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How did Darius III die?
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Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, detail from Alexander and Porus, painting by Charles Le Brun, 17th century; in the Louvre, Paris, France.
After being decisively defeated by Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela, Darius III fled toward Bactria. During this retreat in 330 BCE, he was deposed and murdered by Bessus, the satrap of Bactria, who subsequently attempted to claim the throne for himself.12