User:Warrior4321/articles/Darius the Great3
Khshayathiya Khshayathiyanam , King of Kings / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Darius I (Old Persian: Dārayavahuš) (550 – 486 BCE), also known as Darius the Great, was the fourth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire. Darius held the empire at its peak, then including Egypt, Balochistan, and parts of Greece. The decay and eventual downfall of the empire commenced with his death and the ascension of his son, Xerxes I.
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Darius I | |
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'Khshayathiya Khshayathiyanam , King of Kings | |
Reign | Sep 522 BCE to Oct 486 BCE (36 years) |
Predecessor | Bardiya |
Successor | Xerxes I |
Born | 550 BCE |
Died | October 486 BCE (aged approximately 64) |
Burial | |
Wife | |
Issue | Artobazan, Xerxes |
Dynasty | Achaemenid Empire |
Father | Hystaspes |
Mother | Rhodogune |
Religion | Zoroastrianism |
Darius ascended the throne by overthrowing the alleged magus usurper of Bardiya with the assistance of six other Persian noble families; Darius was crowned the following morning. The new emperor met with rebellions throughout his kingdom, and quelled them each time. A major event in Darius's life was his expedition to punish Athens and Eretria for their aid in the Ionian Revoltand subjugate Greece. Darius expanded his empire by conquering Thrace and Macedon, and invading Scythia, home of the Scythians, Iranian tribes who had invaded Media and had previously killed Cyrus the Great.
Darius organized the empire, by dividing it into provinces and placing satraps to govern it. He organized a new uniform monetary system, along with making Aramaic the official language of the empire. Darius also worked on construction projects throughout the empire, focusing on Susa, Pasargadae, Persepolis, Babylon, and Egypt. Darius devised a codification of laws for Egypt. He also carved the cliff-face Behistun Inscription, an autobiography of great modernlinguistic significance. Darius, also started many massive architectural projects including magnificent palaces in Persepolis, and Susa.