ACHAEMENID

In 550 BCE, Cyrus sparked a rebellion against the Median Empire. After winning the war, Cyrus established the Achaemenid Empire [i] and was later succeeded by Cambyses. After Cambyses’ death, Darius I emerged as king. The Achaemenid Empire was stabilized by his governors, known as satraps. In 486 BCE, Darius’ son Xerxes took control until his successors saw the window for decline. Darius III, a second cousin of Artaxerxes II, faced Alexander the Great [ii] in 336 BCE. In 330 BCE, Darius III was murdered by Alexander’s generals, leaving Alexander to claim the Persian Empire in 331 BCE.

Before the Persians rose to power, several small kingdoms occupied the region. Out of those regions, the Median, Lydian, and Babylonian empires [iii] were the strongest, and eventually became great rivals of the Persian Empire. The Persian king, Cyrus the Great [iv], was a military genius and expanded his empire by conquering the small neighboring kingdoms that surrounded his land in 550 BCE. Cyrus wasn't like other conquerors, he didn't allow his men to loot or burn towns after conquering them. He also allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem, and under his rule Jews also rebuilt their cities and temples.

The Achaemenid Empire was based on three classes: warriors, priests, and herdsmen [v]. Ancient sculptures show that the Persians were handsome people with long, straight noses. They dressed in robes called kaftan, wore jewelry, and false hair. Common people lived in mud dwellings, some of which are similar to homes in the countryside of Iran today. They spoke Old Persian and believed in gods of nature. Zoroaster, a prophet, then reformed the ancient beliefs and preached a faith based on values, words, and deeds. He emphasized a supreme God called ’Ahura Mazda’, or “the wise spirit”. His followers are known today as Zoroastrians [vi].

Well-organized bureaus governed the Achaemenid Empire [vii]. The empire was divided into multiple provinces called satrapies [viii]. Each province or satrapy was governed by an official called a satrap. Satraps ruled and lived like minor kings of the empire. However, the king of kings ruled the overall Empire of Persia and had absolute authority over his territory. The kings systematized the laws in various parts of the empire. Troops in the satrapies were controlled by the central government. A secret service, which the Greeks called the “eyes and ears of the king”, informed the king of all affairs and happenings throughout the kingdom.

The first known civilization in Persia was founded by the Elamites [ix], followed by the Medes’ [x] first state on the Persian Plateau in 600 BCE. The Medes were then overthrown by Cyrus in 550 BCE. Cyrus expanded his empire by seizing the kingdom of Lydia and the Greek colonies in Ionia. He called this the Achaemenid Empire. He then conquered Babylonia in 539 BCE and freed the Jews in captivity. Beyond the Achaemenid Empire [xi], Cyrus’ territory extended from the Mediterranean Sea and western Asia Minor to the Indus River, and from the Gulf of Oman to the Aral Sea.

Darius I introduced a standard currency, a gold coin known as a Daric [xii]. The ability to concentrate wealth, combined with expansion, allowed Darius I to construct Persepolis [xiii] an impressive new imperial capital. One of his ambitious projects was digging a canal between the Nile River and the Red Sea to make trade easier throughout the empire. The royal road [xiv] which ran from the city of Sardis in the west, to Susa in the east was also completed during Darius’ reign over the empire. Additionally, Persians developed organized postal systems [xv], complete with runners, or mounted couriers, stationed at intervals along major roads.

Early Persians were farmers [xvi] who raised grain and livestock. Pottery [xvii], weaving, and metalwork in copper, iron, gold, and silver also became important occupations after cities had been founded. The people of the Achaemenid Empire also created agricultural advancement with the innovations of milking farm animals and fishing at the Persian Gulf for a food source. Caravans carried various trade goods from many parts of the world through Persia to the Mediterranean Sea. Significant trade included precious stones, semi-precious stones, and spices. The Persians worked to increase trade throughout their kingdom with the help of standardized weights, official coinage [xviii], and universal laws.