaxerxes II
Bruce Allardice · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Artaxerxes II
Title	King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire
Reign	404–358 BC
Predecessor	Darius II
Successor	Artaxerxes III
Birth date	c. 445 BC
Death date	358 BC
Dynasty	Achaemenid
Father	Darius II
Mother	Parysatis
Religion	Zoroastrianism

Artaxerxes II was the long-reigning Achaemenid monarch who ruled from 404 to 358 BC, navigating protracted conflicts with Sparta, intervention by Athens, and revolts across Egypt and the empire's western provinces. His reign saw sustained engagements with figures such as Conon of Athens, Lysander, and Evagoras I of Salamis, while internal dynamics involved influential courtiers like Parysatis and rivals including Cyrus the Younger. Artaxerxes II's policies affected relations with Sicily, Syria, Lycia, and the Greek city-states, shaping late Achaemenid geopolitics and subsequent Hellenistic interactions.

Early life and accession

Born c. 445 BC as a son of Darius II and Parysatis, the prince came of age amid factional competition at the Achaemenid court involving Tissaphernes, Pharnabazus II, and satraps in Asia Minor. The prince's upbringing intersected with Persian aristocracy including the houses of Bagaeus and Oxathres, and frequent negotiation with Ionian and Hellenic elites such as Herodotus's contemporaries and later commentators like Xenophon. Upon the death of Darius II in 404 BC, succession was contested by a coalition led by Cyrus the Younger, culminating in the decisive confrontation that would define the new ruler's legitimacy. The accession consolidated support from established Persian nobles and provincials from Persis and Elam, while alienating elements of the western satrapal network.

Reign and administration

The administration under Artaxerxes II relied on customary Achaemenid institutions centered on the royal court at Persepolis and provincial governance through satrapies such as Lydia, Cilicia, and Bactria. Court officials including the vizierial corps, eunuchs, and royal family members exercised influence alongside regional magnates like Pharnabazus II and Tithraustes. Fiscal and tributary arrangements involved payments from subject peoples including the Ionians, Carian communities, and Levantine polities like Tyre and Sidon. The monarch sustained imperial infrastructure projects in the capitals of Susa and Ecbatana, patronized artisans from Babylon and Assyria, and managed relations with elite Greek mercenaries and commanders such as Conon of Athens who affected administrative control in Anatolia.

Military campaigns and foreign policy

External policy prioritized countering Spartan ascendancy after the Peloponnesian War and limiting Macedonian and Theban expansion. Early conflicts involved support for Athens against Lysander-aligned regimes, employing admirals like Conon of Athens and working with naval allies from Samos and Rhodes. The rebellion of Cyrus the Younger in 401 BC precipitated the engagement that produced the march of the Ten Thousand and narratives by Xenophon, while later confrontations included sustained wars in Egypt where native dynasts such as Amyrtaeus and mercenary leaders contested Persian control. Interventions in the eastern Mediterranean brought Artaxerxes II into contact with rulers like Evagoras I of Salamis and Hellenic powers including Corinth and Aegina, and periodic campaigns targeted rebellious satraps in Asia Minor including Rhodian and Ionian cities supported by commanders such as Chabrias and Iphicrates. Diplomatic endeavors involved envoys to Sicily and coordination with western Anatolian dynasts, while frontier defense addressed incursions in regions adjoining Parthia and Sogdiana.

Court, succession struggles, and revolts

The court witnessed persistent intrigue led by principal actors such as Parysatis, whose rivalry with royal princes culminated in lethal factionalism. The most dramatic challenge was the rebellion of Cyrus the Younger, resulting in the Battle of Cunaxa and the death of Cyrus, followed by the retreat chronicled by Xenophon. Subsequent decades saw recurring insurrections by satraps and pretenders, including uprisings in Egypt and revolts fomented in Caria and Lycia. Dynastic instability produced a succession crisis implicating princes like Darius (son of Artaxerxes II), Ariaspes, and others, with episodes of assassination and fratricide influenced by court eunuchs and military commanders. The monarch's reliance on mercenaries, Greek strategoi, and native aristocrats shaped responses to rebellions while also intensifying elite competition documented by chroniclers such as Diodorus Siculus and Plutarch.

Economy, culture, and religion

Economic life under Artaxerxes II incorporated imperial tribute systems drawing on revenues from provinces such as Egypt, Babylonia, and Phrygia, and facilitated long-distance trade across routes connecting Persis to Bactria and the Mediterranean harbors of Tyre and Caria. Artistic patronage supported monumental reliefs and administrative archives in Persepolis and Susa, involving craftsmen influenced by Assyrian and Mesopotamian traditions. Religious practice engaged Zoroastrian institutions centered in Persis while accommodating local cults from Egyptian temples to Greek sanctuaries in Anatolia; court ritual and royal iconography reflected syncretic elements attested in inscriptions and classical testimony. Cultural exchange intensified with the presence of Greek mercenaries, Ionian artisans, and diplomatic contacts with Sicily and Egyptian priesthoods.

Death and legacy

Dying in 358 BC, the king's passing led to succession by Artaxerxes III, whose consolidation reversed many policies of the late reign. The long-term legacy includes the weakening of central authority through repeated satrapal revolts, the entrenchment of Greek military influence in Anatolia, and historiographical treatment by authors such as Xenophon, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, and later Arrian. His reign shaped the geopolitical landscape confronted by emerging powers like Macedon under Philip II and informed the Persian responses later faced by Alexander the Great. Category:Achaemenid monarchs