Achaemenid Empire

The Achaemenid Empire (also known as the Old Persian Empire) was the first great Persian empire. It extended from the late 6th century BC to the late 4th century BC over the territories of what are now Turkey, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Egypt. The Achaemenid Empire, made known to historians by Herodotus and other ancient Greek historians, first expanded in 550 BC under Cyrus II (who, however, was not an Achaemenid) by annexing the Medean Empire. It continued under successors until its later greatest expansion, which reached its peak around 500 BC under Darius I, the first Achaemenid Great King, and at that time also included parts of the present-day states of Libya, Greece, Bulgaria, Pakistan, and territories in the Caucasus, Sudan, and Central Asia. In 330 BC, Alexander the Great ended the rule of the Achaemenids.

The name of the empire is derived from the Persian dynasty of the Achaemenids. This dynasty, which replaced the legendary earlier rulers (as they are described in the Shahname, for example), is named after the progenitor Achaimenes, who, according to legend, is said to have led the Persians from a settlement area in the region around Lake Urmia to the country of Persis (today Fars), which was later named after them. The name Achaimenes is the Greek form of the name Hachamanian.

The Achaemenid Empire appears in the Western view of history mainly as an adversary of the Greeks. The key dates are considered to be 490 or 480 BC (battles of Marathon and Salamis) and the years 334 to 330 BC (conquest by Alexander the Great). From this perspective, the outstanding role of the empire with regard to the history of the Near East, and, as recent research has shown, also to the development of ancient Greece, has been largely unrecognized. In the Bible, the image of the Persians is positive; here they appear as liberators of the Jews and promoters of their religious and cultural needs. However, the historical role played by the Achaemenid Empire in the 220 years of its history is much more significant. Thus, for the first time in history, the entire Near East was united under one rule. Cultural, scientific and economic achievements shaped the interior of the empire to a much greater extent than the wars with the Greeks or rebellions in the individual provinces.

The Guinness Book of Records lists the Achaemenid Empire as the largest empire of all time, accounting for about 44% of the world's population around 500 BC (49 million out of 112 million). Other sources assume a population of 17 to 35 million inhabitants.

Chronology and family tree of the Achaemenids

Research today is widely agreed that the kings (except Achaimenes) before Darius were not Achaemenids: They were Teispids, who were at most distantly related to the Achaemenids. Darius, who came to the throne in effect as a usurper, then constructed a fictitious genealogy that made Cyrus and Cambyses seemingly his relatives, and moreover married two daughters of Cyrus: the aim was to legitimize his rule by joining the predecessor dynasty. Although the first two rulers of the ancient Persian empire were therefore not Achaemenids, one nevertheless usually speaks of the Achaemenid Empire.

Aftermath of the Achaemenids

The Achaemenid Empire was the first body politic to encompass the entire Near East. Despite isolated rebellions, this area was by and large peacefully held together, if not united. The administrative structure of the satrapies was still authoritative centuries later and may have been incorporated into the Roman one. There was very little, if any, actual cultural aftermath of the Achaemenid Empire on the territories it ruled. Some successor states, which resisted the conquest by Alexander, are to be excluded from this, of which Atropatene is particularly worth mentioning.

For the Greeks, the Achaemenid Empire remained a symbol of threat, and the final victory over the Persians by Alexander was always a glory for Greek self-confidence. In the process, Persian elements also flowed into Greek culture. For example, there is speculation that the reliefs of the Athenian Parthenon had Persian models. Some classical philologists also believe that Plato's Atlantis narrative alludes to the Persian Empire. Persian influences can also be traced in other countries outside the Achaemenid sphere of influence. Thus Persian residences are cited as models for some Indian palace complexes.

But the greatest impact of the Achaemenid Empire was, of course, on the Persians themselves. Centuries later, it was still remembered that there had once been a great Persian empire, even if more detailed knowledge about it had been lost. Thus the Sassanids added their own rock reliefs at important Achaemenid sites such as Behistun and Naqsh-e Rostam to place themselves in the Achaemenid tradition. Later, knowledge of the Achaemenid Empire was lost again in Iran itself and was only reawakened by Western research and excavations. The last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, saw himself in the tradition of the Achaemenid Empire and deliberately directed the Iranian view of history to this high point of Persian power development. Even today, many Iranian nationalists refer to the Achaemenid Empire. Persepolis, for example, whose actual role in the Achaemenid Empire was no more important than that of Susa or Ekbatana, is glorified as a symbol of the Iranian nation.