Cyrus the Younger's mother argued he was born to a reigning king; his elder brother got the throne, killed him at Cunaxa and cut off his head and hand

Herodotus says that Darius I's sons quarrelled over the succession before his planned war on Egypt and Athens. Herodotus says the eldest, Artobazanes, born before Darius became king, claimed the throne as the eldest; Xerxes, son of Cyrus the Great's daughter Atossa, argued he was born when his father was already king. Darius chose Xerxes. Two generations later Queen Parysatis made the same argument for her favourite son Cyrus against his elder brother Artaxerxes. Plutarch says she failed: Artaxerxes II became king and Cyrus stayed a governor. Xenophon says a courtier accused Cyrus of plotting, Artaxerxes arrested him to kill him, and their mother saved him. Cyrus secretly hired Greek soldiers and marched on Babylon. At Cunaxa he saw his brother, shouted "I see the man," charged and wounded him through his breastplate. Cyrus was struck in the temple and killed. Plutarch says his head and right hand were cut off and Artaxerxes held up the head by the hair to rally his army. Parysatis took revenge. She had the Carian who claimed the killing tortured to death. She diced with the king for a eunuch, won, and chose Masabates, who had cut off Cyrus's head and hand, and had him flayed alive. The king's wife Stateira opposed her and later died of poison; Parysatis' maid Gigis was executed as the poisoner, and Artaxerxes sent his mother to Babylon. His Greek army's march home became Xenophon's Anabasis.