History of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Part I (550-486 BC; Cyrus the Great - Darius the Great)

In this first of a two-part series, we'll take a concise look at the history of one of the greatest empires in all of antiquity - the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Founded by Cyrus II and expanded by his successors Cambyses II and Darius I, the Achaemenid dynasty would not just go on to rule most of the known world at the time, but also transmit the ideas and innovations of its many subject peoples to from the shores of the eastern Mediterranean to the Indus River valley and beyond. We'll start with examining the Achaemenid's rise to power, the world that they lived in, their religion including Zoroastrianism, and the beginning of their encounters with the Greek-speaking peoples of the Aegean and what would eventually lead to the Greco-Persian wars.
Contents:
00:00 Historical Backdrop (Assyria, Elam and Media)
09:35 Cyrus the Great (Early Years)
14:00 Cyrus vs. Croesus and Lydia
20:31 Cyrus and the Conquest of Babylon
24:43 Cyrus as Liberator in Biblical and Babylonian texts
27:33 Cyrus and Babylon
29:20 Cyrus' Last Campaign against the Massagetae
32:00 Cambyses II
37:06 Cambyses II - Mad or Maligned King?
42:18 Darius I (Darius the Great)
43:44 The Behistun Inscription and the Crisis of 522 BC
55:50 Persian Ethics, Religion, and Zoroastrianism
01:02:56 Achaemenid Administration - Roads, Canals and Satrapies
01:08:45 Expansion into Europe and start of the Greco-Persian Wars
01:11:19 Battle of Marathon
01:14:28 Thank you and Patrons
Special thanks to Malay Archer for creating the astounding machinimas that really brought this program to life using the Total War: Rome 2 Divide et Impera, Cyrus the Great campaign and Age of Bronze mod.
Malay Archer
/ mathemedicupdates
I'd also like to thank Farya Faraji and Walker Masuda for their contributions to the soundtrack of this program. Be sure to check out their work as well!
Farya Faraji
/ @faryafaraji
Specific tracks used in this program:
Dushanbe
Rise of Arsaces
Hyrcanian Lullaby
Shirin and Khosrow
The Riding Angaros
Spring in Persepolis
Walker Masuda - Artwork and Music Production
walkermasuda.artstation.com/
Additional music by Epidemic Sound.
Related Videos:
History of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Part II (sequel to this video)
• History of the Achaeme...
What to learn more about ancient Persian history? Check out the ancient Iran / Persia playlist:
• Ancient Iran / Persia
Before the Achaemenid Empire: Early Kings and the Founding of the Persian Kingdom of Anshan
• Before the Achaemenid ...
Cyrus the Great and the Birth of the Achaemenid Persian Empire
• Cyrus the Great and th...
Cambyses II and the Persian Conquest of Egypt
• Cambyses II and the Pe...
The Early Medes and the Median Empire | Supplemental Podcast #3
• The Early Medes and th...
The Neo-Babylonian Empire (Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar II, Nabonidus)
• The Neo-Babylonian Emp...
Croesus of Lydia and the Lydians (plus Herodotus' tale of Croesus meeting Solon) | Podcast #7
• Croesus of Lydia and t...
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