Ancient Persia. From tribe to empire. Darius I – king of kings

Cyrus II (Karash or Kurush II) is a gifted commander and king of Persia, who during his lifetime received the nickname “The Great” when he founded the powerful Persian Empire, uniting disparate states from Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. Why was the Persian king Cyrus called the Great? The name of the wise ruler and brilliant strategist is covered in legends, many facts are forever forgotten, but majestic monuments testifying to the victories of Cyrus have survived to this day, and in Pasargadae, the first capital of the Achaemenids, there is a mausoleum where his remains are supposedly buried.

Cyrus the Great: a short biography

The origin and exact years of life of Cyrus the Great are unknown. In the archives of ancient historians - Herodotus, Xenophon, Xetius - conflicting versions have been preserved. According to the most common of them, Cyrus was a descendant of Achaemen, the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty, the son of the Persian king Cambyses I and the daughter of the king of Media Astyages (Ishtuvegu) Mandana. He was born presumably in 593 BC.

From the first days of his life, the royal baby faced severe trials. Believing in your prophetic dreams and the predictions of the priests about the future great conquests of the boy who was still in his mother’s womb, Astyages instructed one of his subjects to kill his newborn grandson. Out of pity or out of reluctance to deal with the monstrous deed himself, Harpagus, a dignitary of the Median king, handed the child over to a shepherd slave, ordering him to be thrown in the mountains to be devoured by wild animals. At that time, the slave’s newborn son died, whose body he dressed in the prince’s luxurious clothes and left in a secluded place. And Cyrus took the place of the deceased in the shepherd’s hut.

Years later, Astyages learned of the deception and cruelly punished Harpagus, killing his son, but left his grown-up grandson alive and sent him to his parents in Persia, because the priests convinced him that the danger had passed. Harpagus later went over to the side of Cyrus, leading one of the armies of the Persian king.

Revolt against Media

Around 558, Cyrus became king of Persia, which was dependent on Media, and a vassal of his grandfather Astyages. The first Persian uprising against Media occurred in 553. It was initiated by Harpagus, who organized a conspiracy of Median courtiers against Astyages and attracted Cyrus to his side. 3 years after the bloody battles, the Persian king captured Ecbatana, the capital of Media, deposed and captured the Median king.

Anti-Persian coalition

After the triumphant rise of the king of small and previously completely insignificant Persia, the rulers of the most powerful states of the Middle East and Asia Minor at that time - Egypt, Lydia, Babylon - formed a kind of coalition in order to prevent the advance of Persian troops in any direction. The coalition was supported by Sparta, the most militarily powerful Hellenic city. By 549, Cyrus the Great conquered Elam, located in the southwestern part of modern Iran, then conquered Hyrcania, Parthia, and Armenia, which were part of the King of Cilicia voluntarily went over to the side of Cyrus and subsequently repeatedly provided him with military assistance.

Conquest of Lydia

The campaigns of Cyrus the Great will forever remain in history. In 547 BC. the legendary Croesus, king of prosperous Lydia, tried to capture Cappadocia, which was located in the territory subject to Cyrus. The Lydian army met fierce resistance; Croesus chose to withdraw his troops to regain strength and then recapture Cappadocia from Cyrus. But almost the next day the Persian army found itself at the walls of Sardis, the capital of Lydia and an impregnable fortress. Croesus was forced to throw his best cavalry into battle, but Cyrus and Harpagus, who by that time had become a military leader and one of the most reliable subjects of the king of Persia, came up with a brilliant tactical move: in the vanguard of the Persian army, instead of cavalry, there was a column of camels, on which armed warriors sat . The Lydian horses, sensing the unpleasant smell of camels, reared up, threw off their riders and fled. The Lydian horsemen had to fight by dismounting, which led to defeat. Sardis was under siege, but fell after just a couple of weeks, as the Persians conquered the steep walls of the fortress using a secret path. Croesus was captured by Cyrus, and Lydia, over which Harpagus received control, became part of the Persian Empire.

King Cyrus the Great, with the support of a former Median courtier who almost killed him in infancy, achieved incredible success. While Cyrus and his troops advanced deep into Central Asia, Harpagus captured the Hellenic cities in and suppressed the uprising against the Persians in Lydia. Gradually, the Achaemenid Empire expanded to all directions of the world. From 545 to 540 BC e. it included Drangiana, Bactria, Khorezm, Margiana, Sogdiana, Arachosia, Gandahara, Gedrosia.

Capture of Babylon by Cyrus the Great

Now the main threat to Cyrus the Great was concentrated in Babylonia, which united Syria, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Phenicia, eastern Cilicia, and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. The king of Babylon, Nabonidus, had enough time to prepare for a serious war with the Persians, while Cyrus's troops erected defensive earthen ramparts in the valleys of the Diyala and Gind rivers. The ancient world was famous for its powerful army, prepared for any battles and big amount impregnable fortresses scattered throughout the territory. The most complex defensive structure was the Babylonian fortress with a deep moat filled with water and thick walls 8 to 12 m high.

However, Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, whose biography is presented to your attention in the article, was approaching the capital. August 539 was marked by a crushing defeat and death of the stepson of the Babylonian king near Opis on the Tigris. Having crossed the Tigris, the Persians captured Sippar in October, and just a couple of days later Babylon was taken almost without a fight. Nabonidus, who was not popular or respected either by the inhabitants of Babylon itself, or by the countries he conquered, or by his own courtiers and soldiers, was deposed, but not only survived, but also received the post of satrap in Carmania.

King Cyrus the Great allowed the deported peoples to return home, retained the privileges of the local nobility, ordered the restoration of temples destroyed by the Babylonians and Assyrians in the occupied territories, and the return of idols there. It was thanks to Cyrus that the Jews had the opportunity to return to Palestine and restore their main shrine - the Jerusalem Temple.

How Egypt managed to maintain sovereignty

In 538, Cyrus proclaimed himself "king of Babylon, king of countries." All provinces of the Babylonian Empire voluntarily recognized the authority of the Persian ruler. Achaemenid Kingdom by 530 BC spread from Egypt to India. Before moving troops to Egypt, Cyrus decided to take control of the territory between the Caspian and Aral Sea, where the nomadic tribes of the Massagetae lived under the leadership of

Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, handed over the reins of Babylon to his eldest son Cambyses II and set out for the northeastern reaches of his kingdom. This time the campaign ended tragically - the great conqueror died. Cambyses was not immediately able to find his father’s remains and bury him with dignity.

An angry mother is the reason for the death of Cyrus the Great

What else was Cyrus the Great famous for? Interesting Facts permeate his biography. Below is one of them.

At the first stage, Kira was lucky, as always. The king ordered a convoy loaded with wineskins to be placed in front of his army. A detachment of nomads attacked the convoy, the soldiers drank wine and, becoming drunk, were captured by the Persians without a fight. Perhaps everything would have ended well for the Persian king if the queen’s son had not been among the captured Massagetae.

Having learned about the captivity of the prince, Tomiris became furious and ordered to kill the cunning Persian at any cost. In the battle, the Massagetae demonstrated such rage that the Persians did not even manage to remove the body of the deceased king from the field. By order of Tomyris, Cyrus's severed head was stuffed into a wineskin...

Empire after the death of Cyrus

The death of Cyrus II the Great did not cause the collapse of his empire. The grandiose kingdom of the Achaemenids existed in the form in which the gifted commander left it for another 200 years, until Darius, a descendant of Cyrus, crushed

Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, was not only a brilliant strategist who knew how to calculate every little thing, but also a humane ruler who managed to maintain his power in the conquered territories without cruelty and bloodshed. For centuries, the Persians considered him the “father of nations,” and the Jews considered him Jehovah’s anointed one.

The territory of Persia, before the formation of an independent state, was part of the Assyrian Empire. VI century BC. became the heyday of ancient civilization, which began with the kingdom of the ruler Persia Cyrus II the Great. He managed to defeat the king named Croesus of the richest country of antiquity, Lydia. It went down in history as the first state entity in which silver and gold coins began to be minted in the history of the world. This happened in the 7th century. BC.

Under the Persian king Cyrus, the borders of the state were significantly expanded and included the territories of the fallen Assyrian Empire and the powerful. By the end of the reign of Cyrus and his heir, Persia, which had received the status of an empire, occupied the area from the lands of Ancient Egypt to India. The conqueror honored the traditions and customs of the conquered peoples and accepted the title and crown of the king of the conquered states.

Death of King Cyrus II of Persia

In ancient times, the Persian Emperor Cyrus was considered one of the most powerful rulers, under whose skillful leadership numerous successful military campaigns were carried out. However, his fate ended ingloriously: the great Cyrus fell at the hands of a woman. Near the northeastern border of the Persian Empire lived Massagetae. Small tribes were very savvy in military affairs. They were ruled by Queen Tomiris. She responded to Cyrus' marriage proposal with a decisive refusal, which extremely angered the emperor and he launched a military campaign to capture the nomadic peoples. The queen's son died in the battle, and she promised to force the king of the ancient civilization to drink blood. The battle ended in the defeat of the Persian troops. The emperor's head was brought to the queen in a leather fur filled with blood. Thus ended the time of despotic rule and conquests of the king of Persia, Cyrus II the Great.

Darius's rise to power

After the death of the mighty Cyrus, his direct heir came to power Cambyses. A militia began in the state. As a result of the struggle, Darius I became the emperor of Persia. Information about the years of his reign has reached our days thanks to Behistunskaya inscriptions, which contains historical data in Old Persian, Akkadian and Elamite. The stone was found by British officer G. Rawlinson in 1835. The inscription indicates that during the reign of Darius the Great, a distant relative of Cyrus II, Persia turned into an eastern despotism.

The state was divided into 20 administrative units, which were governed by satraps. The regions were called satraps. Officials were in charge of management and their responsibilities included monitoring the collection of taxes into the main treasury of the state. The money was spent on infrastructure development, in particular, roads were built connecting regions throughout the empire. Postal posts were established to carry messages to the king. During his reign, extensive urban construction and the development of crafts were noted. Gold coins – “dariks” – are introduced into monetary use.

Centers of the Persian Empire

One of the four capitals of the ancient civilization of Persia was located on the territory of former Lydia in the city of Susa. Another community center political life was located in Pasargadae, founded by Cyrus the Great. The Persian residence was also located in the conquered Babylonian kingdom. Emperor Darius I was enthroned in a city specially established as the capital of Persia Persepolis. Its wealth and architecture amazed the rulers and ambassadors of foreign countries who came to the empire to bring gifts to the king. Stone walls The palace of Darius in Persepolis is decorated with drawings depicting the immortal army of the Persians and the history of the existence of the “six nations” living as part of an ancient civilization.

Religious beliefs of the Persians

In ancient times in Persia there was polytheism. The adoption of a single religion came with the teaching of the struggle between the god of good and the creation of evil. The name of the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster). In the Persian tradition, in contrast to the strong religiously Ancient Egypt, there was no custom of erecting temple complexes and altars for performing spiritual rituals. Sacrifices were made on hills where altars were built. God of light and goodness Ahura-Mazda depicted in Zoroastrianism as a solar disk decorated with wings. He was considered the patron saint of the kings of the ancient civilization of Persia.

The Persian state was located on the territory of modern Iran, where ancient architectural monuments of the empire were preserved.

Video about the creation and fall of the Persian Empire

Ancient Persia (Iran) a state in Western and Central Asia (the territory of modern Iran and Pakistan). At its height, this was a vast territory, starting from the coast of Asia Minor and reaching the Indus River in the east. This great empire, which united dozens of ancient Iranian tribes who called themselves “Aryans”, became a mediator in the cultural dialogue between the West and the East.

First mentions of Persia

The life of the Persians in ancient times is known from Assyrian sources, which described conflicts with various mountain tribes. It is known that at the end of the 8th century BC. e. A tribal union was formed near Lake Urmia under the leadership of the leaders of the noble Persian family of the Achaemenids. This land was conquered first by Assyria, and in the 7th century. BC e. Media subdued. King Astyages of Media married one of his daughters to the Persian king Cambyses I, the great-grandson of the legendary founder of the Persian Achaemenid dynasty. In this marriage, Cyrus II was born, who in the future became the Great, the king of all the Persian peoples. A legend is connected with his birth, which Herodotus brought to us in his “History”.

The Legend of Cyrus

Once upon a time, the ruler of Media, Astyages, had a dream that from the womb of his daughter grew vine, which first filled all of Media, and then Asia. He called the magicians to interpret the dream for him. According to them, this meant that his daughter’s son would capture Media and Asia during Astyages’ lifetime. When his daughter gave birth to a son, Astyages panicked that the prophecy would come true and ordered his grandson to be killed by his nobleman Harpagus. Harpagus did not want to get his hands dirty himself and gave the boy to a shepherd, ordering him to be killed in the mountains, and then to bring and show the baby’s body. At this time, the shepherd's wife gave birth to a stillborn child, the shepherd kept the boy for himself, and brought the body of his child to Harpagu. The boy was named Cyrus. So the prince grew up, not knowing about his origin.

Until one day the son of a nobleman appeared in the pasture and saw the game of the shepherds’ sons playing “king”. Cyrus was chosen as king because he was a tall young man with a proud bearing; others followed his orders and guarded the palace. The official’s son was also taken into this game. But he began to argue with the “king”, for which he was punished and whipped. Returning home, he complained to his father that he had been beaten by order of the Persian; the indignant father told everything to Astyages. The king ordered the shepherd and his son to be brought to the palace. Then he interrogated Harpagus, having learned the truth, the king, in a rage, ordered his son to be executed. Harpagus decided to take revenge on the cruel king at the first opportunity.

The magicians dissuaded Astyages from killing his grandson, saying that the prophecy had come true, the boy was already a king in a children's game. Nevertheless, Astyages played it safe, ordering that all roads be guarded so that not a single person could divulge to Cyrus the story of his origin. But Harpagus outwitted Astyages by writing a letter to Cyrus, which he hid in the belly of a hare. Having given the hare to his servant, he ordered it to be delivered to the boy. Dressed as a hunter, the servant fulfilled the master's orders. On the way, the royal guards searched the servant, but did not find the letter. Thus, the letter fell into the hands of Cyrus, who learned from it who he really was.

Soon, Cyrus rebelled against Astyages (in 550 BC), gathering an army of Persians. Having moved his army to Ecbatana, the capital of the Medes, Cyrus unexpectedly received help from the Medes themselves. Astyages sent his army, led by Harpagus, to meet the Persian army, confident that he remained loyal to him. However, Harpagus did not forgive the king for the death of his son and persuaded the Medes from noble families to treason. Moreover, it was easy to do; many did not like the king for his cruelty. As a result, many Medes went over to the enemy’s side. The Persians managed to disperse the victorious Median army. The prophetic dream came true, Astyages executed the magicians. Having recruited another army, he led it against the Persians. The Mede warriors were known as excellent horsemen. Cyrus ordered his army to move on foot. The warriors covered themselves with shields from swords and arrows, managing to pull the riders off their horses. Cyrus defeated the enemy's army, Astyages was captured, and remained in custody for the rest of his life.

In 559 BC. e. Cyrus II was proclaimed king. He founded the first capital of the Persian kingdom, Pasargadae. Subsequently, the Persian army under the leadership of Cyrus continued the victorious conquest of other states: Lydia Croesus himself big city of that time - Babylon, occupied eastern Iranian lands, regions of Central Asia, Afghan, Pakistani, and Indian territories. Miletus and other states before Egypt submitted to Cyrus of their own free will. Many merchants advocated the formation of a powerful centralized state.

Cyrus outlined Egypt as his next goal, but his plans failed to come true. During one of the campaigns against the Massagets (Massagets are nomadic tribes of Central Asia, related to the Sarmatians, Saks and Scythians) led by Queen Tomiris, the army of the Persian king was defeated, and Cyrus himself died. In 25 years, Cyrus created a huge empire.

The rise of the Persian Empire

After the death of Cyrus II the Great, Cambyses II ascended the throne. It was he who conquered Egypt, making his father's dream come true. The successful conquest of Egypt was predetermined, since the Egyptian kingdom was going through the worst of times: a weak army, people's dissatisfaction with high taxes, and the inept policies of Pharaoh Psammetichus III.

Before the campaign against Egypt, Cambyses enlisted the support of the nomads of the Sinai desert, who helped him during the transition of the troops to the city of Pelusium. Cambyses captured Memphis in 527 BC. e., where he showed cruelty to the Egyptians and their gods. He executed many noble people, destroyed temples, scourged their priests, and executed the son of Psammetichus III. The pharaoh himself was spared. Cambyses was proclaimed Egyptian pharaoh.

Leaving Egypt, Cambyses launched two failed campaigns into Nubia and Libya. During the campaign to capture Libya, the army, crossing the desert, was caught in a strong sandstorm, most of the army died in the sand, and Kamiz had to turn back. Returning to Egypt, where in his absence a rebellion broke out under the leadership of Psammetichus III, he suppressed the uprising and executed the former pharaoh.

Here news reached him that riots against Persian hegemony had begun in Persia. Leaving for Egypt, Cambyses, fearing a coup, got rid of his brother. The magician Gaumata, taking advantage of the king's absence, seized power and ruled on behalf of his deceased brother Bardiya. Cambyses had been absent from his kingdom for three years; having received unpleasant news, he went home. But he never made it home; he died on the road under unclear circumstances.

The magician Gaumata, who pretended to be the brother of Cambyses, began his ascent in Babylon, where he gained universal support, then captured the capital of Persia, Pasargadae. While in power, he abolished duties and military service for three years, with the goal of replacing the Persian elite of the nobility with the Median one. Gaumata was in power for 7 months. After some time, a conspiracy arose between representatives of seven eminent Persian families, who killed the impostor and proclaimed Darius king. He immediately returned the preferential rights to the Persians and began to reunite the empire, which was crumbling like a house of cards. In Babylon, Parthia, Armenia, Margiana, Elam and other regions, impostors appeared posing as Cambyses.

The rebellions that broke out throughout the empire were brutally suppressed by Darius. After he gathered all the lands together, Darius erected the Behistun inscription, which is carved on a high rock. The image shows how the enslaved kings of the provinces of the Iranian Empire brought taxes to their Shahin Shah Darius the Great. Darius is depicted much larger than the other kings, which clearly indicates their subordinate position.

Reforms of Darius I

Darius understood perfectly well that it was impossible to manage such an empire using the old methods, so at the beginning of his reign he began reforming, which resulted in the creation reliable system management.

Results of the reform of Darius I:

• Divided the empire into administrative districts - satrapies. Officials from the family nobility of Persia were appointed as the head of the province. Satraps had administrative, civil and judicial powers. They collected taxes and kept order in the household. To maintain order and protect borders, military formations were stationed in the districts, the command was appointed by the tsar himself. Remote territories (Cyprus, Cilicia) were under the self-government of local kings.
• A royal office was created that supervised a staff of officials. The main office was located in the Persian capital, the city of Susa. Additional royal offices were located in big cities- Babylon, Memphis, Ecbatana. The head of the treasury (responsible for the treasury and collected taxes), judicial investigators, scribes, and heralds worked here. Secret agents also worked for the Shah - “the ears and eyes of the king.” The official language was Aramaic, but other languages ​​were also used. Important documents wrote in several languages ​​at once.
• A new post of “chief of a thousand” appeared, who supervised officials and the tsar’s personal guard, and also monitored the authorities government controlled.
• Legislation was brought to uniformity. One set of laws was created for the entire population, while taking into account the ancient laws of the conquered countries. But the Persians still had privileges.
• He carried out a tax reform, now monetary taxes depended on the size of the territory, land fertility and population.
• A unified monetary system was introduced across all satrapies - the golden darik, which circulated throughout the country.
• The main support of the country was the army, the highest personnel were recruited from the Medes and Persians. The army was supported by 10 thousand “immortals”, recruited from various Indo-Iranian peoples. The first thousand of the 10 thousand “immortals” were the Shahin Shah’s personal guard. Often hired soldiers were accepted into the ranks, mostly Greeks. The composition of the army is cavalry, chariots and infantry. Warriors were recruited from the nobility for the cavalry; they had to have equipment - an iron shell, a bronze shield and helmets, and weapons - two spears, a sword, a bow and arrows. The main weapon of the infantry was the bow. On the borders of the entire empire, military units were stationed in fortresses. These warriors were given a land plot. Later, a military fleet was created, which included Greek ships, Phoenician and Cypriot ships.
• The empire had a well-developed road network. Regular messengers and mail, road guards raised the message system to a high level.

Provincial uprisings

Having completed the reforms and restored order in the empire, Darius decided to conquer Scythia, which he did not succeed. Then he decided to conquer Greece. It was with Darius' campaign that a series of military conflicts began, which were called the Greco-Persian Wars. For wars, a full state treasury was needed, so taxes began to increase over time.

At the same time, the palace city of Persepolis was built, which achieved splendor under the successors of Darius. Many artisans were sent to build it. All this worsened the situation in the country; Egypt was the first to express dissatisfaction, which rebelled against the Persians. Darius at this time was preparing for his second campaign against Greece. But Darius died without realizing his plans.

The Persian throne was taken by the son of Darius Xerxes I. Throughout his reign he had to suppress uprisings; it was he who suppressed the rebellion in Egypt, then the uprising in Babylon. At the same time, he acted harshly, he turned Babylonia into a simple satrapy, took the inhabitants into slavery and destroyed the city. Xerxes swore an oath to take revenge on Greece for the triumph over the Persians at Marathon; he dreamed of burning Athens. He succeeded in 480 BC. e., during the second campaign.

The King of Persia took revenge - he burned Athens, but while Xerxes was starting fires, the Athenians and Spartans dealt a crushing blow to the Persian army, defeating it at sea near the island of Salamis and on land at Plataea. The entire army of Xerxes died in the campaign against Greece and on the way home. Returning back to Persia with a small remnant of the army, Xerxes became mired in intrigues and died ingloriously at the hands of his chief of the palace guard.

Fall of the Empire

After the death of Xerxes, the remaining kings tried to preserve the territory of the empire and were engaged in internecine squabbles for the throne. Thus, states gradually began to emerge from the Persian Empire: Lydia (413 BC), Egypt (404 BC), Cyprus, Cilicia, Khorezm, Sidon, Caria, part of India (360 BC). BC.). But the main danger came from Macedonia, where the young commander subjugated states, territories, and peoples. In 334 BC. e. Prince Alexander and his army turned to the East, all his attention was directed to the huge Persian Empire. During this period, Shahinshah Darius III was in power. Persian troops lost to the army of Alexander the Great in two main battles, after the defeat at Issus (333 BC) royal family was captured by the enemy. After the second defeat (331 BC), Darius III fled with part of his troops to Bactria. The commander pursued the fugitives. While fleeing, Darius was killed by his own satrap. When Alexander caught up with the convoy, he found Darius dead. Yes, he died the last king Achaemenid dynasty. The Persian Empire ended its existence, all satrapies became part of the power of Alexander the Great.

The Persian Empire was a centralized monarchical state. The successes and defeats of the Persians depended on the personal qualities of the king and his ability to make the right decisions. The main turns of the Persian foreign policy associated with the decisions made by the kings. Even the most powerful satraps, military leaders and rulers of vassal areas depended on the mercy of the Achaemenids. The main stages of the history of the Persian Empire can be associated with the activities of its supreme rulers, who ruled the state from Persepolis.

First Achaemenids. The royal family from which Cyrus II and Darius I came ruled the Persians from at least the 7th century BC. Its founder was considered to be Achaemen, who reigned at the turn of the 8th-7th centuries BC. The next king was his son Chishpish (Teisp).

It is known that in the 7th century BC. was the king of Persia Cyrus I. In the first half of the 6th century BC. Cambyses I ruled the Persians, and after him the throne was inherited by his son named Cyrus.

Cyrus II reigned 559-530. BC. This ruler was able to go from being the king of little Persia to becoming the founder of a world empire. He conquered Media, Babylonia, Asia Minor and its Greek cities, and vast lands in Central Asia. Cyrus allowed the Jews, who were driven to Mesopotamia after the Babylonian conquest, to return to their homeland.

Cambyses II(530-522 BC). He was the closest ally of his father Cyrus. For several months during his father's life he ruled as king of Babylon. Before the last campaign against the Massagetae, Cambyses became co-ruler of Cyrus.

In 525-522 BC. King Cambyses II organized an invasion and subjugated Egypt. He was proclaimed king of this country in accordance with Egyptian traditions and is considered the founder of the XXVI dynasty.

Herodotus created the image of Cambyses as a cruel and insane tyrant who mocked the religious traditions of the Egyptians. Authentic texts do not confirm this, emphasizing the king's respect for the Egyptian religion.

Darius I(522-486 BC). He achieved power after the turmoil that followed the death of Cambyses. Overthrew the usurper Bardiya and suppressed the uprisings. Reorganized the satrapy system. Under Darius I, the borders of the empire reached their maximum: northwestern India, part of Thrace, and the Greek islands in the Aegean were conquered.

Artaxex I(465-424 BC). Under this king, the wars with the Greeks ended. He managed to maintain control over the rebels Egypt and Cyprus. He began a policy of cooperation with the Greek city-states to the benefit of Persia.

Artaxerxes II(404-359 BC). Soon after coming to power, he suppressed the uprising of his brother Cyrus the Younger, who marched towards Babylon. Under Artaxex II, Persia actively intervened in the affairs of the Greek city-states, supporting different city-states alternately so that the Greeks could not become dangerous.

In 386 BC. in alliance with Sparta, he dictated the Antalcid (Royal) peace to the Greeks, according to which the Hellenic city-states of Ionia and Aeolis returned to the Achaemenid Empire. In 375, 371, 366 BC. with the participation of Artaxerxes II, new peace treaties were concluded between the Greek city-states. In 391-382 BC. subjugated the strong ruler of Cyprus, Evagoras.

Artaxex III(359-338 BC). He continued his father's policy towards the Greek city states. In 355 BC. intervened in the Allied War of Athens against Byzantium, Rhodes and Chios. He promised these policies support against Athens and achieved the conclusion of a peace under which Byzantium, Rhodes and Chios left the alliance led by Athens.

In 349-344 BC. suppressed uprisings in Phenicia. During the campaigns of 344-342 BC. Artaxerxes' generals re-conquered Egypt, which had seceded at the end of the 5th century BC.

Darius III(336-330 BC). He was a representative of a side branch of the royal house, tracing its origin back to Darius II. Before coming to power, he was the governor of Armenia under the name Kodoman. Received the throne in adulthood as a result of a conspiracy organized by a court eunuch. His reign saw the invasion of Alexander the Great. After a series of defeats and the loss of the capital, Darius was killed by his entourage.

After the death of most of the kings in Persia, the empire was rocked by rebellions. Satraps and dependent rulers tried to break away from the central empire, and representatives of the side branches of the Achaemenids took the throne. To retain power from the king, determination, cruelty and the gift of a politician were required.

The activities of the kings from the Achaemenid clan were connected, first of all, with the acquisition of new lands and the desire to keep those already conquered in subjection.