AR-Siglos 5.6 gm, 15mm
Sardis. c. 375-340 BCE
Obv: King r., dagger and bow. Rev: Incuse rectangle
Carradice Type IV C (pl.14, 49); BMC Arabia pl. 27, 19
Ex Akropolis Coins (PeteB)
This is a silver siglos produced either during Darius III’s lifetime, or during that of one of his predecessors. It depicts a king running with a bow and dagger. While in elementary school we would have been cautioned against running while holding both a bow and a dagger, clearly Persian kings never had such warnings.
In this case, the act of running was certainly spot on. Darius III was renowned for personally wetting himself at the battle of Issus, then outrunning all others from the field in the Battle of Gaugamela. He ran so quickly, in fact, that even Alexander the Great couldn’t catch him.
Darius III certainly didn’t start out so badly. He took power in 336 BCE, and soon noticed an interesting phenomenon. His predecessor, Ataxerxes IV, had died of poisoning. Ataxerxes III, before him, had also perished from poisoning, along with the majority of his family. When his eunuch Bagoas suggested they drink to his health, Darius simply had Bagoas drink first, and in that trivial way found the chief poisoner.
Nevertheless, Darius III will go down as one of the most ineffectual wartime leaders of all time. His strategy of running from each battle, then suing for peace with increasingly large portions of his empire, had disastrous consequences. Constantly chased by Alexander, Darius was eventually killed by his satraps Bessus and Nabarzanes. When Alexander found the ex-king in an ox-cart, he sent the body back for a royal funeral. Bessus, on the other hand, was eventually hunted down and executed by Alexander.
Probable birth year of Amastris to Oxyathres, the brother of Darius III.
Alexander the Great enters Babylon after defeating Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela.
October 1
Alexander the Great defeats Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela.