Darius III

Hello! My name is Darius, and I want to tell you my story. A very long time ago, I was the king of a huge and amazing land called the Achaemenid Empire. You might know it by its other name, the Persian Empire. It was one of the biggest empires in the entire world! Before I became the king, my name was Artashata. I felt so proud to be the leader of all my people. I loved ruling over our beautiful cities and green lands, and I wanted to make sure everyone was safe and happy under my care. It was a very big responsibility, but I was ready for it.

My life didn't start in a royal palace. I wasn't born to be a king. I began my journey as a brave soldier, fighting to protect my home. Because I worked hard and was a good leader, I was chosen to be a governor, which was called a satrap, for a part of the empire named Armenia. Then, in the year 336 BCE, a very special thing happened. I was chosen to become the Great King of all of Persia! It was the most important job in the land. I made a promise to myself and to my people that I would protect our empire and everyone who lived inside its borders.

When I first became king, everything was peaceful and calm. My empire was strong, and the people were happy. But soon, a very big challenge appeared. A young and very clever king from a country called Macedonia came with a powerful army. His name was Alexander, but people later started calling him Alexander the Great because of his victories. Alexander was very determined, and he had a big dream: he wanted to conquer my entire empire. I knew right away that I had to be strong and brave to defend my home and protect my people from this new threat.

Alexander and I became great rivals. We led our armies into huge battles that are still famous today. Two of the biggest fights were the Battle of Issus, which happened in 333 BCE, and the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE. My army was enormous! I had thousands and thousands of soldiers, fast chariots pulled by horses, and even mighty elephants. But Alexander was a very smart general, and his soldiers were trained very well. We fought as hard as we could, and my soldiers were very brave, but Alexander and his army won those important battles.

After the last big battle, my time as the king of the great Persian Empire came to an end in the year 330 BCE. I lived to be about 50 years old. Even though my empire was conquered, people still remember it as a wonderful and powerful kingdom that lasted for a very long time. I am remembered as the last king of that mighty empire, the one who stood up to the famous Alexander the Great and defended my people with all my strength.