Xerxes I was a king of the Achaemenid Empire, ruling from 486 to 465 BCE. He is best known for his massive invasion of Greece during the Greco-Persian Wars, which included the famous battles of Thermopylae and Salamis. Xerxes aimed to expand his empire and avenge the Persian defeat at Marathon. Xerxes was the son of Darius I and Atossa, and he inherited a vast empire that stretched from Egypt to India. His reign is often characterized by grand construction projects, including the completion of the Palace of Persepolis. Despite his military ambitions, his campaigns in Greece ultimately ended in failure.