Xerxes (519–465 BC), son of Darius I and Atossa. During his and his father's reign, he ruled the largest Empire humanity has ever seen by that time. Achaemenid Empire was divided into satrapies and each satrapy was governed by one peripheral leader, the Satrap. There were more than 24 satrapies around that period and the Satraps followed direct orders from Xerxes himself.

OBJECTIVE OF THE GAME

In this resource management game, each player assumes the role of one Satrap, each with his own area, special ability and characteristics. Every turn the players are trying to collect resources for taxes, construct buildings or launch campaigns.The player has a number of Tax and Campaign cards to resolve in order to satisfy Xerxes and earn his favor (counted as Victory Points).

Every round of the game has the following phases:
- Resource Phase.
- Annual Event Phase.
- Campaign Phase.
- Build Phase.
- Taxation Phase.
- Turn Change Phase.

The player that reaches 25 Victory Points earns the favor of Xerxes and wins the game; alternatively, the one with the most Victory Points at the end of the 7th round.

—description from the publisher

18:T51c,

The ancient Greek world was ruled by the Olympian gods, 12 beings of immense power, but also victims to their own feelings, passions and vices.
They vied for supremacy very often even amongst themselves, sometimes through brute force like hurling bolts of lightning, but they also conspired against each other through guile and intricate machinations.
This is the game the gods were playing when they tried to consolidate their power by working in the shadows, manipulating mortals to do their bidding, either showering them with promises of immortality and other divine gifts, or bending them to their will with dreadful threats and curses. The gods would compete against each other in a contest of wits and tactics, having the heroes of ancient Greece

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