The Achaemenids were the ruling dynasty of Cyrus the Great and his family over the Persian empire, from 550-330 BC, when it was conquered by Alexander the Great. Cyrus's empire included Libya, Ethiopia, Thrace, Macedonia, Afghanistan, and the Punjab and everything in between.
Achaemenid King list
- Cyrus I (ruled at Anshan)
- Cambyses I (ruled at Anshan)
- Cyrus II (the Great) [550-530 BC] (ruled from Pasargadae)
- Cambyses II [530-522 BC]
- Bardiya [522 BC]
- Darius I [522-486 BC] (ruled from Persepolis)
- Xerxes I (the Great) [486-465 BC]
- Artaxerxes I [465-424 BC]
- Xerxes II [424-423 BC]
- Darius II (Ochus) [423-404 BC]
- Artaxerxes II (Arsaces) [404-359 BC]
- Artaxerxes III (Ochus) [359-338 BC]
- Artaxerxes IV (Arses) [338-336 BC]
- Darius III [336-330 BC)
The vast region conquered by Cyrus and his descendants could not, obviously, be controlled from the king's palace in Persepolis or Pasargadae, and so each region had a regional governor or satrap.
Architectural styles common throughout the Achaemenid empire included distinctive columned buildings called apadanas, extensive rock carvings and stone reliefs, climbing staircases and the earliest version of the Persian garden, divided into four quadrants. Luxury items identified as Achaemenid in flavor were jewelry with polychrome inlay, animal-headed bracelets and carinated bowls of gold and silver.
The Royal Road
The Royal Road was a major intercontinental thoroughfare probably built by the Achaemenids to allow access to their conquered cities. The road ran from Susa to Sardis and thence to the Mediterranean coast at Ephesus. Intact sections of the road are cobble pavements atop a low embankment from 5-7 meters in width and, in places, faced with a curbing of dressed stone. Read the article about the Royal Road for more information.
Achaemenid Languages
Because the Achaemenid empire was so extensive, many languages were required for the administration. Several inscriptions, such as the Behistun Inscription, were repeated in several languages. The image on this page is of a trilingual inscription on a pillar in Palace P of Pasargadae, to Cyrus II, probably added during the reign of Darius II.
The primary languages used by the Achaemenids included Old Persian (what the rulers spoke), Elamite (that of the original peoples of central Iraq) and Akkadian (ancient language of the Assyrians and Babylonians). Old Persian had its own script, while Elamite and Akkadian were typically written in cuneiform. Egyptian and Aramaic inscriptions are also known to a lesser degree.
Achaemenid Period Sites
Persepolis and Pasargadae (Iran), Akra (Pakistan), Sardis, and Tas Kule (Turkey), Dahaneh Gholaman (Iran and Afghanistan), and the Behistun Inscription (Iran), Band e Dukhtar (Turkey)
Sources
Aminzadeh, Behnaz and Firuzeh Samani 2006 Identifying the boundaries of the historical site of Persepolis using remote sensing. Remote Sensing of Environment 102(1-2):52-62.
Curtis, John E. and Nigel Tallis. 2005. Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Dutz, Werner Felix and Sylvia A.Matheson. 2001. Persepolis. Yassavoli Publications, Tehran.
Hanfmann, George M.A. and William E. Mierse (eds) 1983. Sardis from Prehistoric to Roman Times: Results of the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis 1958-1975. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sumner, W. M. 1986 Achaemenid Settlement in the Persepolis Plain. American Journal of Archaeology 90(1):3-31.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
