Summary
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownwastes absolutely no time at all before throwing players into the mythological deep end. From historical battles and real-world dynasties to mythological creatures, ancient traditions, and legends,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownfully embraces Persia’s storied past and tries to weave it naturally throughout its own original story.
But while many ofPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s mythological referencestend to be one-and-done, there’s an ancient figure that keeps cropping up throughout the game, being mentioned in collectibles, referenced in dialogue, and even appearing in person towards the end of the game, and that’s King Darius. Much like the rest ofPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s mythological influences, King Darius' role in the game is heavily fictionalized, but the ruler certainly existed, and his story is pretty fascinating.
The Real-Life History of Prince of Persia’s King Darius The Great
King Darius' Grim Accession
Before diving intothe real-life history of King Darius The Great, it’s important to note that, much like any other ancient historical figure, there are several conflicting accounts about the ruler’s life and actions. Interestingly, Darius actually has one of the most important autobiographies of all time, with his own retelling of his life appearing in the Behistun Inscription, an ancient rock carving in western Iran that was instrumental in deciphering cuneiform.
King Darius lived from around 550 BC to 486 BC, with him rising to the throne in 522 BC.
In the Behistun Inscription, Darius recounts his rise to power. According to Darius, while inEgypt accompanying King Cyrus' son, Cambyses, a minor revolt broke out among the people. This revolt began when a man named Gaumata disguised himself as Cambyses' younger brother, Bardiya, who convinced the Persian people to let him rule following Cyrus' death. According to Darius, Cambyses killed Bardiya and rushed to Persia to squash the rebellion, but on the way, he gained an injury that became infected and led to his death. Darius then joined forces with a few other Persian leaders and killed the man still pretending to be Bardiya, though it’s unclear just how much of all that is true. It’s unclear if Darius killed Cambyses himself, and it’s unclear if there was ever an impostor to begin with.
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 acrossthe Persian Empire. Refusing to view him as the real king, Elam, Babylon, and Egypt all declared their own rulers, inciting a major civil war. Over three years, Darius engaged in 19 battles with his rivals, beating each one and eventually cementing his position as Persia’s king.
King Darius Continued to Grow the Persian Empire’s Borders
After defeating the multitude of rebellions across the Persian Empire, Darius turned his gaze to the rest of the world, specifically those areas that lingered on the edges ofthe Empire’s borders. One of Darius' first successful campaigns saw him expand into Punjab after taking control of the Indus Valley. After that, Darius turned his attention to the north and launched an extensive campaign against the Scythians. Though it began well, Darius' army was forced to retreat after being unable to coax the Scythians into a full-scale battle.
King Darius' Long-Standing Infrastructure
While King Darius had more than his fair share of accomplishments in war, it was actually his penchant for infrastructure and architecture that made the biggest impact on the world. Along with introducing a restructured taxation scheme, bringing in a universal currency system for the entire Persian Empire, and creating a new code of laws, King Darius also built a plethora of impressive structures across the nation. From a gigantic new palace in the capital of Susa, to the Royal Road which stretched over 1700 miles across almost the entire Empire, Darius' architectural improvements are still discussed today.
