DARIUS
- Easton's
- Nave's
- Torrey's
| EASTON'S BIBLE DICTIONARY |
the holder or supporter, the name of several Persian kings.
1. Darius the Mede (Daniel 11:1), "the son of
Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes" (9:1). On the death of
Belshazzar the Chaldean he "received the kingdom" of Babylon as viceroy from
Cyrus. During his brief reign (B.C. 538-536) Daniel was promoted to the highest
dignity (Daniel
6:1,2); but on account of the malice of his enemies he was cast into the den
of lions. After his miraculous escape, a decree was issued by Darius enjoining
"reverence for the God of Daniel" (6:26). This king was
probably the "Astyages" of the Greek historians. Nothing can, however, be with
certainty affirmed regarding him. Some are of opinion that the name "Darius" is
simply a name of office, equivalent to "governor," and that the "Gobryas" of the
inscriptions was the person intended by the name.
2. Darius, king of Persia, was the son of Hystaspes, of the royal family of the
Achaemenidae. He did not immediately succeed Cyrus on the throne. There were two
intermediate kings, viz., Cambyses (the Ahasuerus of Ezra), the son of Cyrus,
who reigned from B.C. 529-522, and was succeeded by a usurper named Smerdis, who
occupied the throne only ten months, and was succeeded by this Darius (B.C.
521-486). Smerdis was a Margian, and therefore had no sympathy with Cyrus and
Cambyses in the manner in which they had treated the Jews. He issued a decree
prohibiting the restoration of the temple and of Jerusalem (Ezra 4:17-22). But
soon after his death and the accession of Darius, the Jews resumed their work,
thinking that the edict of Smerdis would be now null and void, as Darius was in
known harmony with the religious policy of Cyrus. The enemies of the Jews lost
no time in bringing the matter under the notice of Darius, who caused search to
be made for the decree of Cyrus (q.v.). It was not found at Babylon, but at
Achmetha (Ezra 6:2);
and Darius forthwith issued a new decree, giving the Jews full liberty to
prosecute their work, at the same time requiring the Syrian satrap and his
subordinates to give them all needed help. It was with the army of this king
that the Greeks fought the famous battle of Marathon (B.C. 490). During his
reign the Jews enjoyed much peace and prosperity. He was succeeded by Ahasuerus,
known to the Greeks as Xerxes, who reigned for twenty-one years.
3. Darius the Persian (Nehemiah 12:22) was
probably the Darius II. (Ochus or Nothus) of profane history, the son of
Artaxerxes Longimanus, who was the son and successor of Ahasuerus (Xerxes).
There are some, however, who think that the king here meant was Darius III.
(Codomannus), the antagonist of Alexander the Great (B.C. 336-331).
| TORREY'S "THE NEW TOPICAL TEXTBOOK" (additional material included) |
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