War and violence were what held the ancient world together, territory was not gained through gifts, riches were not won with kind words, and power was never gained by eating a meal with the enemy. War was a necessity to the rulers of the ancient world, without it nothing would be won or lost. The best example of this comes from the writings of the Greek philosopher Herodotus in The Histories written about the Persian Empire’s conquest for land, and obsession with revenge. To Xerxes, who was the Emperor of Persia around 480 BCE the only logical choice was to go to war with the Greeks, thus emphasizing the importance of war. Xerxes believed that no nation was able to withstand the might of the Persian Empire. This philosophy emphasized the need for the use of force and the necessity of war in the ancient world. The idea of war is as old as time itself, if there was something to be gained out of want or necessity war was always the answer. Herodotus wrote of Xerxes discussion with his counsel regarding the impending invasion of Greece, and the strategies he wanted to employ. Xerxes states that “In his behalf, therefore, and in behalf of all the Persians, I undertake the war, and pledge myself not to rest till I have taken and burnt Athens, which has dared, unprovoked, to injure me and my father.” Xerxes felt an overwhelming pressure to make his presence known in Greece and to defeat the Athenians. Emperor Xerxes ruled his empire with an iron fist and that led to the Persian Empire being the strongest empire in the world at that time in history. Rulers in the ancient world were ruthless as stated in Hammurabi’s Law Code where most laws you are either killed or maimed for the laws broken. This was derived in a way to deter crime and instill fear in the people. In reading excerpts written by Herodotus in his accounts of dealings with Xerxes, it is easy to feel the fear that Xerxes emits when he speaks. When his counselors answer hi