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3.81 Megabyzus wanted an oligarchy. He agreed that monarchies were bad but said rule by the mob is likewise unrestrained & given to outrage. |
Posted on 05-04-16 | |
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3.82 But Darius argued that they should keep the monarchy: the Persians had been freed by one man; they should remain free through one man. |
Posted on 05-05-16 | |
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3.83 Darius' opinion won the day. It was likely that 1 of the 7 would become king. Otanes did not want to rule & withdrew from the running. |
Posted on 05-06-16 | |
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3.84 The king wd be whoever's horse whinnied 1st at dawn. The others wd be able to enter palace unannounced unless the king was w/a woman. |
Posted on 05-07-16 | |
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3.85 Darius fixed the contest with his groom. The groom let Darius' stallion mount a mare where the conspirators would ride in the morning. |
Posted on 05-08-16 | |
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3.86 In the A.M. Darius' horse whinnied on cue, an omen underscored by a flash of lightning. The runners-up did obeisance to their new king. |
Posted on 05-09-16 | |
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3.87 Another version of the story has the groom there giving Darius’ horse his hand to smell, as he’d rubbed it on a mare’s loins. |
Posted on 05-10-16 | |
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3.88 So Darius became king. He married the two daughters of Cyrus (Atossa & Artystone) as well as the daughters of Smerdis and Otanes. |
Posted on 05-11-16 | |
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3.89 He then organized the Persian empire into twenty provinces, or satrapies, and assessed the taxes due annually from each nation. |
Posted on 05-12-16 | |
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3.90 The 1st province, for example, paid 400 talents of silver annually. #2 500 talents. #3 360 talents. #4 500 talents & 360 white horses. |
Posted on 05-13-16 | |
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