Who is darius

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How viruses shape our world. The era of greyhound racing in the U. See how people have imagined life on Mars through history. The story of Darius's accession is told most fully by the Greek Herodotus, whose version clearly reflects the official account set up by Darius's own order in the famous rock inscription at Behistun.

According to Herodotus, Cambyses had had his brother Smerdis Bardiya executed, but while Cambyses was absent in Egypt, a Magian priest named Gaumata, trusting in a chance resemblance, put himself forward as Smerdis and seized the throne.

Cambyses started back but died en route, and the false Smerdis was generally accepted. Darius, with the aid of a few who knew that Smerdis was dead, murdered Gaumata and in his own person restored the royal line. Though Darius was an excellent soldier and extended his empire east, north, and into Europe, he saw himself as an organizer and lawgiver rather than as a mere conqueror. Little of his work was startlingly original, but the blending of the old and new and the interlocked ordering of the whole gave his work importance.

He divided the empire into 20 huge provinces called satrapies, each under a royally appointed governor called a satrap who had administrative, military, financial, and judicial control in his province. To check on such powerful subordinates, Darius also appointed the satrap's second-in-command, having him report to the King separately.

Standing garrisons under commanders independent of the satrap were stationed strategically. However, since all these officials were more or less permanent, there remained the possibility that all three might conspire to plot revolt. Accordingly, a further set of royal officials—inspectors called the King's "eyes" or "ears"—were frequently sent out.

Since in so huge an empire—it covered some 1 million square miles—there was always the problem of communication and transportation, Darius established a system of well-maintained all-weather roads and a royal courier system with posthouses and regular relays of horses and riders.

The trip from Sardis in western Asia Minor to Susa in Persia normally took 3 months; a royal message could cover it in a week. Darius also regulated the tribute, hitherto collected irregularly as needed, on a fixed annual basis according to the wealth of each satrapy. Though hardly low, this tribute does not appear to have been burdensome.

He also instituted the first official Persian coinage. Militarily the empire was organized on the satrap system, but the results were less happy. Aside from the resident garrisons and the royal bodyguard there was no standing army. At need, satraps involved were ordered to raise a quota of men and bring them, armed and ready, to an appointed assembly point. Inescapably, a Persian army was thus long on numbers but short on uniformity; each contingent was armed and trained in its local fashion and spoke its native tongue.

Persian infantry was usually of very poor quality; the cavalry, provided by the Persians themselves, the Medes, and the eastern steppe dwellers, was generally quite good. On the foundation inscriptions of the palace, Darius boasts that the materials and craftsmen used came from all four corners of the empire.

Bricks came from Babylon, cedarwood from Lebanon, while gold came from Sardis and Bactria. Silver and ebony from Egypt and ivory from Nubia added to the grandeur.

Darius also began construction on a mighty new royal center at Persepolis, a monument to the glory of his empire. Bas-reliefs covering the walls of the apadana audience hall depict delegations from across the empire bringing gifts to the king. Conquered lands were allowed to retain their native religions, as long as they remained docile under Persian rule.

This remarkable tolerance continued under Darius. In Egypt, Darius built and restored several cult temples, and consulted with the priesthood when codifying Egyptian laws. Although historians are unsure if Darius officially worshipped the sect, Zoroastrianism became the Persian state religion. Darius himself certainly believed in Ahura Mazda, the chief deity of the Zoroastrian pantheon.

There are several references to Ahura Mazda in many of his proclamations and inscriptions, including Behistun. Darius seemed to believe that Ahura Mazda had bestowed on him a divine right to rule the Achaemenid Empire. With Persia holding influence over several Ionian and Aegean cities, conflict with the emerging Greek city-states seemed inevitable.

Aristagoras sought allies from mainland Greece. The Spartans refused, but Athens and Eretria agreed to help by providing troops and ships and burning the city of Sardis. After six years of war, the Persians defeated the rebels and regained control of the region.

Furious and eager to retaliate, Darius attempted to invade Greece. In BC, the Persians destroyed Eretria and enslaved the survivors. Despite being outnumbered, a bold strategy allowed the Athenians and their allies to rout the Persians, ending the first invasion. Darius swore to try again and spent three years preparing his forces for another assault.

Another uprising in Egypt delayed his plans and worsened his condition. He is most fascinated by the Achaemenid Persian Empire and has been interested in the Ancient world his entire life. His hobbies include walking, philosophy, history, photography, and writing fiction.

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