Kingdom. Josephus, say Darius had returned into Media, where he made these regulations. But if this did not take place at Babylon, it would be rather at Susa, chap. viii. Josephus counts 300 or 360 governments, though when the monarchy was increased there were only 127, Esther i. (Calmet)
He may therefore speak here of large towns, which had each a magistrate. Such regulations easily vary. (Haydock)
Darius acts as master of the whole empire.
Josephus, of whom we made mention above, in writing an account of this passage, put it this way: Now Darius (C), who destroyed the empire of the (p. 523) Babylonians in cooperation with his relative, Cyrus, ---- for they carried on the war as allies ---- was sixty-two years of age at the time he captured Babylon. He was the son of Astyages, and was known to the Greeks by another name. Moreover he took away the prophet Daniel with him and took him to Media, and made him one of the three princes who were in charge of his whole kingdom. Hence we see that when Babylon was overthrown, Darius returned to his own kingdom in Media, and brought Daniel along with him in the same honorable capacity to which he had been promoted by Belshazzar. There is no doubt but what Darius had heard of the sign and portent which had come to Belshazzar, and also of the interpretation which Daniel had set forth, and how he had foretold the rule of the Medes and the Persians. And so no one should be troubled by t...
