Editing Cambyses II (section)

==Death and succession==
In the spring of 522 BC, Cambyses hurriedly left Egypt to deal with a rebellion in Persia.{{sfn|Briant|2002|p=61}} Before he left the country, he made Egypt into a satrapy under the governorship of the Persian [[Aryandes]].{{sfn|Briant|2002|p=61}}

However Cambyses died shortly after under disputed circumstances.  By most accounts, while Cambyses was on his way through  [[Syria (region)|Syria]] ([[Eber-Nari]]), he received a wound to the thigh, which soon became [[gangrene|gangrenous]].{{sfn|Briant|2002|p=61}} Cambyses died three weeks later (in July) at a location called Agbatana, which is most likely the modern city of [[Hama]].{{sfn|Dandamayev|1990|pp=726–729}} He died childless,{{sfn|Dandamayev|1990|pp=726–729}} and was succeeded by his younger brother [[Bardiya]].{{sfn|Briant|2002|p=102}}  

According to Darius, who was Cambyses' lance-bearer at the time, Bardiya decided that he could not succeed as King of Kings and died by his own hand in 522&nbsp;BC. Herodotus and Ctesias ascribe his death to an accident. Ctesias writes that Cambyses, despondent from the loss of family members, stabbed himself in the thigh while working with a piece of wood, and died eleven days later from the wound. Herodotus' story is that while Cambyses was mounting his horse, the tip of his scabbard broke, and his sword pierced his thigh. Some modern historians suspect that Cambyses was assassinated, either by Darius as the first step to usurping the empire for himself, or by supporters of Bardiya.{{sfn|Van De Mieroop|2003|p=336}}

Cambyses was buried in [[Neyriz]] in southeastern Persis. As reported in the [[Persepolis Administrative Archives]], sacrifices were offered in his name.{{sfn|Jacobs|Rollinger|2021|p=490}} At the time of Cambyses' death, the Achaemenid Empire was stronger than ever, reaching from Cyrenaica to the [[Hindu Kush]], and from the [[Syr Darya]] to the [[Persian Gulf]].{{sfn|Briant|2002|p=62}}