Gaining the throne through a mere technicality, with his lineage barely placing him in the royal family, Darius' accession was met with a great deal of discourse across the Persian Empire.

Alexander the Great established himself as Emperor of Asia and urged his generals to marry Persian women in the Susa weddings.

In May 334 BCE, Alexander the Great won his first victory against ... before entering the first official battle against Persia (under Darius) in the spring of 334 BCE. Advisors had warned Darius ...