Darius

(da-ri'us,) surnamed HYDASPES, king of Persia, 8. Cambyses, 521 B. c., after putting to death Smerdis who had usurped the throne. He divided the great empire founded by Cyrus and consolidated by Cambyses, into20 great satrapies, made an unsucce ful expedition against the Scythians, and sent an army into Greece which was defeated at Marathon, 490. D. 485 B. c. D. II., called OCHUS, or NOTHUS, was a natural son of Artaxerxes Long i man us, and, after deposing the usurper Sogdianus, ascended the throne of Persia, 424. D. 405 B. c.-D. III., styled CODOMANNUS, the last of the ancient Persian kings, s. Arses in 336 B. c. In his reign Persia was invaded by Alexander the Great, and were fought the battles of I us (333), and Arbela (331). D., while escaping from the latter disastrous field, was killed by one of his satraps, Be us. A daughter ofD., Statira, became one of the queens of Alexander. [s. 265]