A king named Artaxerxes lived long ago.
He ruled a very large land. He worked hard to keep his land together. He even built a new palace.
His work helped his empire stay strong. Do you like learning about kings?
A king named Artaxerxes ruled a large land.
He was the son of a king. He became king after his father died.
He worked to keep his land strong. He led many soldiers to fight. He wanted to win back Egypt.
At first, he did not win Egypt. He tried again later.
He won that time.
He also built many things. He built a new palace. He even built a tomb.
He was a very powerful leader. Do you like learning about kings?
Artaxerxes III was a king of the Persian Empire.
He ruled from 359 to 338 BC. He was the son of King Artaxerxes II.
Artaxerxes III had a hard path to the throne. His brothers died or were killed. He also killed members of his own family to stay in power. Once he was king, he took control. He told local leaders to disband their private armies. This helped him keep more power for himself.
He led many wars. He tried to win back Egypt twice. His first try failed. But he tried again in 340 BC. He led a huge army to win.
He defeated the Egyptian leader, Nectanebo II. He took much wealth from Egypt. He also built new things in his home city. He made a new palace and a tomb.
He even started a project called the Unfinished Gate.
Later, he was killed. This led to the fall of his empire.
Artaxerxes III was a powerful leader of the Achaemenid Empire.
He ruled as the King of Kings from 359 or 358 BC until 338 BC. His name comes from an Old Persian phrase meaning "whose reign is through truth." Before he became king, he served as a satrap and an army commander. A satrap was a local leader who helped govern a part of the empire. He was the son of King Artaxerxes II and Queen Stateira. His rise to power was marked by many deaths within his own family.
Getting to the throne was a very difficult and violent process for him. He had several brothers, including Ariaspes and Darius. Darius was actually the first choice to be the next king. However, a plot to take power led to Darius being executed. After that, Artaxerxes used different tricks to remove his other brothers. He even killed the man named Arsames, who was the favorite son of his father. Once he became king, he acted quickly to secure his position. He killed members of the royal family to make sure no one could challenge him.
After becoming king, Artaxerxes III worked to make his rule much stronger. He ordered local leaders in western Anatolia to disband their private armies. He did this so these leaders could not become too powerful. Some leaders did not like this order and started to fight back. One leader named Artabazus II led a revolt against the king. Artaxerxes sent other leaders, like Mausolus, to stop the rebellion. Eventually, Artabazus fled to Macedonia to find safety with King Philip II.
Artaxerxes III is also known for his many wars to expand his empire. He wanted to bring Egypt back under Persian control. His first attempt to take Egypt in 351 BC was a failure. The Egyptian Pharaoh, Nectanebo II, defeated the Persian army with help from Greek soldiers. Artaxerxes did not give up and tried a second time around 340 or 339 BC. This time, he led a massive army of 330,000 men.
He used different groups of soldiers to attack several cities at once. This second invasion was successful, and he finally defeated Nectanebo II.
In his later years, the king focused on building grand things in his capital. He worked on many projects in the city of Persepolis. He built a new palace and a special tomb for himself.
He also started a very large project known as the Unfinished Gate.
However, his time as king ended when he was assassinated. His death caused a lot of trouble for the empire. Soon after, the empire fell to the armies of Alexander the Great.
Artaxerxes III, also known by his personal name Ochus, was a major ruler of the Achaemenid Empire. He served as the King of Kings from 359 or 358 BC until his death in 338 BC. His name is the Latin form of the Greek name Artaxerxes. This name comes from the Old Persian term Artaxšaçā, which means "whose reign is through truth." Before he took the throne, he held two important roles. He was a satrap, which is a provincial governor, and a commander of his father's army.
His path to the throne was defined by a violent struggle for succession. Artaxerxes III was the legitimate son of King Artaxerxes II and Queen Stateira. He had two full brothers named Ariaspes and Darius. Darius was the eldest and was originally the heir to the empire. He even wore the upright tiara, a symbol of royal privilege. However, Darius plotted to take power earlier than expected. A eunuch discovered this conspiracy, leading to the execution of Darius and his family.
After Darius died, the right to rule passed to Ariaspes. Ochus used ruses and allegations to make Ariaspes commit suicide. He also had the king's favorite son, Arsames, killed by a man named Arpates. Once Artaxerxes II died, Ochus finally became king. To secure his position, he murdered all members of the royal family. This ensured that no other relatives could challenge his authority.
Upon his accession, Artaxerxes III took steps to consolidate his power. He ordered all satraps in western Anatolia to disband their mercenary forces. He wanted to prevent local leaders from becoming too independent. This order caused a revolt led by Artabazus II in 356 BC. Artabazus joined forces with the Athenian commander Chares and the Theban general Pammenes. Despite fighting the Persian forces, Artabazus eventually fled to Macedonia to seek protection from King Philip II.
Artaxerxes III is well known for his military campaigns to reclaim lost territories. In 351 BC, he launched a first campaign to conquer Egypt. This attempt failed when the Egyptian Pharaoh, Nectanebo II, defeated the Persians with Greek mercenaries. Following this defeat, several regions like Cyprus and Phoenicia declared independence. Artaxerxes responded by sending Idrieus, the prince of Caria, to reduce Cyprus. He also led a massive army of 330,000 men against the city of Sidon. This army included 300,000 foot soldiers, 30,000 cavalry, and 300 triremes.
The siege of Sidon was a brutal event. After the city was taken, it was burnt to the ground. This conflagration resulted in the deaths of 40,000 people. Artaxerxes even sold the ruins to speculators looking for hidden treasures. Later, in 340 or 339 BC, he launched a second, successful invasion of Egypt. He organized his army into three divisions of shock troops. Each division had a Greek commander and a Persian supervisor. This meticulous planning allowed him to defeat Nectanebo II and bring Egypt back into the empire.
In his final years, the king turned his attention to grand building projects. He focused on the capital city of Persepolis. He erected a new palace and constructed his own tomb there. He also began long-term projects, such as the Unfinished Gate.
However, his reign ended with his assassination. This event caused instability that prevented a Persian revival. Shortly after his death, the empire fell to the invading armies of Alexander the Great.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (8)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.