Darius I- rise to power

Where did Cambyses go, and who did he leave in charge of the royal palace?

Cambyses left for Egypt and named Patizithes as custodian of the royal palace.

Who was Gaumata?

Gaumata was Cambyses’ brother.

What opportunity did Gaumata see while Cambyses was away?

He saw an opportunity to gain power and became the new ruler in 522 BCE.

How long after Gaumata took power did Cambyses return?

Cambyses returned seven months later.

What did Cambyses discover when he returned?

He discovered that he could not take the throne back.

What are the different accounts of how Cambyses died?

Some sources say he took his own life, while others say he died from an injury during the march through Syrian Ecbatana or Damascus.

Who was Otanes?

Otanes was Cambyses’ uncle.

What did Otanes discover about the new ruler?

He discovered that the ruler was not actually Cambyses’ brother.

Who helped Otanes assassinate Gaumata?

Darius and several other Persian nobles helped Otanes assassinate Gaumata.

What happened to Persia after Gaumata was assassinated?

Persia was left without a leader.

What form of government did Darius support?

Darius voted in favour of monarchy

Why did the Persian nobles agree to a contest?

They could not settle who should become king, so they agreed to a contest to determine the new ruler.

What was the contest to decide the new Persian king?

Each contender would arrive on horseback the next morning. The man whose horse neighed first at sunrise would become king.

According to Herodotus, how did Darius cheat in the contest?

Herodotus says Darius’ servant rubbed his hand over the genitals of a mare and then let Darius’ horse smell his hand, causing it to neigh.

what happened when Darius’ horse neighed?

The horse neighed during lightning and thunder from a storm, convincing the other nobles to accept Darius as king.

When did Darius become king?

Darius became king in 522 BCE.

Did all the Persian Empire immediately recognise Darius as king?

No. Only a portion of the satrapies initially recognised Darius as their king.

Why did revolts break out after Darius’ coronation?

Many regions saw Darius’ rise to power as an opportunity to gain independence, so revolts broke out across the empire

What major problem did Darius face immediately after becoming king?

He faced widespread revolts across the Persian Empire because many satrapies did not recognise him as their legitimate king.