Darius II
Darius II 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 | |
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| |
King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire | |
Reign | 423–404 BC |
Predecessor | Sogdianus |
Successor | Artaxerxes II |
Pharaoh of Egypt | |
Reign | 423–404 BC |
Predecessor | Sogdianus |
Successor | Amyrtaeus |
Died | 404 BC |
Spouse | Parysatis |
Issue | |
Dynasty | Achaemenid |
Father | Artaxerxes I |
Mother | Cosmartidene of Babylon |
Religion | Zoroastrianism |
Darius II (
Artaxerxes I, who died in 424 BC, was followed by his son Xerxes II. After a month and half Xerxes II was murdered by his brother Sogdianus. His illegitimate brother, Ochus, satrap of Hyrcania, rebelled against Sogdianus, and after a short fight killed him, and suppressed by treachery the attempt of his own brother Arsites to imitate his example.[citation needed] Ochus adopted the name Darius (Greek sources often call him Darius Nothos, "Bastard"). Neither the names Xerxes II nor Sogdianus occur in the dates of the numerous Babylonian tablets from Nippur; here effectively the reign of Darius II follows immediately after that of Artaxerxes I.[2]
Historians know little about Darius II's reign. A rebellion by the Medes in 409 BC is mentioned by Xenophon. It does seem that Darius II was quite dependent on his wife Parysatis. In excerpts from Ctesias some harem intrigues are recorded, in which he played a disreputable part.[2] The Elephantine papyri mention Darius II as a contemporary of the high priest Johanan of Ezra 10:6.[3][4]
Conflict with Athens
As long as the power of
Darius II may have expelled various Greek dynasts who had been ruling cities in Ionia:
Darius is said to have received the visit of Greek athlete and Olympic champion Polydamas of Skotoussa, who made a demonstration of his strength by killing three Immortals in front of the Persian ruler.[9][10] A sculpture representing the scene is visible in the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of antiquity.[11]
Darius II died in 404 BC, in the nineteenth year of his reign, and was followed as Persian king by Artaxerxes II.[2]
Issue
Prior to his accession, Darius II was married to the daughter of Gobryas. With the daughter of Gobryas, Darius II had four sons, one of whom fathered Artabazanes, who served as King of Media Atropatene in the second half of the 3rd century BC.[12][13][14]
- By Parysatis
- Artaxerxes II
- Cyrus the Younger
- Oxathres or Oxendares or Oxendras
- Artoxexes
- Ostanes
- Amestris wife of Teritouchmes & then Artaxerxes II
- & seven other unnamed children
See also
- Artoxares
- Kay Darab
References
- Brill's New Pauly, "Darius".
- ^ a b c d public domain: Meyer, Eduard (1911). "Darius". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 833. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ Pritchard, James B. ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, Princeton University Press, third edition with supplement 1969, p. 492
- ^ Bezalel Porten (Author), J. J. Farber (Author), C. J. F. Martin (Author), G. Vittmann (Author), The Elephantine Papyri in English (Documenta Et Monumenta Orientis Antiqui, book 22), Koninklijke Brill NV, The Netherlands, 1996, p 125-153.
- ^ ISBN 9781910589595.
- ^ Paus. 1.1.2, 26.4
- ISBN 9780520061705.
- ^ Smith, William (1867). Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. Vol. 3. Boston: Little, Brown. pp. 1154–1156.
- ]
- ISBN 9789607037435.
- ^ Ministry of Culture and Sports | Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of antiquity.
- ^ ARTABAZANES, Encyclopedia Iranica
- ^ García Sánchez, M (2005): "La figura del sucer del Gran Rey en la Persia Aqueménida", in V. Troncoso (ed.), Anejos Gerión 9, La figura del sucesor en las monarquías de época helenística.
- ^ Hallock, R (1985): "The evidence of the Persepolis Tablets", in Gershevitch (ed.) The Cambridge History of Iran v. 2, p. 591.