leading historical figures of the period. Xerxes (Ahasuerus) is portrayed by Richard Egan in the 1960 film Esther and the King and by Joel Smallbone in the 2013 film, The Book of Esther. In at least one of these films, the events of the Book of Esther are depicted as taking place upon Xerxes' return from Greece. Xerxes plays an important background role (never making an appearance) in two short works of alternate history taking place generations after his complete victory over Greece. These are: "Counting Potsherds" by Harry Turtledove in his anthology Departures and "The Craft of War" by Lois Tilton in Alternate Generals volume 1 (edited by Turtledove). See also List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources References Bibliography Ancient sources Modern sources Bridges, Emma (2014). Imagining Xerxes: Ancient Perspectives on a Persian King. Bloomsbury. External links 510s BC births 465 BC deaths 5th-century BC Babylonian kings 5th-century BC Iranian people 5th-century BC Kings of the Achaemenid Empire 5th-century BC murdered monarchs 5th-century BC Pharaohs 5th-century BC rulers Book of Esther Battle of Salamis Battle of Thermopylae Family of Darius the Great Kings of the Achaemenid Empire Monarchs of the Hebrew Bible Murdered Persian monarchs Persian people of the Greco-Persian Wars Pharaohs of the Achaemenid dynasty of Egypt Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt Year of birth uncertain