Darius the Great was a king of ancient Persia, whose reign lasted from BC 522 to 486. He took the throne by force, and continued the conquests of his predecessors, subduing Thrace, Macedonia, some Aegean Islands, and land stretching to the Indus valley. Darius put down several revolts, and he twice tried to conquer Greece, but a storm destroyed his fleet in 492 and the Athenians defeated him.
Though Darius was an excellent soldier, and extended his empire East, North, and into Europe, he saw himself as an organizer and lawgiver, rather than as a mere conqueror. He divided the empire into 20 huge provinces called satrapies, each under a royally appointed governor called a satrap who had administrative, military, financial, and judicial control in his province. To check on such powerful subordinates, Darius also appointed the satrap’s second-in-command, having him report to the king separately.
Darius also developed commerce, and was responsible for a huge building programme including a new capital at Persepolis.
