Persian Empire

Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, conquered several peoples during his reign, including the Medes, Lydians, and Babylonians. His conquest of the Medes around 550 BCE unified Persia and Media, establishing the foundation of his empire. The defeat of Lydia in 546 BCE expanded his territory further west, while the capture of Babylon in 539 BCE marked a significant achievement, as he was seen as a liberator by the Babylonian people. These conquests laid the groundwork for one of the largest empires in ancient history.

Notably , the battle of Marathon .

darius used some of persian's great wealth to build roads across the empire

He assembled an army and a fleet, but was assassinated on the eve of his departure. His son Alexander took over the mission.

He made the people slaves and he had sex with them and no one stood up to him

It had two conquering kings - Cyrus the Great and Cambyses, and a succession of consolidating kings starting with Darius the Great.

This not only extended the empire, but also retained it by establishing provincial government to control and defend the different areas, and retaining traditional local government forms which were compatible with the diverse range of peoples, cities and tribes within the empire.

Not that this was unique, the previous Assyrian and Babylonian empires used similar means, but the Persians just did it better, and for over two hundred years were able to maintain control, stability and prosperity until ambitious Alexander the Great became the wrecker, turned it into an empire of his own, died and left chaos in his wake.

From the capital Susa to the Aegean Sea 1500 miles/2400 km.

Leaving local government intact, under appointed princes/chiefs/tyrants.

Appointing Persian provincial governors to oversee provinces, providing internal and external security and collecting taxes.

Providing the central direction of a king and his council.

Maintaining communications in a pre-electronic age, by ship and a system of road horse couriers.

Local government according to the traditional style in each city or area, with 20 Persian provincial governors, all overseen by a king and his council.

arbela

The term Persian Empire is loosely used to cover several periods. The real empire of the Persians was 550-321 BCE. Other peoples took over Persia, starting with Alexander the Great.

Iran.

Its military power after it added that of Media to its own, then harnessed progressively the resources of the peoples of central Asia, Asia Minor and north Africa.

It harnessed the resources of the countries it progressively conquered, and used them for further conquests.

Examples:

Army - the Persians first conquered the Medes, and then absorbed its army, and the combined force then took over the Babylonian empire, and then these combined armies moved further on. Against the southern Greeks at the battle of Plataia, a third of the Persian army was from Greek cities in central Greece.

Navy - Persia did not have a navy, it gained one by levying contingents from Egypt, Phoenicia and the Greek cities of Asia Minor.

He had everyone in the empire use the same money system of weights and measurements.

Northeast Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Cyrus did not have a policy of assimilation - the Persian Empire allowed its component peoples to retain their local governance, customs and cultures, supervised by provincial and imperial government.

They spread it to America for independence.

Distance - it spanned about 4000kn.

Slowness of communication - horse couriers were slow across those distances.

Military response problems - the distances meant movement of armies took months, and resupply was difficult.

Disparate peoples meant difficulties in ruling them and unifying them.

The opportunities for revolution/secession.

Response to adverse seasons on regions and capacity to provide assistance.

A falcon with spread wings and legs and a halo-like circle on the head.

He began in 549 BCE until his death in 529 BCE.

By first allying Persia with Media, and then using this combined power to take over the Babylonian and Lydian Empires.