Darius III vs Psamtik III

Darius III commanded the Persian army against Alexander the Great at Issus in Cilicia. Alexander's forces defeated the larger Persian army, and Darius fled the battlefield, leaving his family and baggage train to be captured.

Darius III assembled a massive army from across the empire to confront Alexander near Arbela. Alexander's tactical brilliance led to a decisive Persian defeat, and Darius again fled the field, effectively ending Achaemenid resistance.

Alexander the Great captured and sacked Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. The palace complex was burned, symbolizing the end of Persian imperial power and the transfer of hegemony to Macedonia.

After Gaugamela, Darius fled eastward through Media and Parthia. He was deposed and imprisoned by his own satrap Bessus, then murdered by Bessus's followers near Hecatompylos. Alexander later gave Darius a royal burial at Persepolis.

Psamtik III ruled for only six months before the Persian invasion. His brief reign was marked by the looming threat of the Persian army. He had little time to implement any significant policies or reforms. His reign is primarily remembered for its abrupt end with the Persian conquest.

Psamtik III's Egyptian army was defeated by the Persian forces under Cambyses II at Pelusium. The Persians used a strategy of placing cats and other sacred animals in front of their lines, causing Egyptian archers to hesitate. This defeat led to the fall of Egypt to the Achaemenid Empire.

After the defeat at Pelusium, Psamtik III was captured by the Persians. He was initially treated with respect but later executed for plotting a rebellion. His death marked the end of the 26th dynasty and the beginning of Persian rule over Egypt, which lasted for over a century.