Darius II

Darius II reigned as pharaoh of Egypt from 424 BC to 404 BC, with dates accurate to within a year. He secured the Persian throne following a violent succession dispute after the death of Artaxerxes I. Like other late Achaemenid rulers, Darius governed Egypt through provincial officials based in Memphis and rarely visited the Nile Valley in person.

His twenty-year reign was characterised by internal instability within the wider empire, but Egypt remained relatively peaceful under imperial satraps. The Jewish military garrison at Elephantine produced a rich archive of Aramaic papyri during this period, giving historians clear insights into communal life and local administration. Surviving monuments from his reign are limited, though inscriptions bearing his name were added to the Temple of Hibis in Kharga Oasis. He was buried at Naqsh-e Rostam in Persia. Following his death, native Egyptian resistance erupted, ending this phase of Persian control.

Monuments

• Temple of Hibis inscriptions

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Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.