Aeneas vs Hydarnes the Elder

As Troy fell, Aeneas carried his elderly father Anchises on his back and led his young son Ascanius by the hand out of the burning city. His wife Creusa was lost in the chaos.

Aeneas fought Turnus, king of the Rutuli, in single combat to decide the fate of the Trojans in Italy. Aeneas killed Turnus, securing the Trojans' right to settle in Latium and marry Lavinia.

After years of wandering the Mediterranean, Aeneas led the surviving Trojans to the shores of Italy. He made alliances with local tribes and established a settlement that would eventually lead to the founding of Rome.

Guided by the Sibyl of Cumae, Aeneas descended into the underworld. There he met the spirit of his father Anchises, who showed him the future heroes of Rome, including Romulus and Augustus.

Hydarnes was one of the seven Persian nobles who conspired to overthrow Gaumata, the Magian usurper who had seized the throne after Cambyses II's death. He participated in the assassination of Gaumata, paving the way for Darius I to become king.

Darius I appointed Hydarnes as governor of the central satrapies of the Achaemenid Empire, a region encompassing Media and surrounding territories. He administered this key area, ensuring loyalty and collecting tribute for the crown.

Hydarnes commanded the elite Persian infantry unit known as the Immortals during the Second Persian invasion of Greece. He led them at the Battle of Thermopylae, where they outflanked the Greek position via the Anopaia path, leading to the Greek defeat.