X-Nico

6 unusual facts about Artaxerxes III


Artaxerxes III

Both suffered crushing defeats at the hands of Tennes, the Sidonese king, who was aided by 40,000 Greek mercenaries sent him by Nectanebo II and commanded by Mentor of Rhodes, and the Persian forces were driven out of Phoenicia.

For the 10 years that Persia controlled Egypt, religion was persecuted and sacred books were stolen.

Nectanebo II resisted with an army of 100,000 of whom 20,000 were Greek mercenaries.

Battle of Pelusium

Battle of Pelusium (343 BC), second battle fought between Achaemenid forces under Artaxerxes III (the Ochus) of Persia and pharaoh Nectanebo II, leading to defeat of Egyptian forces and the start of second Persian period in Egypt

Old Persian cuneiform

Later kings down to Artaxerxes III used corrupted forms of the language classified as “pre-Middle Persian”.

Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt

After an interval of independence, during which three indigenous dynasties reigned (the 28th, 29th, and 30th dynasty), Artaxerxes III (358 BC) reconquered the Nile valley for a brief second period (343 BC), which is called the thirty-first dynasty of Egypt.


The Susa weddings

Alexander himself married Stateira (sometimes called Barsine, but not to be confused with Barsine, wife of Memnon), the eldest daughter of Darius, and, according to Aristobulus, another wife in addition, Parysatis, the youngest daughter of Artaxerxes III.


see also