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What Is The Importance Of Herodotus Actions

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Darius was born as the eldest of five sons to a leading figure of power in Persia named Hystaspes. Either Cyrus or his son and successor Cambyses appointed Hystaspes as governor of Parthia. Briant says that “the Behistun text shows that he (Darius) held a high military command in Parthia at the time. We also know that he accompanied Cambyses on his Egyptian expedition, since Herodotus places him there in a well-known story.” Herodotus states that at this time Darius “not yet of any particular importance,” an evaluation that only makes sense in contrast to his position as king, his position when Herodotus first introduces him in the course of his narrative. Herodotus wrote “that after a dream that seemed to predict Darius’ reign, King Cyrus …show more content…

On the fourteenth day of the month Viyaxana [11 March 522 B.C.E] did he rebel. He lied to the people, saying: ‘I am Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, the brother of Cambyses.’ Then were all the people in revolt, and from Cambyses they went over unto him, both Persia and Media, and the other provinces. He seized the kingdom [...]. Afterwards, Cambyses died of natural causes.” Briant pointed out that the ancient sources contain major contradictions regarding the identity of Gaumata/Smerdis, and using them for reconstructing the conditions surrounding the removal of Smerdis and the coming to power of Darius is correspondingly complicated. According to Herodotus, it was Otanes who initiated a conspiracy, being “the first person to suspect that he (Gaumata/Smerdis) was not the son of Cyrus but an impostor. Otanes chose Intaphernes, Gobryas, Megabyzus, Aspathines, and Hydranes.” Darius was a man of great prominence and popularity.When Darius arrived on the scene “from Persia….it was decided to add him to the number.” They immediately began to hold secret consultations for the purpose of determining how it was best to proceed, first binding themselves by the most solemn oaths never to betray one another, however their undertaking might end. Darius told them that he had himself discovered the imposture and usurpation of Smerdis, and that he had come from Persia for the

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