The story of Darius the Great, second on the top ten list of greatest kings in the Achaemenid Persian Empire. With a changed emphasis in religion, Darius reflects on his quest for legitimacy to rule and justifies why he deserves to be the king of kings.
The story of how the fake king of Persia met his end is not a particularly pleasant one, but its articulation allows historians to uncover interesting pieces of information that may have been overlooked.
Cyrus, the Persian conqueror, initiated a strategy of mercy and tolerance towards the defeated Lydians, which eventually earned him their loyalty and service.
The History of Persia features boring sides of government and famous kings including their contributions to the currency and tombs. Although not completely opposed to a deal, the speaker discusses the history objectively.
Nabonidus takes the gods of surrounding towns to Babylon, believing they could perform miracles and protect their settlements, before Cyrus returns them and causes the townspeople to freak out.