Xerxes I

1 9.9

King of Persia who led a major invasion of Greece but the Greeks defeated him

proper noun

: Jerjes I

Xerxes I is remembered for his ambitious campaign against Greece during the early fifth century BC.

Examples

The defeat of Xerxes I at the Battle of Salamis marked a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars.
Many historians study the reign of Xerxes I to understand the rise and fall of the Achaemenid Empire.
The reign of Xerxes I was marked by significant military campaigns.
Did Xerxes I really lose the Battle of Salamis?
Xerxes I is remembered for his ambitious campaign against Greece during the early fifth century BC.
Many historians study the reign of Xerxes I to understand the rise and fall of the Achaemenid Empire.
The defeat of Xerxes I at the Battle of Salamis marked a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars.

Synonyms

Xerxes the Great

vsXerxes I

1 9.6

A king of ancient Persia who led a large army into Greece and fought at Thermopylae

uses the same historical identity but without the honorific epithet

Surface Forms

Xerxes I main

Morphology

Xerxes + I

This is a proper-name reference to a specific historical individual; knowing the surface constituents ('Xerxes' as a name and 'I' as an ordinal/roman numeral) does not allow a B1 learner to infer the meaning ‘King of Persia who led the invasion of Greece’ or the historical facts. The expression is referential and idiosyncratic rather than compositional, so its meaning must be learned by exposure.

Etymology

Xerxes I is the name of a Persian king who led a large 'invasion' of Greece in the early fifth century BC. Picture his huge army at the narrow pass of Thermopylae and the great sea battle at Salamis; that image helps you remember him as the powerful Persian ruler who tried to conquer Greece but was finally defeated.