Darius II
Darius II (Old Persian: ๐ญ๐ ๐ผ๐น๐บ๐ข๐ Dฤrayavaสฐuลก; Greek: ฮฮฑฯฮตแฟฮฟฯ Dareios), also known by his given name Ochus (Greek: แฝฎฯฮฟฯ Ochos), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 423 BC to 405 or 404 BC.
| Darius II ๐ญ๐ ๐ผ๐น๐บ๐ข๐ | |
|---|---|
Darius II as depicted on his tomb in Naqsh-e Rostam | |
| King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire | |
| Reign | 423โ404 BC |
| Predecessor | Sogdianus |
| Successor | Artaxerxes II |
| Died | 404 BC |
| Spouse | Parysatis |
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Achaemenid |
| Father | Artaxerxes I |
| Mother | Cosmartidene of Babylon |
| Religion | Zoroastrianism |
Artaxerxes I, who died in 424 BC, was followed by his son Xerxes II. After a month and half Xerxes II was murdered by his brother Sogdianus. His illegitimate brother, Ochus, satrap of Hyrcania, rebelled against Sogdianus, and after a short fight killed him, and suppressed by treachery the attempt of his own brother Arsites to imitate his example. Ochus adopted the name Darius (Greek sources often call him Darius Nothos, "Bastard"). Neither the names Xerxes II nor Sogdianus occur in the dates of the numerous Babylonian tablets from Nippur; here effectively the reign of Darius II follows immediately after that of Artaxerxes I.
Historians know little about Darius II's reign. A rebellion by the Medes in 409 BC is mentioned by Xenophon. It does seem that Darius II was quite dependent on his wife Parysatis. In excerpts from Ctesias some harem intrigues are recorded, in which he played a disreputable part. The Elephantine papyri mention Darius II as a contemporary of the high priest Johanan of Ezra 10:6.