Xerxes II

Xerxes II (/ˈzɜːrksiːz/ ZURK-seez; Old Persian: 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠, romanized: Xšayār̥šā; Ancient Greek: Ξέρξης, romanized: Xérxēs; died 424 BC) was a Persian king who was very briefly a ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, as the son and successor of Artaxerxes I.

After a reign of forty-five days—where he only had control over the Persian heartlands—he was assassinated in 424 BC by his half-brother Sogdianus, who in turn was murdered by Darius II six months later. He is an obscure historical figure known primarily from the writings of Ctesias. He was the only legitimate son of Artaxerxes I and Damaspia, and is known to have served as crown prince.