© 1998 Bernard SUZANNE   Last updated December 5, 1998 
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Darius II

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Son of Artaxerxes (who had 18 sons in all) and of a Babylonian concubine, Ochos reached the throne of Persia in 423 and took the name of Darius, after two of his half-brothers, Xerxes II and Sogdianos, were successiveley assassinated (the first one by the second, the second one by him) within one year of the death of Artaxerxes they succeeded in turn (Xerxes for 45 days and Sogdianos for 6 months). With the help of his wife and half-sister Parysatis, Darius managed to get rid of his other brothers and of all opposition at the court and to stay in power till his death in 405.
During his reign, Persia sided with Sparta in the Peloponnesian War, financing the Spartan fleet and using this opportunity to retake many Ionian cities lost by Athens. When, in 407, Tissaphernes, Satrap of Sardis, was convinced by Alcibiades to switch alliances and support Athens, Darius named his younger son Cyrus, the favorite son of Parysatis, Satrap of Asia Minor to continue the policy of alliance with Sparta.
At his death in 405, despite maneuvres by his wife Parysatis to favor Cyrus over her first-born Artaxerxes for the succession to the throne, it is Artaxerxes who succeeded him (for the struggle that ensued between the two brothers, in which took part Xenophon and the Ten Thousand Greek soldiers, see the entry on Cyrus the Younger).

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Plato and his dialogues : Home - Biography - Works - History of interpretation - New hypotheses - Map of dialogues : table version or non tabular version. Tools : Index of persons and locations - Detailed and synoptic chronologies - Maps of Ancient Greek World. Site information : About the author.

First published January 4, 1998 - Last updated December 5, 1998
© 1998 Bernard SUZANNE (click on name to send your comments via e-mail)
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