Artaxerxès II

Artaxerxès Mnémon , in Greek Ἀρταξέρξης (“which has memory”), into Persan: Ardaschīr, Ŗtachschaçā, king de Perse and Pharaon of Egypt of -404 with -358, is the longest reign of a sovereign of the family of the Achéménides.

Biography

Named Arsicas in its youth, Artaxerxès is the oldest son of Darius {{II}} and of its half-sister Parysatis. The latter seems to intrigue so that his/her son junior, Cyrus the Young person, reaches the throne but Darius imposes Artaxerxès and moves away Cyrus by making from him the satrap of Lydie, Phrygie and Cappadoce. According to Plutarque, Cyrus foments a plot against his/her brother as of -404, with died of Darius, whereas Artaxerxès will be crowned by the priests with Pasargadès. Xénophon notes for its part that it is about a calumny. At all events, Artaxerxès saves Cyrus following the petitions of Parysatis which, all its life, will preserve a strong influence on his/her oldest son.

Cyrus prepares then with the revolt and engages of many Greek mercenaries, undoubtedly more 10.000, directed by the Spartiate Cléarque. The defeat and the death of Cyrus with Counaxa (-401), and massacre it Greek chiefs by the satrap Tissapherne, saves the throne of Artaxerxès while the remaining mercenaries regain the Greece with difficulty, directed by Xénophon.

Reign

The reign of Artaxerxès is that of the slow decline of the empire achéménide. It loses the Egypt (-404) and the coast syro-phenician is confronted with a dynaste Cyprus, Évagoras, which temporarily succeeds in making the unit of the island. It is necessary more than 10 years to reduce it (-381) and still must one leave him the possession of Salamine.

With Greece, Artaxerxès succeeds in being posed as a referee between Sparte and Athens, partly thanks to the enormous corrupting money sums poured on the Greek cities. In -386 is signed the peace of the king , or Paix of Antalcidas, which ensures Persia the control of the towns of Asia Mineure. In -365 Artaxerxès is confronted with a general revolt of the satraps of Asia Mineure, however already largely autonomous as Mausole in Carie. In fact the death of Cyrus strengthened the throne of the Large King, according to the expression of the time, but the intrusion of this last in the businesses of Greece is the consequence of the ceaseless internal competitions in the Greek cities not that of its own power. During all its reign the immense state is threatened of dislocation and if he escapes this situation it is above all by the division of its adversaries.

This disappointing reign is completed in an atmosphere of Tragédie. One of its sons is carried out after a plot against Artaxerxès, another commits suicide and third is assassinated, undoubtedly by the future Artaxerxès {{III}}. Artaxerxès dies very old mined by its successive mournings. Its fourth wire, Artaxerxès Ochos, succeed to him for the last energetic reign of the dynasty.

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