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Glite Dictionary
Darius III

Darius III

1 9.9
The last king of ancient Persia who was defeated by Alexander the Great
  • proper noun
: Darío III
  • Darius III was the last king of the Achaemenid Empire before being defeated by Alexander the Great.

Examples

  • The defeat of Darius III at Gaugamela signaled the fall of Persia.

  • The reign of Darius III ended with his defeat by Alexander the Great.

  • Darius III was unable to unite his empire against Alexander's army.

  • Historians debate the circumstances of Darius III's death after his flight from battle.

  • Did Darius III lose the battle at Gaugamela?

  • The defeat of Darius III in 330 BC marked the end of the Persian Empire.

  • After the fall of his empire, Darius III struggled to escape the pursuit of Alexander's forces.

Surface Forms

Darius III main

Morphology

Darius + III

This is a proper name: 'Darius' is an arbitrary personal name and 'III' only marks 'the third', so the historical identity and role ('last king of the Achaemenid Empire') cannot be inferred from the parts. A B1 learner who knows the words 'Darius' and the Roman numeral 'III' would not be able to derive the specific historical meaning, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Darius III comes from the old Persian name Darius, which may mean 'he who holds firm', giving a simple picture of a ruler holding on to power. He is remembered as the 'last king' of the Persian Empire defeated by Alexander, so think of Darius III as the ruler who could not hold his kingdom.