§11.69.1τοῦ δʼ ἐνιαυσίου χρόνου διεληλυθότος Ἀθήνησι μὲν ἦρχε Λυσίθεος, ἐν Ῥώμῃ δʼ ὕπατοι καθειστήκεσαν Λεύκιος Οὐαλέριος Ποπλικόλας καὶ Τίτος Αἰμίλιος Μάμερκος.
When the year had run its course, Lysitheus was archon in Athens, and in Rome Lucius Valerius Publicola and Titus Aemilius Mamercus were established as consuls.
ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν Ἀρτάβανος, τὸ μὲν γένος Ὑρκάνιος, δυνάμενος δὲ πλεῖστον παρὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ Ξέρξῃ καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων ἀφηγούμενος, ἔκρινεν ἀνελεῖν τὸν Ξέρξην καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν εἰς ἑαυτὸν μεταστῆσαι.
During their term of office, in Asia, Artabanus, a Hyrcanian by birth, who possessed the greatest influence at the court of King Xerxes and was commander of his bodyguard, decided to assassinate Xerxes and transfer the kingship to himself.
ἀνακοινωσάμενος δὲ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν πρὸς Μιθριδάτην τὸν εὐνοῦχον, ὃς ἦν κατακοιμιστὴς τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τὴν κυριωτάτην ἔχων πίστιν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ συγγενὴς ὢν Ἀρταβάνου καὶ φίλος ὑπήκουσε πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβουλήν.
Having communicated his plot to the eunuch Mithridates, who was the king's chamberlain and enjoyed his greatest trust, and who, being at the same time a relative and friend of Artabanus, complied with the plot.
§11.69.2ὑπὸ τούτου δὲ νυκτὸς εἰσαχθεὶς ὁ Ἀρτάβανος εἰς τὸν κοιτῶνα, καὶ τὸν Ξέρξην ἀνελών, ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως.
Artabanus, being introduced by him by night into the bedchamber and having assassinated Xerxes, rushed against the sons of the king.
ἦσαν δὲ οὗτοι τρεῖς τὸν ἀριθμόν, Δαρεῖος μὲν ὁ πρεσβύτατος καὶ Ἀρταξέρξης, ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις διατρίβοντες, ὁ δὲ τρίτος Ὑστάσπης ἀπόδημος ὢν κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρόν· εἶχε γὰρ τὴν ἐν Βάκτροις σατραπείαν.
These were three in number: Darius, the eldest, and Artaxerxes, who were residing in the palace, while the third, Hystaspes, was away from home at that time, for he held the satrapy in Bactria.
§11.69.3ὁ δʼ οὖν Ἀρτάβανος παραγενόμενος ἔτι νυκτὸς οὔσης πρὸς τὸν Ἀρταξέρξην ἔφησε Δαρεῖον τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ φονέα γεγονέναι τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν εἰς ἑαυτὸν περισπᾶν.
Artabanus, therefore, coming while it was still night to Artaxerxes, told him that his brother Darius had become the murderer of their father and was drawing the kingship over to himself.
§11.69.4συνεβούλευσεν οὖν αὐτῷ πρὸ τοῦ κατασχεῖν ἐκεῖνον τὴν ἀρχὴν σκοπεῖν ὅπως μὴ δουλεύσῃ διὰ ῥᾳθυμίαν, ἀλλὰ βασιλεύσῃ τὸν φονέα τοῦ πατρὸς τιμωρησάμενος· ἐπηγγείλατο δʼ αὐτῷ συνεργοὺς παρέξεσθαι τοὺς δορυφόρους τοῦ βασιλέως.
He therefore advised him, before Darius should seize the rule, to see to it that he should not become a slave through indifference, but should rule as king after punishing the murderer of his father; and he promised him that he would provide the king's bodyguard to cooperate with him.
§11.69.5πεισθέντος δὲ τοῦ Ἀρταξέρξου καὶ παραχρῆμα μετὰ τῶν δορυφόρων ἀνελόντος τὸν ἀδελφὸν Δαρεῖον, ὁρῶν αὑτῷ τὴν ἐπιβολὴν εὐροοῦσαν, καὶ παραλαβὼν τοὺς ἰδίους υἱοὺς καὶ φήσας καιρὸν ἔχειν τὴν βασιλείαν κατακτήσασθαι, παίει τῷ ξίφει τὸν Ἀρταξέρξην.
Artaxerxes, being persuaded and immediately, with the help of the bodyguard, having assassinated his brother Darius, Artabanus, seeing that his plot was progressing smoothly for him, and taking his own sons with him and saying that they had the opportunity to win the kingship, struck Artaxerxes with his sword.
§11.69.6ὁ δὲ τρωθεὶς καὶ οὐδὲν παθὼν ὑπὸ τῆς πληγῆς ἠμύνατο τὸν Ἀρτάβανον καὶ κατενέγκας αὐτοῦ πληγὴν καιρίαν ἀπέκτεινε.
But Artaxerxes, though wounded and having suffered nothing fatal from the blow, warded off Artabanus, and dealing him a timely blow, killed him.
παραδόξως δὲ σωθεὶς ὁ Ἀρταξέρξης καὶ τὸν φονέα τοῦ πατρὸς τετιμωρημένος παρέλαβε τὴν τῶν Περσῶν βασιλείαν.
Thus, saved beyond expectation and having punished the murderer of his father, Artaxerxes succeeded to the kingship of the Persians.
Ξέρξης μὲν οὖν τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον ἐτελεύτησε, βασιλεύσας τῶν Περσῶν ἔτη πλείω τῶν εἴκοσι, τὴν δὲ ἀρχὴν διαδεξάμενος ὁ Ἀρταξέρξης ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη τετταράκοντα.
Xerxes, then, died in the manner described, after ruling over the Persians for more than twenty years, and Artaxerxes, succeeding to the government, ruled for forty years.