In this program we'll take a look at the illustrious life of the great Persian King of Kings, Darius I, also known as Darius the Great. Regarded by many as the most powerful ruler of the Achaemenid Dynasty of ancient Iran, Darius I is also amongst its most controversial. We'll dive deeper into the life of great king, the contentious debate about his rise to power, and ultimately examine the words of Darius himself about his these and other aspects of his life and beliefs.

Contents:

00:00 Introduction and Historical Context
03:37 Early Life of Darius
05:14 Rise to Power as told in the Behistun Inscription
16:55 Lineage and Family of Darius
18:10 Rebellions and Troubles of 522 BC
20:43 Architect of an Empire: Satrapies, Reforms, Roads and Canals
25:19 Darius the Builder: Susa and Persepolis
33:50 Expansion of the Achaemenid Empire
35:25 The Ionian Revolt
37:17 Invasion of Greece and the Battle of Marathon
43:21 Thank You and Patrons

Special thanks to Farya Faraji for the music:

"Achaemenes"
"Shirin and Khosrow"
"The Riding Angaros"
"Memory of Cyrus"
"Spantodhata's Warning"
"The Apadana's Shadow"
"Battle of Cunaxa"
"Hyrcanian Lullaby"
"Immortals"
"Apranik's Charge"
"March of Achaemenes"

Check out more of his work that spans across many countries, cultures and time periods:
   / @faryafaraji  

Additional Music:

Epidemic Sound

Special thanks to Malay Archer for creating the astounding machinimas that really brought this program to life using the Total War: Rome 2 Divide et Impera, Cyrus the Great campaign and Age of Bronze mod.

Check out more of his work here:

   / @malayarcher  

Related Videos:

The History of Persepolis and a Walking Tour of the Site
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Exploring the Royal Necropolis of Naqsh-e Rustam (Achaemenid Tombs / Sasanian Reliefs)
   • Exploring the Royal Necropolis of Naq...  

Cambyses II and the Persian Conquest of Egypt (Achaemenid Persian Empire)
   • Cambyses II and the Persian Conquest ...  

Cyrus the Great and the Birth of the Achaemenid Persian Empire
   • Cyrus the Great and the Birth of the ...  

History of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Part I (550-486 BC; Cyrus the Great - Darius the Great)
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History of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Part II (486-330 BC; Xerxes I - Alexander the Great)
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Sources and Suggested Reading:

From Cyrus the Alexander – Pierre Briant
Ancient Persia: A Concise History of the Achaemenid Empire, 550–330 BCE - Matt Waters
The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources from the Achaemenid Period - Amélie Kuhrt
A History of Ancient Persia - The Achaemenid Empire (Blackwell History of the Ancient World) - Maria Brosius
History of the Persian Empire - A.T. Olmstead
The Iranian Expanse – Matthew P. Canepa
Persepolis and Its Surroundings – Heidemarie Kokh
The Persians - Jim Hicks
The Authoritative Guide to Persepolis – A. Shapur Shahbazi

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