Darius the Great
| Darius | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Shah of Persia | |
| Predecessor | Bardiya |
| Successor | Xerxes I |
| Born | 550 BCE |
| Died | October 486 BCE (aged 64) |
| Religion | Zoroastrian |
Darius the Great (c. 549 BC– 486/485 BC) was the son of Hystaspes and Persian Shah of Iran from 522 BC to 485 BC. After Darius became Shah of Persia, he divided the Persian Empire into twenty provinces, and appointed a governor for each province. He introduced golden coins and developed commerce within the empire and trade without. He tried to conquer Greece and subjugate the Greeks in the first Greco–Persian war but lost at the Battle of Marathon.
Darius allowed the Jews to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. He also built many temples in Egypt. He crowned himself as the Pharaoh of Egypt. The largest building that was built by Darius, is the new capital of Persepolis, near Pasargadae. Darius died in Persepolis. His tomb was cut into a rock face near Persepolis. After his death, Xerxes became the Shah of Iran.