Xerxes;An Education Especially For Mr Smit The Commentator

Xerxes is pronounced ZERK-seez...

Xerxes I ruled from 485 - 465 B.C., presiding over ancient Persia's decline from mighty power to fading empire. His father Darius was defeated by the Greeks at the battle of Marathon (490 B.C.), and 10 years later Xerxes assembled a vast army to invade Greece and avenge his father's defeat. (The best-known reports on the invasion come from the historian Herodotus.) Xerxes crossed the Hellespont (now called the Dardanelles) and methodically overran Greece. He won a costly victory at Thermopylae -- the famous battle which ended with 300 Spartan warriors defying the entire Persian army in a last battle to the death -- and finally reached Athens and sacked the deserted city. But the invasion ended in disaster when the Persian navy was routed by the Greek fleet at Salamis (480 B.C.). Xerxes retreated to his palace in Persepolis, leaving behind an occupying army which was defeated by the Greeks shortly thereafter. Persia remained a formidable nation but Xerxes withdrew from active life, devoting himself to what Herodotus called "the intrigues of the harem." 15 years later Xerxes was stabbed to death, probably by his subordinate Artabanus, and was succeeded by his son Artaxerxes.

Read more: www.answers.com/topic/xerxes#ixzz1AoueLhBB

Was he a Spartan?

After going out of the PA in the first leg (the best of mine ran 4th) I feel like I have just been serviced by ZERK-seez during his days in the Harem:X

mr hawaii Wrote:

---

> After going out of the PA in the first leg (the
> best of mine ran 4th) I feel like I have just been
> serviced by ZERK-seez during his days in the
> Harem:X


hehehe.. classic comment mr h

Commentators and presenters get paid for what they do, yet they seem to wing it and at best are unprepared. Surely if you don't want to sound like an absolute twat, best is to ask a fellow presenter, the owner,trainer, breeder or your mommy on what is the pronounciation of the name, and for added interest what is the origin. Pretty sure if you phoned Yogas/ Mrs Plattner and said that you were presenting on race day and you did not want to botch the horsies name, they would have told you a lovely story about the horse and the name, and they may even tell you to add it to your play(bonus)

Well said muhti, and they have heaps of time to find out

That's my point,another case of the mediocrity that seems so acceptable in this business.Not that tough to find out,but simply no effort put into it.

When is he going to stop calling gate 1 pole position up the straight,clearly it seldom is.

just try calling the tab 011210 numbers and listen to the lady call out the betting or results - you may have to look six or seven times in your card to match her pronunciation of a horse's name - difficult when you are driving and you know the name of your selection but not the number

...and on the other side of the coin Jimmy Lithgow would surely have known about Xerxes and no doubt would have rambled on about the name and origin only to offend the masses who just want a pointer on what to add to the PA.....lol, but the TT and race presenters need a bit of tutoring and coaching if they want to be taken seriously.

craig peters is one commentator who definitly makes an effort to find out the correct pronounciation of the name from the trainers...

One of the best was Sheldon pronouncing Champs Elysees as Champs (rhyming with tramps) Eleeesees. It's only one of the most famous, if not the most famous, street in the world.()

Muhti u got enough horses to take out your taining license yet ? Word on the street is that that is your dream and you have been asing for patrons ? Hope it goes well.