Editing Darius II (section)

== Internal Rebellions ==
Early in Darius’ reign, [[Pissuthnes]], the Satrap of [[Lydia]], also staged a revolt for unknown reasons. Pissuthnes employed the [[Athens|Athenian]] general Lycon to command [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] mercenaries on his behalf while Darius sent [[Tissaphernes]], a younger son of Hydarnes, to combat the rebellion. Tissaphernes immediately sent a letter to Lycon, offering the Greek mercenaries greater rewards if they turned on Pissouthnes and joined Tissaphernes’ army. The rebellious satrap was forced to negotiate and surrender. Tissaphernes sent him back to Persia to face execution and became the new Satrap of Lydia as a reward.

Pissuthnes’ son, [[Amorges]], continued the rebellion with a band of mercenaries funded by Athens in [[Iasos|Iasus]]. Darius may have been hesitant to pursue Amorges in order to avoid conflict with Athens, but after the disastrous [[Sicilian Expedition|Athenian expedition to Sicily]], the king ordered Tissaphernes and the neighboring satrap, [[Pharnabazus II]], to defeat the rebels and exact tribute from Athenian-held territory in [[Asia Minor]]. Tissaphernes arranged an alliance with Sparta, and the Spartan navy assisted the Persians in defeating Amorges and re-taking Iasus in 412 BC.<ref name=":3" />[[File:Darius II soldiers with labels.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soldiers of the Empire, on the tomb of Darius II.]]After Darius took power, he arranged diplomatic marriages between his own family and that of Hydarnes in Armenia. Darius’ eldest son, Arsaces (the future [[Artaxerxes II]]), married Hydarnes’ daughter, [[Stateira (wife of Artaxerxes II)|Stateira]]. Hydarnes’ son, Terituchmes, married Darius’ daughter, Amestris. When Hydarnes died, Terituchmes inherited his position as Satrap of Armenia but came to resent his royal marriage. According to Ctesias, the new Satrap was in love with his own sister, Rhoxane and made plans to murder Amestris and marry Rhoxane instead.

Terituchmes gathered 300 men to stuff Amestris in a sack and stab her to death. Murdering a member of the royal family was an act of rebellion, but before Darius could mobilize against Armenia, an Armenian nobleman, Udiastes, offered to raise an army and put down the rebellion himself, killing Terituchmes and 37 of his assassins in the resulting battle. Udiastes’ own son was one of the rebels and attempted to flee with one of Terituchmes’  sons to [[Zara, Turkey|Zaris]], but they were soon captured and executed as well. Armenia was temporarily governed by [[Artasyrus]] as a “King’s Eye,” before passing the province to his son, [[Orontes I]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" />

[[Xenophon]] and [[Diodorus Siculus]] reference several other minor revolts in their works, including conflict with the [[Medes]], [[Cadusians]], [[Pisidia]]ns, [[Achaemenid Arabia|Arabs]], and [[Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt|Egyptians]].<ref name=":3" />