The Old and the Restless - The Egyptians and the Scythians in Herodotus' Histories by Robert J. Hagan

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9. Darius: Retailer or Master?
From the unstable and sometimes tragic Cambyses, we move on to Darius, whom
Herodotus presents as an improvement in almost every way from his predecessor. One of the
most well-known Persian kings, he is recognized by Herodotus and modern historians as an
extremely capable administrator and tolerant ruler (3.89). Cambyses, as we have seen, fails in
both those aspects, being negligent in administrative duties and showing contempt for the
customs of his foreign subjects (3.16; 3.29). Darius seems to possess some of the best qualities of
Cyrus, such as his organizational talent, and his ability to command armies, which is
demonstrated in the quickness with which he puts down the rebellions that emerge in the power
vacuum after Cambyses’ death. 31
Administrative capability is one of Darius’ strongest qualities, one that Herodotus makes
clear in his listing of the satrapies and tribute payments that comprise the Persian Empire (3.89-
96). Darius’ restructuring is in fact a necessity in order to run the expanding (and often rebelling)
Persian provinces. We see the consequences of unconsolidated territory in Book Three when the
Magi seize power in Cambyses’ absence. While Cambyses is “spending his time in Egypt
insane,” the steward of the household, a Zoroastrian priest and a Mede, usurps the throne (3.61).
The ease with which this pretender and the Medes take power indicates, at least in the version of
events Herodotus knew, that the Persians did not yet have an established system of accountable,
responsible government. As Herodotus presents it, Cambyses in his eight-year rule did not spend
nearly as much time tending to the affairs of state as he did on military campaign, both
successful and disastrous. Following Cyrus’ able rule, Cambyses’ absence from Persia opens a
31 Young, T., “Persia, Greece and the Western Mediterranean C. 525 to 479 B.C.” 61-62..