Which Achaemenid king was killed by his bodyguard in 465 BCE?

Xerxes I was killed by his bodyguard in 465 BCE. Ancient accounts state that Artabanus, a powerful court official and commander of the royal guard, organized Xerxes’ assassination in the palace at Persepolis.

Xerxes had ruled the Achaemenid Empire since 486 BCE, succeeding his father, Darius I. His reign is especially associated with the enormous invasion of Greece in 480 BCE and with major building projects at Persepolis. After the assassination, Artabanus briefly exercised influence, but Xerxes’ son Artaxerxes I became king and eventually removed him.

The precise details differ among ancient sources, and modern historians treat some parts of the story cautiously. The broad succession is clear: Xerxes died in 465 BCE, and Artaxerxes I took the throne. Xerxes should not be confused with Xerxes II, a much later ruler who reigned only briefly in the fourth century BCE.