How was xerxes related to Cyrus?

Xerxes was a descendant of Cyrus the Great, as he belonged to the Achaemenid dynasty that Cyrus founded. Specifically, Xerxes was the son of Darius I, who was a direct successor of Cyrus. This lineage made Xerxes a member of the royal family that ruled over the Persian Empire, which Cyrus established in the 6th century BCE.