Reflective Reading Journal: Xerxes Invades Greece

Reflective Reading Journal: Xerxes Invades Greece
Close to its golden age, Greece was faced with a peril they did not foresee. The ruler of the Persian Empire, Xerxes had his eyes toward the Europeans who had the courage to resist his will. It was the height of his glory and it was his desire to rule people of great diversity. But what was interesting and at the same time, harrowing was the kind of ruler Xerxes was.
As he made preparations to invade Greece, Xerxes assigned men to carry out the building of a double bridge from Abydos. This event was particularly haunting for what happened and how this great ruler handled the situation. As it happened, while the men were building the bridge, a great storm approached the area and unfortunately broke the work. All that had been laid out had been destroyed. Naturally, this brought upon the wrath of the ruler. But his extreme measures, I would say, were far more than what was called for. “…he was full of wrath, and straightway gave orders that the Hellespont should receive three hundred lashes, and that a pair of fetters should be cast into it… While the sea was thus punished by his orders, he likewise commanded that the overseers of the work should lose their heads” (Halsall). Of course, like most stories from ancient leaderships, this was expected and normal. What stirs me is how today’s leaders seem to be going back to the same approach despite society’s seemingly successful progress to transition to democracies. In the event sighted above, the workers suffered Xerxes’ wrath due to what can be said was the work of the sea. He said that...