Hydarnes Wins A Victory At Marush
While Dariush was dealing multiple with rebellions in every part of the Empire, one issue was to prevent Median Phraortes from contacting Vahyazdata and other rebels. It was winter and a group of soldiers headed by Hydarnes had already secured mountain passes between Media and the heartland. On Jan, 12 Median army attacked Hydarnes forces in Mehriz. While the count of dead and captives is not very reliable on two sides, Hydarnes retreated to Kampanda and controlled the road between Pasargadae and Gabae at a defensive position.
Vaumisa who was sent by Dariush to the north to suppress the Armenian rebels. He won a victory on Dec, 31, 522 but he did not continue north probably because of weather conditions and the fact that his primary task was to prevent rebels from contacting each other. Later a commander Dadarsi made contact with him and defeated the enemy on 20 May, 30 May, 11 June, and 20 June.
In the east, Dariush's father Hystaspes warded off an attack by Parthians. (Updated: Feb, 1, 2008)
Hystaspes Defeats Parthian rebels
The army of Dariush was made up of Median troops, thus they were not likely to attack their homeland. This was to the advantage of Phraortes. But a garrison commanded by Hystaspes, the father of Dariush still held out in Parthia which was loyal to Phraortes. The Parthians and their allies, the Hyrcanians, attacked the Persian garrison, but they were defeated in the city of Vishpauzatish on March, 8. Hystaspes could always charge Phraortes from the rear, thus kept stopped him from attacking Dariush who was building a new army until May, 8 when Dariush attacked Phraortes from the west and defeated him in Kunduru. Hystaspes remained a great aid to his son: When Dariush visited Egypt and led an expedition to Scythia; Hystaspes stayed in Persia as regent. (Updated: Aug, 13, 2008)
Median Rebellion Suppressed By Dariush
When Cyrus the Great overthrew the Median empire in 550 BC, he captured Ecbatana (today's Hamedan). Ecbatana became the summer residence of the Achaemenid kings. 28 years later in December 522, the Median rebel Phraortes who descended from Cyaxares, and gained support in Sagartia, Parthia and Hyrcania, reoccupied Ecbatana and made it his capital. Meanwhile, There were insurrections also in Armenia, Elam, and Persis. Phraortes was defeated by the Persian general Hydarnes on Jan, 12, 521 but he managed to stand ground during the winter. However, Dariush I the Great defeated him on May, 8, 521 near Kangavar. Dariush celebrated this event with a relief and inscription in Bisotoun along the road from Babylon to Ecbatana. Phraortes managed to escape to Rhagae (Tehran), where he was caught and crucified. Another rebel named Tritantaechmes continued the rebellion, but was defeated by general Takhmasp. Tritantaechmes was crucified in Arbela marking the last Median uprising. (Updated: Dec, 4, 2007)
Artavardiya Defeats Vahyazdata
After Smerdis, a Persian named Vahyazdata proclaimed himself the real heir of the throne and to be the real Smerdis. He seized a Persian palace and was able to conquer Arachosia. Dariush who was busy with other rebels at the time, sent his trusted general Artavardiya to fight him. Vahyazdata was defeated on May, 24 and fled to the east to rearrange an army. He was defeated again and captured on July, 14th and was crucified. (Updated: Sep, 18, 2008)
Hystaspes Defeats Median Uprising
While Dariush was fighting Phraortes in Rhagae, his father Hystaspes was fighting Median rebels in Parthia but his forces were not enough. Then Dariush sent him a Persian army from Rhagae and as soon as the army arrives Hystaspes attacks the rebels and after two battles takes control back. Dariush in his notes expresses his satisfaction with his father who had killed 6,750 enemy soldiers and had captured 4,192 with a small army and without his father on Phraortes' tail Dariush could not have been very successful. Thinking about the organization and logistics needed for these battles, the Persian army did an extraordinary job. That must be the reason Dariush the great consistently mentions Ahouramazda's help. (Updated: Feb, 1, 2008)
Vahyazdata Of Persia Arrested
On March, 8th. Vivana in Arachosia defeated an army sent by Vahyazdata and the satrap of Bactria Dadarsi stayed loyal to Dariush. In summer, all resistances against Dariush were being suppressed one after another. The Parthians were now trapped between Hystaspes and Dadarsi from the east and the army of Dariush from the west. Parthians surrendered on July, 11 and four days later Vahyazdata was arrested while on the run. Vahyazdata and his chief followers were soon crucified. Dariush was now the ruler of the Persian Empire and his coronation took place in Pasargadae. (Updated: Dec, 11, 2007)
Arakha Revolts In Babylon
Arakha claimed to be the son of Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, proclaimed king on Aug, 25, 521 as Nebuchadnezzar IV. He was indeed son of Haldita, an Armenian, living in Babylon. Dariush's bow carrier Intaphrenes was sent to suppress the revolt. According to the Bisotoun inscription which provides valuable dates about the events Dariush the great says: "I sent my servant, a Persian named Intaphrenes to Babylon. Intaphrenes marched to Babylon. By the grace of Ahouramazda he overthrew the Babylonians and brought over the people to me."
The revolt was then suppressed on Nov, 27, 521 and Arakha was crucified. An embossed image of Arakha is depicted in Bisotoun together with other rebel leaders from almost every satrapy. (Updated: Feb, 6, 2008)
Intaphrenes Takes Back Babylon
Intaphrenes who was one of the noblemen that assisted Dariush in ascending to the throne was sent with an army to Babylon to suppress the uprising started on August, 25 leaded by Arkha, the son of an Armenian named Haldita Arkha claimed to be Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabonidus, last king of the independent Babylon but he was briefly defeated on Nov, 11 and executed together with his top aids. Intaphrenes had the title of bow carrier which was similar to right hand of the king that could even recruit an army. This was the second rebellion in Babylon in the same year. The first one was suppressed by Dariush himself.
In Bisotoun inscription Dariush insists that all these leaders gather people around themselves using lies and tricks and his message to the future generation is to be honest and not to lie. He ordered the content of the inscription be written in different places and in different languages. It is remarkable that his greatest achievement was to become victorious in nineteen different wars in less than two years in the vast empire and bring peace and security back to the country. He also mentions Ahouramazda's name a lot as the only one who helped him through these wars. (Updated: Dec, 17, 2007)
Last Revolt Against Dariush Silenced
A rebel leader in Magriana named Frada was the last one to be taken care of. Dariush sent his loyal commander Dadarsi of Bactria to suppress the revolt. Dadarsi defeated Frada after a long march through the desert of Karakum. This was the last of 19 revolts in the same year that started the reign of Dariush the Great. A version of Bisotoun text in Aramaic states 55.423 Margians killed and 6.972 taken captive in the battle. (Updated: Dec, 15, 2007)
English-Persian Glossary
- Ahouramazda: اهورامزدا(Ahuramazda, Ahura Mazda)
- Aramaic: آراميک
- Arbela: اربيل(Erbil, Arbil)
- Arkha: ارخا(Nidintu-Bel)
- Armenia: ارمنستان
- Bab: باب
- Babylon: بابل
- Bactria: باختر(خوارزم)
- Bisotoun: بيستون(Behistun-بغستان)
- Cyaxares: هوخشتره
- Cyrus: کورش(Kurosh)
- Dariush: داريوش(Darius)
- Dariush I: داريوش اول(Dariush the Great)
- Ecbatana: اکباتان(Ekbatana-هکمتانه)
- Egypt: مصر
- Elam: ايلام
- Hamedan: همدان
- Hydarnes: وي درنه
- Hyrcania: گرگان
- Hystaspes: ويشت اسپه
- Intaphrenes: ويندفرنه
- Karakum: کاراکوم
- Mehr: مهر
- Mehriz: مهريز(Marush)
- Nabonidus: نبونهيد
- Nebuchadnezzar: نبوخدنصر
- Parthia: پارت
- Parthian: اشکاني(پارتي)
- Pasargadae: پاسارگاد(Passargad)
- Persia: ايران
- Phraortes: فرورتيش
- Rhagae: ري(Ray, Rey)
- Sagartia: سکان
- Takhmasp: تهماسب
- Vahyazdata: وهيزداته(Smerdis, Bardia)