Editing Darius the Great (section)

==Death and succession==
[[File:Naghsh-e rostam, Irán, 2016-09-24, DD 25.jpg|thumb|[[Tomb of Darius the Great|Tomb of Darius]] at [[Naqsh-e Rostam]]]]
After becoming aware of the Persian defeat at the [[Battle of Marathon]], Darius began planning another expedition against the [[Greek city states|Greek city-states]]; this time, he, not [[Datis]], would command the imperial armies.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1994|pp=41–50}} Darius had spent three years preparing men and ships for war when a revolt broke out in Egypt. This revolt in Egypt worsened his failing health and prevented the possibility of his leading another army.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1994|pp=41–50}} Soon afterwards, Darius died, after thirty days of suffering through an unidentified illness, partially due to his part in crushing the revolt, at about sixty-four years old.<ref name=":0" /> In October 486 BCE, his body was [[Embalming|embalmed]] and entombed in the rock-cut tomb at [[Naqsh-e Rostam]], which he had been preparing.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1994|pp=41–50}} An inscription on his tomb introduces him as "Great King, King of Kings, King of countries containing all kinds of men, King in this great earth far and wide, son of Hystaspes, an Achaemenian, a Persian, son of a Persian, an [[Arya (Iran)|Aryan]], having Aryan lineage."{{sfn|Shahbazi|1994|pp=41–50}} A relief under his tomb portraying equestrian combat was later carved during the reign of the [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian]] King of Kings, [[Bahram II]] ({{reign|274|293|era=CE}}).{{sfn|Shahbazi|1988|pp=514–522}}

[[Xerxes I|Xerxes]], the eldest son of Darius and [[Atossa]], succeeded to the throne as [[Xerxes I]]; before his accession, he had contested the succession with his elder half-brother Artobarzanes, Darius's eldest son, who was born to his first wife before Darius rose to power.{{sfn|Briant|2002|p=136}} With Xerxes's accession, the empire was again ruled by a member of the [[Cyrus family tree|house of Cyrus]].{{sfn|Shahbazi|1994|pp=41–50}}