Darius III

My name is Darius III, and I was the last Great King of the vast Persian Empire. I was born around the year 380 BCE into the royal Achaemenid family. Even though I was royalty, I was not in the direct line to become king, so I never expected to rule. For many years, I served my empire as a satrap, which is another word for a governor. In this role, I learned how to lead and manage a part of our great lands. I also served as a soldier, and people said I was brave in battle, which earned me a good reputation. Life was straightforward until everything changed in a very surprising way. In 336 BCE, through a series of unexpected events, I was named the new ruler of Persia. Suddenly, I was in charge of the largest empire on Earth. It was a huge and serious responsibility, and I promised myself I would do everything in my power to protect it and its people.

My Persian Empire was incredible. It was so big that it stretched across parts of three different continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. Millions of people from many different cultures lived under my rule. For a time, there was peace, but soon a great challenge appeared from the west. A young and brilliant general from a kingdom called Macedon began marching his army toward my lands. His name was Alexander, and he was determined to conquer. In 334 BCE, his army arrived, and my local governors met him for the first major battle, which is now called the Battle of the Granicus. My forces fought hard, but Alexander won. When I heard the news, I knew that this was not just a small raid. This was a serious threat. I realized that I would have to face this clever challenger myself to defend my empire.

I gathered my grand army, a sea of soldiers from all over the empire, and marched to meet Alexander. In the year 333 BCE, our two armies clashed in a huge battle at a place called Issus. The sounds of fighting were everywhere as my soldiers fought bravely against Alexander's troops. But his soldiers were incredibly well-trained, and he was a very clever commander who knew how to find a weakness in his enemy's lines. As the battle turned against us, I had to make a very difficult choice. To continue the fight for my empire, I had to escape and live to fight another day. It was a sad day for me, because in the chaos, my mother, my wife, and my children were captured by Alexander's army. I worried for them, but I later heard that Alexander treated them with respect, which brought me some comfort in a time of great loss.

After my defeat at Issus, I was not ready to give up. I spent the next two years working tirelessly to gather the largest army the world had ever seen. I called on soldiers from every corner of my empire, determined to stop Alexander once and for all and push him out of my lands. In 331 BCE, we faced him again at the Battle of Gaugamela. This time, I was sure we would win. We had war chariots with sharp blades spinning from their wheels, and our number of soldiers was far greater than his. But Alexander was too skilled a general. He found a way to create a gap in my lines and charged directly toward me. Once again, his army broke through, and I had to flee as my empire and its great cities began to fall into his hands.

My final days came in the year 330 BCE. I was on the run, trying to gather new forces in the eastern part of my empire to continue the fight. But I was betrayed by someone I trusted. One of my own governors, a man named Bessus, turned against me. I lived to be about 50 years old. Today, people remember me as the last king of the great Achaemenid Empire of Persia. My story is always told alongside Alexander the Great's, as I was the king whose ancient empire gave way to a new era in history. Though my reign ended in defeat, the Persian Empire I led had a long and rich history, and its art, ideas, and culture influenced the world for many centuries after I was gone.