Cyrus defeats Astyages
Persian power rises as Cyrus takes control of the Median realm.
Read the full story →Chapter 01
550–330 BCE
The Story of
an Empire
From a kingdom in southern Iran to a realm spanning three continents—and the final struggle for the Persian heartland.
01 · Origins
The Rise of Persia
From Anshan to the centre of the ancient world.
In the sixth century BCE, Cyrus II united Persian power with the Median realm and created a new imperial dynasty.
His victories over Lydia and Babylon brought wealthy kingdoms beneath Achaemenid rule. Rather than governing every people in the same way, Persian kings often worked through established local elites, institutions and traditions.
Under Darius I, the realm gained a more visible administrative shape: satrapies, royal roads, taxation systems, coinage and monumental inscriptions connected distant territories to the king.
A Dynasty Across Two Centuries
The Imperial Timeline
Five turning points in the history of Achaemenid rule.
Babylon opens its gates
Cyrus enters Babylon and adds Mesopotamia to his growing empire.
Read the full story →The reign of Darius I
Administrative reforms, royal roads and monumental building reshape the realm.
Read the full story →Xerxes invades Greece
The empire launches one of the largest military expeditions of the ancient world.
Read the full story →Persepolis falls
Alexander of Macedon conquers the Persian heartland and the dynasty ends.
Read the full story →The Last Great King
Darius III and the Macedonian invasion.
After defeats at Issus and Gaugamela, Darius III retreated east while Alexander occupied Babylon, Susa and Persepolis. The dynasty ended, but Persian administration, court culture and political geography continued to shape the successor kingdoms.
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