The Achaemenids
How did the famous Medo-Persian Empire dominate the world?
The Zagros Mountains region was settled by nomadic peoples from the north of the Caspian Sea around 800BC, who established small settlements. These peoples were part of a subgroup of the Indo-European peoples, classified as Indo-Iranian peoples or Aryans, and would later form the Achaemenid Empire, also known as the Medo-Persian Empire. The Medes, a tribe within this group, subjugated other Aryan tribes and established their main city, Ecbatana. In 612 BCE, the Medes, in alliance with Babylon, defeated the Assyrian Empire and established themselves as a major political and military power in Mesopotamia. The Medes conquered northern Mesopotamia, Armenia, and parts of Asia Minor, and were fighting against the Lydians when a solar eclipse occurred on the same day as the Battle of the Halys River, leading to a peace agreement. After the death of Cyaxares, his son Astyages became the ruler of the Medes and laid the foundation for a vast empire.
The Medes were known for their well-organized administration and army, which included infantry armed with iron swords and shields, archers, and knights with spears. Other Aryan tribes, such as the Persians and the Parthians, remained tributaries of the Medes for centuries. The Persians, who were grouped in cities such as Pasargadae, were led by the Achaemenid clan, descendants of Achaemenes. In 559 BCE, Cyrus II, also known as Cyrus the Great, became the leader of this clan and formed a federation of Persian tribes under his command. He revolted against his grandfather, Astyages, and defeated him, establishing himself as the Shah of Persia and conquering the Medes.
Cyrus II's empire was based on a contract between him and the various peoples under his rule, where they paid tribute and were allowed to worship their own gods and live according to their ways. Cyrus II's multiculturalism made lasting imperial peace a real possibility and defined the way later empires would seek to achieve stable government. He instituted a government hierarchy with himself at the top, surrounded by advisors who passed on his decrees to secretaries who passed them on to regional governors, called satraps, responsible for each province.
Cyrus II's decrees and any other news ran along a network of roads linking the main cities, including the famous Royal Road established by Darius I. The Persian postal system was considered a marvel of its time and became the model for similar later systems. By the end of his reign, Cyrus II had established an empire that stretched from present-day Syria into Turkey and across the borders of India.
Cyrus II's son and successor, Cambyses II, added the kingdom of Egypt to the Persian Empire, but during the Egyptian campaign, a revolt broke out at home, led by a priest named Gaumata posing as Cambyses' brother Bardia. Cambyses II died on the way back to resolve the crisis, leaving Darius I to intervene. Darius I recovered the Empire and extended it to the Indus Valley, dividing it into 20 satrapies, each paying a fixed rate of tribute to Persia. Darius I established a common currency and embarked on massive spending programs, injecting money into mineral exploration, roads, and irrigation works. He also gathered teams of craftsmen from across the Empire to build an imperial capital in the city of Persepolis.
The Achaemenid Empire remained stable under rulers after Xerxes I until it was conquered by Alexander the Great during the reign of Darius III. Alexander the Great defeated the Achaemenid Empire in 330 BCE after a series of decisive victories. Darius III was assassinated by his confidant and bodyguard named Bessus, who then proclaimed himself Artaxerxes V, calling himself Darius' successor and is regarded as the last monarch of the Achaemenid Empire until captured and executed by Alexander.
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A História
"Hi. My name is Wellington and I'm a passion for general history. Here, I publish articles on different periods and themes in history, from prehistory to the present day.
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