Category:Darius I (subject)
Darius I (Darius the Great) was King of Persia, from 522 BCE to his death in 486 BCE.
Overview
Darius I emerged as the winner in the power struggle that divided the Persian Empire in the year 522, following the death of Cambyses II and the brief reign of Bardiya. Darius' genealogical relation, if any, with the royal house is not clear.
Darius' military and administrative abilities over a period of nearly 40 years greatly consolidated the Persian Empire. He divided it into semi-autonomous provinces and placed governors to govern them. The unity of the empire was guaranteed by creating a very effective bureaucracy, and adopting Aramaic as the common language and a unitary monetary system.
In the last years of his kingdom, Darius led the first unsuccessful Persian attempt at invading Greece, which ended with the defeat in the Battle of Marathon (490 BCE).
At his death in 486 BCE, Darius was succeeded by his son Xerses I.
Darius I and the Jews
As King of Persia, Darius I was the ruler of Judea. Darius I's internal policy marked a major shift also in Israel, as it reveals the attempt to reconstruct a political semi-autonomous authority within the old boundaries of the former kingdom of Judah. It was under Darius I that the Second Temple was build, initially under the dual leadership of the Davidic Zerubbabel and the Zadokite Joshua.
Darius I in ancient sources
- Darius I (sources) -- survey of ancient sources
Related categories
- Persian Kings (subject)
- High Priests (subject) / Zadokites (subject) / Joshua (subject)
- Davidic Kings (subject) / Zerubbabel (subject)
External links
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