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When did Darius I rule the Achaemenid Empire?
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Darius I
This chromolithograph of a frieze at Susa depicts attendants serving Darius I.
Darius I ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 522 to 486 BCE.12
After the death of Cambyses II in the summer of 522 BCE, Darius seized the throne in September of that year by killing an individual he identified as a usurper named Gaumata, who had been impersonating Bardiya, the son of Cyrus the Great. Following his accession, Darius spent over a year suppressing widespread revolts across the empire before establishing his authority and embarking on his notable career as an administrator and builder.312