The Achaemenid Empire was the first Persian world empire, founded by Cyrus the Great, who overthrew the Median king and then conquered Lydia and Babylon. His successors, Cambyses and Darius I, added Egypt and lands reaching to the Indus and the Danube, creating the largest empire the world had yet seen. Darius organised it into provinces ruled by satraps, built the Royal Road and began the palace complex at Persepolis. The empire's attempts to subdue Greece led to the Greco-Persian Wars. It had a tolerant approach to local religions and customs, and was brought down by Alexander the Great, who defeated Darius III.
Before and after
- 551 BCEDeath of Zoroaster
- 551 BCEBirth of Confucius
- 550 BCEFounding of Verona
- from 550 BCE to 366 BCEFounding of Peloponnesian League
- from 550 BCE to 330 BCEAchaemenid Empire
- 550 BCEBirth of Darius I
- from 550 BCE to 1979Persian Empire
- 544 BCEBirth of Sun Tzu
- 543 BCEOrigins of Phanagoria
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- from 351 BCE to 1494Construction of Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
- from 323 BCE to 30 BCEHellenistic period
- 323 BCEConstruction of Temple of Ephesian Artemis
- from 279 BCE to 1480Construction of Lighthouse of Alexandria
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 6th century BCE.