What happens when a king loses everything except the men who still believe in him? Through the eyes of a Persian cavalry officer loyal to Darius III, follow the Great King east after Gaugamela as Alexander captures Babylon, Susa, Persepolis, and finally pursues him beyond Ecbatana. This immersive historical podcast explores Darius's final attempt to preserve his empire, the conspiracy of Bessus, his betrayal and death, and the extraordinary moment when Alexander found the body of the king he had spent years trying to defeat, and began to present himself not simply as Persia's conqueror, but as its legitimate heir.
Narrator: Artabazos, Persian Noble Cavalry Officer
Setting: Eastern Persia, 330 BCE
1. Sources
a. Ancient Sources
- Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander
- Plutarch, Life of Alexander
- Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander
- Diodorus Siculus, Library of History
b. Modern Sources
- Pierre Briant, From Cyrus to Alexander
- Robin Lane Fox, Alexander the Great
- Peter Green, Alexander of Macedon
- Adrian Goldsworthy, Philip and Alexander
2. Author's Note
a. Historical
- After Gaugamela, Darius fled east attempting to raise another army.
- His following steadily diminished as Alexander captured the empire's major capitals.
- Bessus, satrap of Bactria, participated in the conspiracy that arrested Darius.
- Darius was mortally wounded while being transported east.
- Alexander arrived shortly after and treated Darius' body with royal respect.
- Alexander later pursued Bessus and presented himself as avenger of the Great King.
b. Reconstructed
- Artabazos the narrator.
- Campfire conversations.
- Personal observations and emotions.
- Dialogue and reflections.
This episode closes the long rivalry between Alexander and Darius. Rather than ending with a battlefield, it ends with a road, a wagon, and two kings, one leaving history, the other inheriting it.