And neither snow nor rain nor heat nor dark of night keeps them from completing their appointed course as swiftly as possible. The first courier passes on the instructions to the second, the second to the third, and from there they are transmitted from one to another all the way through, just as the torchbearing relay is celebrated by the Hellenes in honor of Hephaistos.
By having fresh horses and riders ready at each relay, royal couriers may have carried messages the entire distance in 7 to 9 days, though normal travelers, or an army on foot, might have taken about three months. Caravans of traders riding donkeys or camels took about three months to traverse the Royal Road, but royal dispatches could be relayed from Susa to Ephesus in a week by a network of courier stations set at equal intervals along it.
Yet Darius did not impose the belief system on those of other faiths. His subjects in conquered lands could continue to worship their own gods and keep their own cultural traditions.
All of these measures helped Darius stimulate trade and productivity. Accordingly, the standard of living in Persia rose, and Persian dominance in the Near East became entrenched. Darius I ruled for more than three decades. He lost battles against the Greeks including the famous battle of Marathon in the years leading up to his death in B. But Persia would exist as a political entity for more than a thousand years, and many old Persian traditions endure to this day.
All rights reserved. Culture Reference. Who was Darius I? Darius I BC assumed the throne of Persia at age He ruled for over 30 years and was admired for his organizational skills that were instrumental in building a more powerful Persian kingdom. Organizational genius More significant than his conquests, though, were the measures he took to consolidate his vast dominion. Share Tweet Email. When the imposter was deposed, the seven briefly considered an oligarchical form of government, but decided instead to select one of their number as the new king, and grant permanent privileges to the other six.
Darius, by craft, won the throne of Persia and to seal his position, married Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus the Great. Most played important roles in the administration of Darius and his successors for years to come. Although Darius's main contribution to the Persian Empire was administrative, he did engage in several important military operations.
His first major challenge was the re-taking of Babylon. The city, which was extremely well fortified and provisioned, rebelled while his army was tied up in Asia Minor. It took several years, and an elaborate ruse, to reduce the city. Babylon was dealt with firmly, and further rebellion ceased, so in the tenth year of Darius's reign, he planned an invasion of Scythia, which is a region in Europe bordering the Black Sea north of the Danube. Darius's invasion of Scythia, like that of Cyrus's, ended in defeat for the Persians, but at least Darius escaped with his life.
This disaster curbed Darius's taste for conquest for many years, and he did not attempt another invasion of Europe for nearly twenty years. Darius the Great Darius Hystaspes d. The next great event of the reign of Darius was the Ionian Rebellion, in which the Greek cities in Asia Minor sought to break away from Persian domination. The struggle lasted five years, and Athens sent a fleet to aid the Ionians.
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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