Artaxerxes II
| Artaxerxes II π πΌπ«π§ππ | |
|---|---|
The Rock relief of Artaxerxes II in Persepolis | |
| King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire | |
| Reign | 405/4β359/8 BC |
| Predecessor | Darius II |
| Successor | Artaxerxes III |
| Born | Arses c.β436 BC (or 453 or 445 BC) |
| Died | November 359 β April 358 BC |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Stateira |
| Issue among others | |
| Dynasty | Achaemenid |
| Father | Darius II |
| Mother | Parysatis |
| Religion | Zoroastrianism |
Arses or Arsaces (c. 445β359/8 BC), known by his regnal name Artaxerxes II (Old Persian: π πΌπ«π§ππ ArtaxΕ‘aΓ§ΔΚ°; Ancient Greek: αΌΟΟΞ±ΞΎΞΟΞΎΞ·Ο), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 405/4 BC to 359/8 BC. He was the son and successor of Darius II (r.β423 β 405/4 BC) and his mother was Parysatis.
Soon after his accession, Artaxerxes II faced opposition from his younger brother Cyrus the Younger, who assembled an army composed of troops from his Lydian and Ionian satrapies as well as Greek mercenaries in his bid for the throne. The forces of the brothers clashed at Cunaxa in 401 BC, which resulted in the defeat and death of Cyrus. Following this, Artaxerxes II had to contend with several other revolts; a revolt by Evagoras I (r.β411β374 BC) in Cyprus between 391β380 BC, by the Phoenicians in c.β380 BC, and most importantly, the revolts by the western satraps (known as the Great Satraps' Revolt) in the 360s and 350s BC, led by distinguished figures such as Datames, Ariobarzanes, and Autophradates.
The rulers of the Parthian Empire notably considered Artaxerxes II their progenitor.