Late Period
Darius III
31st Dynasty (Second Persian Period) · 343-332 BCE
Reign begins336 BCE
Reign ends332 BCE
Dynasty span343-332 BCE
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The collapse of the empire
Darius III became the final Achaemenid king of the 31st Dynasty during a period of terminal crisis for the Persian Empire. While attempting to manage widespread internal instability and mounting military pressure from Alexander the Great, his grip on Egypt rapidly deteriorated. Following crushing defeats on the battlefield, the last Persian satrap in Egypt surrendered the province peacefully to Alexander in 332 BCE, permanently ending Persian rule.