III. DARIUS CODOMANNUS was of the royal family of the Persians, but very remote from the crown, and in a low condition, when Bagoas the famous eunuch, who had successively procured the destruction of two kings, Ochus and Arses, Diodor. l. 17. Diodor. Sic. l. 17.placed him upon the throne. His true name was Codoman, and he did not take that of Darius till he was made king. He was descended from Darius Nothus, who had a son named Ostanes, father to Arsanes, who begat Codomannus. He was at first no more Plutarch. de fortuna Alexand. & in vita ejusdem.than Astande, that is to say, Courier, or at best Post-master-general to the emperor Ochus. But on a certain day, when he was at this prince’s army, one of the enemies came and challenged the bravest of the Persians. Codomannus offered himself for Diodor. l. 17. Justin. l. x. c. 3.the combat, and overcame him, and for his reward was made governour of Armenia. From hence Bagoas took him, in order to place him on the throne of Persia.
Bagoas soon perceived, that Darius was not of a humour to leave the government to him, and content himself with the bare title of king. He resolved therefore to get rid of him, and prepared poison to destroy him. But Darius having intelligence of his design, obliged him to drink it off himself, and so secured to himself the quiet possession of the crown. History represents Darius to us as one of the handsomest, best-made men in all the Persian empire, and at the same time as the bravest, most generous, gentlest and most merciful.
Alexander the Great having been chosen by the States and free Cities of Greece, to command in chief the army which was designed to act against the Persians, an honour which had been confer’d on king Philip his father, a little before his death; marched into Asia at the head of thirty thousand foot and five thousand horse, and engaging with Darius at the passage of Granicus, who had an army five times stronger than his, he obtained a signal victory over him. He defeated him a second time at Issus; whereupon Darius three several times made proposals of peace to him: but seeing there were no hopes of it, he levied a new army, two hundred thousand strong, which he led towards Niniveh. Thither Alexander followed him: the battle was fought near a little village called Gangamales; Darius lost it; Alexander had not above fifty thousand men. After this defeat, Darius fled towards Media, with hopes of raising such a power in this and the northern provinces of the empire, which continued under his subjection, as might enable him once more to try his fortune.
He arrived at Ecbatane, the capital of Media, where he gathered together the Arrian. l. 3. Diod. l. 17. Plutarch. in Alex. Curt. l. 5.broken remains of his army, to which he added some new levies. Alexander having spent the winter at Babylon and Persepolis, took the field to go in search after Darius, who upon notice of his march, departed from Ecbatane with a design of retreating into Bactria, there to fortify himself, and encrease his army: but he soon changed his resolution, stopt short, and determin’d once more to hazard a battle, tho’ his army at that time consisted only of forty thousand men. While he was preparing for this encounter, Bessus, Governour of Bactria, and Narbazanes, another great man of Persia, seized upon Darius, loaded him with chains, put him in a covered chariot, and fled, carrying him with them towards Bactria, with a full purpose, if Alexander pursued them, to purchase their peace by delivering him up to his enemy; if not, to kill him, take possession of the crown, and begin the war anew.
Eight days after their departure, Alexander arrived at Ecbatane, and set out upon the pursuit after them, which he continued for eleven days together: at last he stopt at Rages in Media, despairing to overtake Darius: from thence he went into Parthia, where he learned what had happen’d to this unfortunate prince. After a precipitate march of many days, he at length overtook the traytors, who seeing themselves so pressed, did what they could to compel Darius to get on horseback, and save himself with them; but he refusing to comply with them, they stab’d him in several places, and left him expiring in his chariot. He was dead when Alexander came up, who could not forbear weeping at so sad a spectacle. He cover’d Darius with his own cloak, and sent him to Sisigambis the wife of this prince, that she might bury him in the tombs belonging to the kings of Persia.
Thus were verified the prophecies of Daniel, who had foretold the destruction of the Persian monarchy. He had represented this monarchy under the idea of a bear, with three rows of teeth in its mouth, to which they said, Arise, and glut thy-self with carrion. But this beast was kill’d by another like a leopard, with four wings and four heads. The same Empire of the Persians was represented in the statue which appeared to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, Dan. ii. 39, 40.by the breast and arms of silver; and that of Alexander was described by the belly and thighs of brass.
In another place the empire of the Persians is again figured to us under the idea of Dan. vii. 5, 6. Dan. viii. 4, 5, 6, 20, 22.a ram, butting with its horns westward, northward, and southward: nothing could resist him; he did what he pleased, and became very powerful. But at the same time a goat, (that is, Alexander the Great) came from the west, and over-run the world without touching the earth: he had a very large horn between his two eyes. He advanced against the ram that had two horns, and springing forward with impetuosity, he run against him with all his force, attack’d him with fury, struck him, broke his two horns, and having thrown him down, trampled him under foot, without any one’s being able to rescue the ram out of his power. Nothing can be added to the clearness of these prophecies.
The Greek Authors agree, that the motive of the war undertaken by the Greeks against the Persians, was Xerxes’s enterprize against Greece, wherein, according to Dan. xi. 2. D’Herbelot Bibl. Orient. p. 285.Daniel’s expression, this prince stirr’d up all people against Greece. But the oriental Authors relate the matter otherwise. They say, that Darab II. king of Persia, and son of Bahaman, having made war with Philip king of Macedon, obliged him to sue for peace, which he obtained, but not without the following conditions: First, to pay the victorious king a thousand Beizaths, or an annual tribute of a thousand gold eggs. These Beizaths were valued each at forty drams in silver; and in the second place to give him his daughter in marriage. Darab having received king Philip’s daughter for his wife, and perceiving on his wedding night that she had an offensive breath, resolved to send her back to her father, tho’ she was already with child.
Philip ordered her to be guarded carefully till she was delivered of Alexander, whom Philip declared to be his, and left him his successor in the kingdom. Darab king of Persia died likewise about the same time, and was succeeded by his son Dara, (this is Darius Codomannus) who was a violent and cruel prince, and so alienated the affections of the People, and Grandees of his Court, that they sent a deputation to Alexander, exhorting him to make a conquest of Persia. Alexander therefore refusing to pay the ordinary tribute, and answering those who came to demand it, that the Hen which laid Beizaths, or golden Eggs, was fled to the other world, Dara levied a great army to make war against him. Alexander prepared to give him a good reception, and went even into Persia to meet him; gave him battle, and defeated him. Dara retiring to his tent, two of his Officers, natives of Hamadan, run him through the body with their swords, and fled to the victor’s camp. Alexander, upon information of what had passed, came in great haste to Dara’s tent, who was still breathing, took his head, placed it upon his knees, lamented his sad fate, and protested to him, that he had no hand in his death. Dara opening his eyes, desired him to revenge him on his servants for their perfidiousness; gave him his daughter Roxana in marriage, and recommended to him not to put the Government of Persia into the hands of Greeks. Thus he died within Alexander’s arms, who was his brother, as the Historians relate, being born of Philip’s daughter, wife to Darab, as Dara was born of another wife of the same Darab, father to Dara.
Darius Codoman, or Codomannus, reigned but six years, from the year of the world 3668 to 3674. He died in 3674, in the year 326 before the birth of Jesus Christ, and the year 330 before the Vulgar Æra.