Hydarnes

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Hydarnes son of Hydarnes was an eminent Persian, the commander of the Ten Thousand Immortals during the time of the Persian Wars with Greece. Hydarnes led the Immortals in Xerxes' expedition against Greece.

Perhaps the most famous episode involving Hydarnes and his Immortals came at Thermopylae in 480 BC, when they came into contact with Leonidas of Sparta.

After the Persian naval defeat at Salamis at the hands of a vastly outumbered Greek force, Xerxes retreated with most of his remaining army (except the 300,000 men who stayed behind under the command of Xerxes' cousin, Mardonius to try to subdue Greece and were defeated at Plataea). Xerxes gave Hydarnes the responsibility of getting the army back over the Hellespont and back to Asia.