The reign of Darius

Notes

START:*EXTRA-BIBLICAL SOURCES: - The Behistun Inscription, a monumental rock relief and trilingual cuneiform inscription, commissioned by Darius I, details his rise to power. It describes how Darius, a Persian noble, overthrew Gaumata (a Magian usurper claiming to be Bardiya, son of Cyrus) in 522 BCE, thus becoming king. - The Babylonian Contract Tablets, economic and administrative tablets from Babylon record transactions dated by regnal years of Persian kings. Tablets dated to “Year 1 of Darius” begin in late 522 BCE, after those dated to Bardiya (March–September 522 BCE). - The Canon of Ptolemy, a chronological list of kings used for astronomical calculations, lists Darius I as succeeding Cambyses II and Bardiya, with his reign beginning in 522/521 BCE. - In his Histories (Book 3.61–88), Herodotus narrates Darius’ rise to power, describing how he and six Persian nobles conspired to overthrow the usurper “Smerdis” (Gaumata, posing as Bardiya) in 522 BCE. - In his Persica, Ctesias offers an alternative account of Persian history, preserved in fragments by later authors like Photius. He mentions Darius’ rise after Cambyses but includes less reliable details. [Shulman date p143] [Ussher date p125] END:*EXTRA-BIBLICAL SOURCES: - The Behistun Inscription, a monumental rock relief and trilingual cuneiform inscription, commissioned by Darius I, details his rise to power. It describes how Darius, a Persian noble, overthrew Gaumata (a Magian usurper claiming to be Bardiya, son of Cyrus) in 522 BCE, thus becoming king. - The Babylonian Contract Tablets, economic and administrative tablets from Babylon record transactions dated by regnal years of Persian kings. Tablets dated to “Year 1 of Darius” begin in late 522 BCE, after those dated to Bardiya (March–September 522 BCE). - The Canon of Ptolemy, a chronological list of kings used for astronomical calculations, lists Darius I as succeeding Cambyses II and Bardiya, with his reign beginning in 522/521 BCE. - In his Histories (Book 3.61–88), Herodotus narrates Darius’ rise to power, describing how he and six Persian nobles conspired to overthrow the usurper “Smerdis” (Gaumata, posing as Bardiya) in 522 BCE. - In his Persica, Ctesias offers an alternative account of Persian history, preserved in fragments by later authors like Photius. He mentions Darius’ rise after Cambyses but includes less reliable details.