Darius

This article is about the Assassin. You may be looking for the Persian king.

Darius,^[1] born Artabanus,^[2] was the Persian assassin of King Xerxes I of Persia.

A proponent of free will, he is considered to be one of the very first proto-Assassins and was active several centuries before the order's formal establishment. His assassination of Xerxes I was the first recorded usage of the Hidden Blade, which went on to become the iconic weapon of the Assassin Brotherhood.

Biography

During the 5th century BCE, the precursors to the Templars supported the reign and conquests of the Achaemenid kings Darius I and his son Xerxes I.^[3] Opposing the Persian kings' tyranny over the people, Darius personally assassinated King Xerxes I with the Hidden Blade in August 465 BCE, in what would become the first recorded use of the Assassins' iconic weapon.^[4] In the same way he tried unsuccessfully the murder of his brother the King Artaxerxes I.^[5]

Legacy

By 48 BCE, Darius' Hidden Blade wound up in the hands of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, who passed it on to her protector Aya. Aya eventually made one of her own and gave Darius' blade to her husband Bayek. After the two founded the Hidden Ones, it became the signature weapon of their organization,^[6] still used centuries later when their Brotherhood reformed as the Assassins.^[4]

By the time of the Renaissance, Darius was retroactively considered an Assassin and a tomb dedicated to him was built beneath Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy. The Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze explored the tomb and took the hidden seal from the tomb's sarcophagus, which later allowed him to obtain the Armor of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad sealed in the Sanctuary beneath Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni where a statue of Darius (and other celebrated Assassins) had been erected sometime before 1476.^[4]

Trivia

Unlike later users of the iconic weapon, Darius wore his Hidden Blade on top of the right arm.
Historically, according to Aristotle, Artabanus had murdered the Crown Prince of Persia Darius just prior to killing Xerxes. The Latin historian Justinus however offers an alternative account where Crown Prince Darius was executed for the patricide of Xerxes after being framed by Artabanus.

Gallery

Darius' sarcophagus
The Seal of Darius
Darius' insignia

Appearances

Assassin's Creed II (statue only)
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (statue only)
Assassin's Creed: Origins (mentioned only)
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (mentioned only)
- Legacy of the First Blade (first appearance)

References

Assassins

Hidden Ones

Notable predecessors	Eve • Adam • Romulus • Darius • Kassandra • Iltani • Wei Yu • Wei Yu's disciple

Notable members	Bayek • Amunet • Marcus Junius Brutus • Leonius • Aquilus • Li E • Fuladh Al Haami • Roshan • Basim ibn Ishaq • Hytham

Notable allies	Pythagoras • Sokrates • Herodotos • Hippokrates • Gamilat • Ali ibn Muhammad • Eivor Varinsdottir • Sigurd Styrbjornsson • Niamh of Argyll • Eric the Victorious

Branches	China (Great Desert) • Constantinople • Egypt • England • Francia • Greece • Persia (Alamut) • Roman Empire (Liberalis Circulum) • Sweden

Ranks	Apprentice • Novice • Acolyte • Rafiq • Master • Council • Mentor

Precursor organizations	Shields of Mars • Protectors of Persia • Periklean Circle • Iltani's Order • Medjay

Affiliated groups	Alemanni • Zanj rebels • Vikings (Raven Clan) • Women of the Mist

Other	Assassin-Templar War • Bureau • The Creed • Eagle Vision • Hidden Blade • Initiation • Insignia • Leap of Faith

Assassin Brotherhood

Notable members	Hassan-i Sabbāh • Al Mualim • Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad • Qulan Gal • Ezio Auditore da Firenze • Niccolò Machiavelli • Aguilar de Nerha • Shao Jun • Fujibayashi Naoe • Yasuke • Adéwalé • Edward Kenway • Achilles Davenport • Ratonhnhaké:ton • Aveline de Grandpré • Arno Dorian • Arbaaz Mir • Jacob Frye • Evie Frye • Nikolai Orelov • Lydia Frye • Eddie Gorm • Alekseï Gavrani • William Miles • Desmond Miles • Rebecca Crane • Shaun Hastings • Gavin Banks • Charlotte de la Cruz • Layla Hassan

Notable allies	Jeanne d'Arc • Lorenzo de' Medici • Leonardo da Vinci • Suleiman the Magnificent • Tokugawa Ieyasu • Anne Bonny • Shimazu Saito • George Washington • Élise de la Serre • Napoleon Bonaparte • Pyara Kaur • Frederick Abberline • Queen Victoria • Winston Churchill • Vladimir Lenin • Anastasia Nikolaevna • Noa Kim

Branches	Algeria • Australia • Brazil • Canada • Caribbean • China • Egypt • France • Georgia • Germany • Greece • Haiti • India • Italy • Japan • Korea • Levant • Libya • Louisiana • Mongol Empire • Northern Europe • Persia • Peru • Portugal • Russia • Scotland • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Tunisia • Turkey • United Kingdom • United States (Bloodstone Unit)

Ranks	Assassin apprentice • Novice • Rafiq • Master Assassin • Assassin leader • Assassin Council • Mentor

Assassin-affiliated groups	Cypriot Resistance • House of Auditore • Republic of Florence • Emirate of Granada • Iga ikki • Tokugawa shogunate • Maroon rebellion • Hope Jensen's gang • Sons of Liberty • Metropolitan Police Service • Rooks • Narodnaya Volya • FBI • Initiates • Erudito • Zhawang Corporation (Doom Eagle) • DedSec

Other	Assassin-Templar War • Assassin bureau • Assassin cell • Assassin insignia • Assassin ring • The Creed • Eagle Vision • Hidden Blade • Initiation • Leap of Faith

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

Characters

Assassins	Layla Hassan • Victoria Bibeau • Kiyoshi Takakura • Alannah Ryan • Harlan Cunningham \| Amunet \| Kassandra (Ikaros) • Darius

Cult of Kosmos	Aspasia • Deimos • Nyx (Elpenor • Sotera • The Master • Hermippos • Midas) • Polemon (Epiktetos • The Centaur of Euboea • The Chimera • The Silver Griffin • Machaon) • Kleon (Brison • Podarkes • Rhexenor • Iobates • Kodros) • Exekias (Pallas • Deianeira • Belos • Swordfish • Okytos) • Iokaste (Melite • Harpalos • Zoisme • Diona • Chrysis) • The Hydra (The Mytilenian Shark • Melanthos • The Octopus • Sokos • Asterion) • Pausanias (Skylax • The Monger • Lagos • Kallias • Silanos)

Templars / Order of the Ancients	Juhani Otso Berg \| Amorges • Pactyas (Akantha • Bubares • Echion • Konon • Phratagounè • Timosa • Order Elite) • Phila (Augos • Nestor • Megakreon • Sophos) • The Immortals • Gergis (Artazostre • Dimokrates • Pithias • Gaspar • Harpagos) \| Xerxes I

Isu	Aletheia \| Persephone • Hades • Poseidon • Hermes • Hekate • Atlas • Gadiros • Ampheres • Azaes • Neokles • Aita • Juno • Melitta • Xarios

Olympos Project	Cyclops (Brontes • Steropes • Arges) • Writhing Dread (Medusa • Ligeia) • Minotaur • Sphinx • Cerberos • Lycanthropes (Lyra) • Hekatonchires

Mercenaries	Kassandra the Eagle-Bearer • Exekias the Legend • Talos the Stone-Fist • Sosipatros the Archon's Servant • The Poisoner • The False Leonidas • Zetes the Retired • Hyrkanos the Cunning • Agis of the North • Theos the Stargazer • Gaia the Fist • Exadios the Backbreaker • Edonos the Charging Bull • Atos the Beast Caller • Hirpes the Sordid • Aias the Clean • Kephalon the Thinker • Proktos the Moon King • "Eagle Bearer" (Chikaros) • Polykaste the Jilted • Narkissos the Babbler • Nestor the Great • Testiklos the Nut • Harpina the Heavy Hitter • Iaeira the Overcomer • Damais the Indifferent • Astarte the Swamp • Nanno the Abakos • Okyllos the Successor • Thaleia the Talon Hand • Laches the Eternal • Abia the Shaded \| Cyclops of Kephallonia • The Poisoner of Athens • Testikles the Olympian • Deianeira the Boeotian Champion • Epiktetos the Forthcoming • Swordfish of Octopus Bay • The Monger of Korinthia • Achilles the Trojan War Hero • King Agamemnon of Mycenae • Herakles the Legendary • Perseus the Gorgon Slayer

Love interests	Aikaterine • Alkibiades • Anais • Aspasia • Auxesia • Daphnae • Diona • Kosta • Kyra • Lykaon • Lykinos • Mikkos • Odessa • Roxana • Thaletas • Thyia • Timotheos • Xenia • Zopheras • "Eagle Bearer" • Natakas \| Adonis • Elpis

Others	Archidamos • Aristophanes • Artaxerxes I • Barnabas • Brasidas • Darius II • Demokritos • Elpidios • Euripides • Herodotos • Hippokrates • Iola • Markos • Myrrine • Nikolaos • Perikles • Phidias • Polykleitos • Praxilla • Pythagoras • Phoibe • Sargon • Sophokles • Sokrates • Thespis • Thrasymachos \| Leonidas • Dienekes • Kurush

Factions

Assassins (Layla Hassan's cell | Protectors of Persia) | Templars (Abstergo Industries • Sigma Team | Order of the Ancients) • Cult of Kosmos • Delian League • Peloponnesian League • Achaemenid Empire • Minor factions (Daughters of Artemis • Followers of Ares • The Dagger • Periklean Circle)

Locations

United Kingdom (London) | Egypt (Giza) | Isu Locations (Atlantis (Gateway to the Lost City) • Ancient Forge • Cave of Mt. Zas • Cave of the Forgotten Isle • Myson Cave • Nisyros • Sphinx Lair • Labyrinth of Lost Souls • Petrified Temple • Teichos of Herakles) • Greece • Aegean Sea (Andros) • Volcanic Islands (Thera • Anaphi • Nisyros) • Krete (Messara (Gortyn) • Pephka) • Kythera Island • Melos • Attika Peninsula (Attika (Athens • Dekelia • Lavrio • Port of Piraeus) • Boeotia (Lake Kopais • Mykalessos • Orchomenos • Thebes) • Megaris (Megara • Pagai)) • Forest Islands (Thasos • Abantis Islands (Euboea • Skyros) • Petrified Islands (Chios • Lesbos)) • Kephallonia Islands (Kephallonia (Sami) • Ithaka) • Korinthian Gulf • Peloponnese (Arkadia (Tegea) • Argolis (Argos • Epidauros) • Achaia (Dyme • Patrai • Pellene) • Elis • Korinthia (Korinth) • Lakonia (Sparta) • Messenia) • Pirate Islands (Keos (Koressia) • Seriphos • Lestris) • Paradise Islands (Delos • Mykonos • Naxos Island • Paros Island) • Southern Sporades (Samos • Kradia Isle • Kos) • Northern Greece (Lokris • Makedonia (Amphipolis • Potidaia) • Malis • Phokis (Kirrha)) • Afterlife (Elysium • Underworld)

Events

Search for the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus | Peloponnesian War (Battle of Amphipolis • Battle of Pylos) • Plague of Athens | Greco-Persian Wars (Battle of Thermopylae)

Terms and concepts

Achievements • Ainigmata Ostraka • Crafting • Customization • Currencies (Drachma • Orichalcum) • Dual-wielding • Eagle Vision • Engraving • Genetic memory • Helix Credits • Historical Locations • Leap of Faith • Memories • Message boards • Outfits • Photo Mode • Pieces of Eden (Artifact Fragment • Atlantis Artifacts • Pyramid • Spear of Leonidas • Staff of Hermes Trismegistus • Sword of Damokles) • Ships (Adrestia) • Skills • Social stealth • Story Creator Mode • Swimming • Viewpoints

Weapons and tools

Bows • Blunt weapons • Swords • Spears • Shields

DLC

The Blind King • Secrets of Greece • Legacy of the First Blade (Hunted • Shadow Heritage • Bloodline) • The Fate of Atlantis (Fields of Elysium • Torment of Hades • Judgment of Atlantis) • The Lost Tales of Greece • Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece

de:Darius fa:داریوش fr:Darius it:Darius pl:Dariusz (asasyn) pt-br:Darius es:Darío

Contents