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How did Darius I defeat the rebellions that followed his accession?
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Darius I
This chromolithograph of a frieze at Susa depicts attendants serving Darius I.
Following his accession to the throne in 522 BCE, Darius I faced widespread, spontaneous, and uncoordinated revolts across the Achaemenid Empire, particularly in Susiana, Babylonia, Media, Sagartia, and Margiana.1
Darius suppressed these rebellions through a combination of strategic military and political actions:
- Military Force: Despite having a relatively small army, Darius and his generals systematically defeated the rebel leaders one by one. According to his own account on the Bisotun inscription, he successfully quelled these uprisings in 19 separate battles.1
- Balanced Policy: He employed a strategy that balanced clemency with the swift, thorough punishment of captured rebel leaders.2
- Coordinated Logistics: He utilized a well-coordinated and carefully timed distribution of loyal forces to regain control over the provinces.2
By 519 BCE, after putting down a third rising in Susiana, Darius had successfully established his authority throughout the empire.1