Artaxerxes III Ochus (
Old Persian: ��������������) ruled
Persia from
358 BC to
338 BC. He was the son of
Artaxerxes II and was succeeded by
Arses of Persia (also known as Artaxerxes IV). Soon after becoming the king, Artaxerxes killed all of his relatives to protect Persia from civil wars. In
343 BC Artaxerxes III defeated
Nectanebo II, driving him from
Egypt, and made Egypt once again a Persian
satrapy.
There is evidence for a renewed building policy at
Persepolis, where Artaxerxes III erected a new palace.
According to the Greek historian
Diodorus, Artaxerxes was murdered by his minister,
Bagoas, but this is contradicted by
cuneiform texts.
