WI: Xerxes fails to claim the throne

[Mort the Reaper]

Before he could claim the throne of the Achaemenid Empire, Xerxes I had to contest the succession with his older half-brother Artobarzan, despite being his father's appointed successor. Xerxes won in part because his mother was Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great, while Artobazan's mother was Darius' commoner first wife. Some sources claim he also had significant help from an exiled Spartan king named Demaratus.

What if Artobarzan somehow claimed the throne instead of Xerxes?

 

[isabella]

Before he could claim the throne of the Achaemenid Empire, Xerxes I had to contest the succession with his older half-brother Artobarzan, despite being his father's appointed successor. Xerxes won in part because his mother was Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great, while Artobazan's mother was Darius' commoner first wife. Some sources claim he also had significant help from an exiled Spartan king named Demaratus.

What if Artobarzan somehow claimed the throne instead of Xerxes?

Pretty unlikely who Artobazan would be able to hold the throne without killing all the sons of Atossa AND marrying a blood relative of Cyrus the Great like his father has done...