The King Who Punished The Sea After Weather Destroyed The Bridge He Was Building
An ancient ruler of Persia, Xerxes I, used all the power of his throne to get his revenge on nature
Rulers and kings throughout history have run the gamut in terms of their effectiveness and even sanity. Occasionally, stories are discovered of the unusual or downright bizarre things that were done in the name of royal decree. It’s hard to top the retribution of Persian ruler Xerxes I, who became so upset after a bridge he was building from Asia to Thrace was demolished by storms, that he had his soldiers carry out brutal punishment on the sea for its indiscretion.
Born around 518 BC, Xerxes I ruled Persia from 486 BC until his death in 465 BC. During his reign, he developed a legacy of forming huge armies that he used to expand his empire, which included suppressing separate Babylonoan and Egyptian revolts. He also loved spearheading huge construction projects. He funded the creation of enormous palaces, buildings and roads, but his most unusual endeavor was ambitious to a level never seen before.
Herodotos described Xerxes I ordering the building of expansive pontoon bridges to span the Hellespont (modern-day Dardanelles Strait in order to connect Asia with the then Persian-controlled Thrace…
