Darius III

Darius III was the last king of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, ruling from 336 to 330 BCE. Alexander the Great defeated him, and he was killed during his flight east.

Battle of Issus: A battle in 333 BCE in which Alexander the Great defeated Darius III in southern Anatolia. Darius’s first major defeat by Alexander exposed the vulnerability of the Persian king in the field.
Alexander the Great: King of Macedon who conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire and founded an empire extending into Asia. His victories against Darius transformed a dynastic contest into the conquest of Persia.
Achaemenid Empire: The Persian empire founded by Cyrus the Great, which ruled much of western and central Asia from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE. Darius’s kingship and resources came from this imperial system.
Artaxerxes III: Achaemenid king who ruled from 358 to 338 BCE and restored Persian authority in Egypt. His reign preceded Darius’s accession and shaped the court succession he inherited.
Battle of Gaugamela: A battle in 331 BCE in which Alexander defeated Darius III near Arbela in Mesopotamia. This defeat destroyed Darius’s ability to defend the empire’s principal centers.
Bessus: A Persian satrap who joined the conspiracy against Darius III and later proclaimed himself king. He seized Darius after Gaugamela and became the central figure in the king’s final flight.
Achaemenid army: The military forces of the Achaemenid Empire, assembled from imperial contingents and regional troops. Darius depended on its diverse forces to confront Alexander’s Macedonian army.
Arses of Persia: An Achaemenid king who ruled briefly from 338 to 336 BCE before Darius III. Darius succeeded Arses after a period of violent instability at the royal court.
Battle of the Granicus: A battle in 334 BCE in which Alexander defeated Persian forces in northwestern Anatolia. The defeat opened Alexander’s campaign in Asia before Darius personally took command.
Nabarzanes: A Persian commander who participated in the arrest of Darius III after the Battle of Gaugamela. His betrayal illustrates the fractures within Darius’s leadership as Alexander advanced.

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