Situation in
Oppression by Arataxerxes Ochus [D 17.5.3]
Ochus poisoned by Bagoas, eunach and commander [D 17.5.3]
Placed youngest son Arses {338-336} on the throne and murdered all other family members [D 17.5.4]
Arses acts independently, threatens to kill Bagoas, so Bagoas murders him and all his sons [D 17.5.4]
Darius, descendent of Artaxerxes II, is raised to the throne by Bagoas [D 17.5.5]
Bagoas plots murder of Darius, but is himself murdered before [D 17.5.6]
On the courage and character of Darius [D 17.6]
Darius at first despises Alexander, but then raises large fleet for Ionian and an army of 5000 Greek mercenaries under Memnon of Rhodes (long-time mercenary for Persia who had helped conquer Egypt) [D 17.7.1-3; Polyaenus 5.44.4]
Memnon holds the Macedonians under Parmenio at bay in NW Anatolia [D 17.7.8-10; Polyaenus, 5.44.5]