Answer:
Xerxes I
Step-by-step explanation:
After the Marathon defeat, Darius I prepared to launch another attack against the Greeks. But he died in 486 BC, before the planned attack. His son Xerxes took control of the Persian Empire.
Xerxes I was not Darius’s oldest son. However, Darius chose him as the next king because his mother was the daughter of Cyrus the Great. Being a grandson of Cyrus helped Xerxes gain loyalty from his subjects.
But Xerxes did not follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Instead, he angered some of the regions under his rule by ignoring their traditions and limiting their freedom. He also increased taxes on the people to pay for grander buildings in the empire and new attacks on Greece. Because of these actions, Xerxes lost the goodwill of the people.
Xerxes I spent 10 years preparing his army to fight against the Greeks. He also developed a navy to fight Athens’s navy. In 480 BC, he led the second Persian invasion of Greece both by land and by sea. To defend against the Persians, Athens joined forces with Sparta, another powerful Greek city-state.
The Spartans were known for being brave and highly disciplined. All Spartan males entered military school at the age of seven. They joined the army at the age of 20, and they were in the military reserves until they turned 60. The Spartans were skilled with spears and swords, and they were known as fearless fighters in war.