ALEXANDER DISCOVERS THE BODY OF DARIUS

The eunuch Bagoas, having murdered Artaxerxes III in 338 B.C. and his son Arses in 336 B.C., raised to the throne a distant relative of the royal house, whose name was Codomannus, and who had excelled in a war against the Cadusians. The new king, who adopted the name of Darius, took warning by the fate of his predecessors, and saved himself from it by forcing Bagoas to drink the cup himself. Already in 336 Philip II of Macedon had sent an army into Asia Minor, and in the spring of 334 the campaign of Alexander to Conquer Persia began. In the following year Darius himself took the field against the Macedonian king, but was beaten at Issus and in 331 at Arbela. In his flight to the east he was deposed and killed by Bessus.

Key events during the life of Darius III:

Year	Event
336 BC	Raised to the throne by the ambitious Eunuch Bagoas.
335 BC	Forced Bagoas to drink his own poison.
334 BC	Persia invaded by Alexander the Great, Battle of Granicus.
333 BC	Met Alexander in battle at Issus. Wife and mother were lost.
331 BC	Final defeat by Alexander at Gaugamela.
330 BC	Murdered by his attendants as he flew from Alexander.

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Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
Campaign in Asia Minor  in	Alexander the Great  by  Jacob Abbott
Great Victory  in	Alexander the Great  by  Jacob Abbott
Irresistible Phalanx  in	Helmet and Spear  by  Alfred J. Church
Death of Darius  in	The Story of the Greeks  by  H. A. Guerber
Darius Gallops from the Battlefield  in	The Story of Greece  by  Mary Macgregor
Alexander the Great and Darius  in	Historical Tales: Greek  by  Charles Morris
Alexander the Great  in	The Story of the Greek People  by  Eva March Tappan

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Image Links
The family of Darius at Alexander's feet, Crane  in Famous Men of Greece	The Death of Darius  in Famous Men of Greece	Alexander discovering the body of Darius  in Back Matter

Contemporary	Short Biography
Bagoas	Devious minister who murdered two kings.
Alexander the Great	Greatest general of ancient times. Conquered Persian Empire with 40,000 soldiers.