Persian Empire

334 to 326 BCE.

Africa.

They followed the successful example of their predecessors - Assyria and Babylon.

By appointing provincial governors, they had a supervisory control to ensure that local government was run properly, and by having local government, the peoples were able to continue their traditional ways. And of course, it saved having massive bureaucracies which so plague the modern world, eg the European Union.

It was brought into the Persian Empire in 525 BCE by king Cambyses 2.

With no mechanical transport or electronic communication, news and responses was very, very slow. So the empire was divided into 20 provinces each with a Persian governor responsible for internal and external security, taxes and improving prosperity, overseen by the king and his council.

To cope with the different languages, cultures and structures, local government remained in place, overseen by the governor.

Successful decentralisation, the opposite of what is happening today with adverse centralised meddling and ill-effects.

After Cambyses II's death in 522 BCE, the Achaemenid Empire faced a power vacuum and subsequent instability. Darius I, a distant relative of Cambyses, seized control, claiming the throne by defeating rival pretenders, including a figure known as Bardiya or Smerdis. Darius then consolidated his power, implementing significant administrative reforms and expanding the empire further. His ascension marked the beginning of a more stable period for the Persian Empire, which would last through his reign and beyond.

It varied over the centuries and at different locations.

Holding the pass at Thermopylae was a ploy to force a sea battle in the adjacent strait of Artemesion in an attempt to destroy the Persian sea threat to the Greek city-states.

It failed, and the ir next try was at Salamis succeeded. With their sea advantage gone, the Persians could not supply their army by sea and had to send half of it home. And the Greek city-states were able to stop keeping their armies at home to defend the cities, and sent them out to unite and defeat the Persian army at Plataea.

Ancient Medo-Persia corresponds to the region that encompasses modern-day Iran. The Medes, an ancient Iranian people, inhabited the western part of this area, while the Persians later emerged in the southern region. Today, Iran is the successor state to both the Median and Persian empires, reflecting their historical significance in the country's cultural and political heritage.

Media, which it first dominated, then used it to support its expansion.

Very little - it followed the model of its predecessors, the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires.

By shipping, and in the inland routes, by mounted couriers along direct tracks between the 20 provinces.

Ancient Persia was known for a variety of activities that showcased its rich culture and society. Key activities included agriculture, with farming being a cornerstone of the economy, and trade, facilitated by a vast network of roads and the Royal Road, which connected various parts of the empire. The Persians also engaged in impressive architectural projects, such as the construction of palaces and monumental structures like Persepolis. Additionally, they celebrated religious festivals and cultural events that reflected their Zoroastrian beliefs and diverse traditions.