Biography of Darius the Great, Persian King

Biography of Darius the Great, Persian King Darius the Great (550 BCE–486 BCE) was the fourth  Persian king  of the  Achaemenid Empire. He ruled the empire at its height, when its lands included much of  West Asia, the  Caucasus, as well as parts of the  Balkans, Black Sea  coastal regions, North Caucasus,  and Central Asia. Under Darius rule, the kingdom stretched to the  Indus Valley  in the far east and portions of north and northeast Africa including  Egypt, Libya,  and Sudan. Fast Facts: Darius the Great Known For: Persian king  at the height of the  Achaemenid EmpireAlso Known As: Darius I, DarayavauÃ… ¡, DariamauiÃ… ¡, DariiamuÃ… ¡, DrywhwÃ… ¡Born: 550 BCEParents:  Hystaspes,  RhodoguneDied:  486 BCE  in IranChildren: Darius had at least 18 childrenSpouses:  Parmys,  Phaidime,  Atossa,  Artystone,  PhratagoneNotable Quote: Force is always beside the point when subtlety will serve. Early Life Darius was born in 550 BCE His father was Hystaspes and his grandfather was Arsames, both of whom were Achaemenids. In ascending the throne, Darius noted in his own autobiography that he traced his lineage to Achaemenes. From long ago, said Darius, We are princely, from long ago our family was royal. Eight of my family were formerly kings, I am the ninth; nine are we in two lines. That was a bit of propaganda: Darius achieved his rule of the Achmaenids chiefly by overcoming his opponent and rival for the throne Gaumata. Dariuss first wife was a daughter of his good friend Gobryas, although we dont know her name. His other wives included Atossa and Artystone, both daughters of Cyrus; Parmys, the daughter of Cyruss brother Bardiya; and the noblewomen Phratagune and Phaidon. Darius had at least 18 children. Accession of Darius Darius ascended to the Achmaenid throne at the tender age of 28, despite the fact that his father and grandfather were still alive. His predecessor was Cambyses, the son of Cyrus the Great and Cassandane, who ruled the Achaemenid empire between 530 and 522 BCE Cambyses died from natural causes, but he left his throne in dispute. By right, Cambyses heir should have been his brother Bardiya- Darius claimed Bardiya had been slain by Cambyses, but somebody showed up claiming he was the missing brother and heir to the throne. According to Dariuss version of events, the imposter Gaumata arrived after Cambyses death and claimed the vacated throne. Darius slew Gautama, thereby restoring the rule to the family. Darius was not a close relative of the family so it was important for him to legitimize his rule by claiming descent from an ancestor of Cyrus. This and details of Darius violent treatment of Gautama and the rebels are inscribed on a large relief at Bisitun (Behistun), in three different languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Akkadian. Carved into a cliff face 300 feet above the Royal Road of the Achaemenids, the text was not legible to the passersby, although the images of Gautama being subjected certainly were. Darius saw that the cuneiform text was widely circulated throughout the Persian Empire. In the Behistun Inscription, Darius explains why he has the right to rule. He says he has the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda on his side. He claims royal blood lineage through four generations to the eponymous Achaemenes, the father of Teispes, who was the great-grandfather of Cyrus. Darius says his own father was Hystaspes, whose father was Arsanes, whose father was Ariamnes, a son of this Teispes. Notable Accomplishments Darius expanded the Persian empire from the Sakas beyond Sogdiana to the Kush, and from Sind to Sardis. He also refined and expanded the Persian satrapy form of administrative rule, dividing his empire into 20 pieces and providing each piece an authority (generally a relative) to rule over them, and placing additional security measures to reduce revolt. Darius moved the Persian capital from Pasagardae to Persepolis, where he had built a palace and a treasury, where the enormous wealth of the Persian empire would be safely stored for 200 years, only to be looted by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. He constructed the Royal Road of the Achaemenids from Susa to Sardis, connecting the far-flung satrapies and building staffed way stations so no one had to ride more than a day to deliver the post. Additionally, Darius: Completed the first version of the Suez Canal, leading from the Nile to the Red Sea;Was renowned for innovations in water control, including an extensive set of irrigation canals and wells known as qanats throughout his empire;Was known as a law-giver when serving as the king of Egypt during the Late Period. Death and Legacy Darius died in 486 BCE following an illness at about the age of 64. His coffin was buried at Naqsh-e Rostam. On his tomb is inscribed a memorial, in cuneiform script in Old Persian and Akkadian, stating what Darius wanted people to say about himself and his relationship with Ahura Mazda. It also lists the people over whom he claimed power: Media, Elam, Parthia, Aria, Bactria, Sogdia, Chorasmia, Drangiana, Arachosia, Sattagydia, Gandara, India, the haoma-drinking Scythians, the Scythians with pointed caps, Babylonia, Assyria, Arabia, Egypt, Armenia, Cappadocia, Lydia, the Greeks, the Scythians across the sea, Thrace, the sun hat-wearing Greeks, the Libyans, the Nubians, the men of Maka and the Carians. Dariuss successor was not his first born, but rather Xerxes, the oldest son of his first wife, Atossa, making Xerxes a grandson of Cyrus the Great. Both Darius and his son Xerxes participated in the Greco-Persian or Persian Wars. The last king of the Achaemenid Dynasty was Darius III, who ruled from 336–330 BCE Darius III was a descendant of Darius II (ruled 423-405 BCE), who was a descendant of King Darius I. Sources Cahill, Nicholas. The Treasury at Persepolis: Gift-Giving at the City of the Persians. American Journal of Archaeology 89.3 (1985): 373–89. Print.Colburn, Henry P. Connectivity and Communication in the Achaemenid Empire. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 56.1 (2013): 29–52. Print.Daryaee, Touraj. The Construction of the Past in Late Antique Persia. Historia: Zeitschrift fà ¼r Alte Geschichte 55.4 (2006): 493–503. Print.Magee, Peter, et al. The Achaemenid Empire in South Asia and Recent Excavations at Akra in Northwest Pakistan. American Journal of Archaeology 109.4 (2005): 711–41. Print.Olmstead, A. T. Darius and His Behistun Inscription. The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures 55.4 (1938): 392–416. Print.

How to Melt Aluminum Cans at Home

How to Melt Aluminum Cans at Home Aluminum is a common and useful metal, known for its corrosion resistance, malleability, and for being lightweight. Its safe enough to be used around food and in contact with skin. Its much easier to recycle this metal than it is to purify it from ores. You can melt old aluminum cans to get molten aluminum. Pour the metal into a suitable mold to make jewelry, cookware, ornaments, sculptures, or for another metalworking project. Its a great introduction to home recycling. Key Takeaways: Melt Aluminum Cans Aluminum is an abundant and versatile metal that is easily recycled.The melting point of aluminum is low enough that it can be melted with a hand-held torch. However, the project goes more quickly using a furnace or kiln.Recycled aluminum can be used to make sculptures, containers, and jewelry. Materials for Melting Aluminum Cans Melting cans is not complicated, but its an adult-only project because high temperatures are involved. Youll want to work in a clean, well-ventilated area. Its not necessary to clean the cans before melting them since organic matter (plastic coating, leftover soda, etc.) will burn off during the process. Aluminum cansSmall furnace of the electric kiln (or another heat source that reaches the appropriate temperature, such as a propane torch)Steel crucible (or other metal with a melting point much higher than aluminum, yet lower than your furnace- could be a sturdy stainless steel bowl or a cast iron skillet)Heat-resistant glovesMetal tongsMolds into which youll pour the aluminum (steel, iron, etc.- be creative) Melting the Aluminum The first step youll want to take is to crush the cans so that you can load as many as possible into the crucible. Youll get about 1 pound of aluminum for every 40 cans. Load your cans into the container youre using as a crucible and place the crucible inside the kiln. Close the lid.Fire up the kiln or furnace to 1220 °F. This is the melting point of aluminum (660.32  °C, 1220.58  °F), but below the melting point of steel. The aluminum will melt almost immediately once it reaches this temperature. Allow half a minute or so at this temperature to assure the aluminum is molten.Put on safety glasses and heat-resistant gloves. You should be wearing a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, and covered toe shoes when working with extremely hot (or cold) materials.Open the kiln. Use tongs to slowly and carefully remove the crucible. Do not place your hand inside the kiln! Its a good idea to line the path from the kiln to the mold with a metal pan or foil, to aid in clean-up of spills.Pour the liquid aluminum into the mold. It will take about 15 minutes for the aluminum to solidify on its own. If desired, you can place the mold in a bucket of cold water after a few minutes. If you do this, use caution, since steam will be produced. There may be some leftover material in your crucible. You can knock the dregs out of the crucible by slapping it upside down onto a hard surface, such as concrete. You can use the same process to knock the aluminum out of the molds. If you have trouble, change the temperature of the mold. The aluminum and mold (which is a different meta) will have a different coefficient of expansion, which you can use to your advantage when freeing one metal from another.Remember to turn off your kiln or furnace when youre done. Recycling doesnt make much sense if youre wasting energy, right? Did You Know? Re-melting aluminum to recycle it is far less expensive and uses less energy than producing new aluminum from the electrolysis of aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Recycling uses about 5% of the energy needed to make the metal from its raw ore. About 36% of aluminum in the United States comes from recycled metal. Brazil leads the world in aluminum recycling. The country recycles 98.2% of its aluminum cans. Sources Morris, J. (2005). Comparative LCAs for curbside recycling versus either landfilling or incineration with energy recovery.  The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 10(4), 273–284.Oskamp, S. (1995). Resource conservation and recycling: Behavior and policy. Journal of Social Issues. 51 (4): 157–177. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01353.xSchlesinger, Mark (2006). Aluminum Recycling. CRC Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8493-9662-5.