Nov 26, 2008

Achaemanid Empire


The Achaemenid Empire (Persian: هخامنشیان) or Achaemenid Persian Empire (558–330 BCE) was amongst the first Persian
Empires that ruled over significant portions of Greater Iran, followed the Iranian Median Empire. At the height of its power, the
Iranian Achaemenid Empire encompassed approximately 6.5 million square kilometers and became the Largest Empire of
Ancient World.The empire was forged by Cyrus the Great, and spanned three continents, including territories of Afghanistan and Pakistan,
parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel,Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. It is noted in western history as the
foe of the Greek city states in the Greco-Persian Wars, for freeing the Israelites from their Babylonian captivity, and for
instituting Aramaic as the empire's official language. Because of the Empire's vast extent and long endurance, Persian influence
upon the language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law and government of nations around the world lasts to this day.

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