Arses,
Achaemenid king of
Persia, son of
Artaxerxes III and
Atossa, Queen of Persia
Died
June,
336 BC
Arses took the throne in November of 338 BC, after his father was poisoned by his minister, Bagoas. During his brief reign of less than two years, Arses managed to do little except anger Philip II of Macedon as his father had done. His father had defended the cities of Perinthus and Byzantium against Philip's expansion and Arses denied reparations for his father's actions. The enmity created by Arses and his father would be passed on to Philip's son, Alexander the Great.
Arses' temper grew short as he became aware of Bagoas' manipulations and murderous scheming. Arses' plan to poison Bagoas failed and Bagoas had him and his children killed. Due to the machinations of Bagoas and Artaxerxes III, Persia was woefully short on princes and the throne passed to a nephew of Artaxerxes II, Darius III.