The Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 B.C.E.), known as the Persian Empire, was the successor state of the Median Empire, expanding to eventually rule over significant portions of the ancient world which at around 500 B.C.E. stretched from the Indus Valley in the east, to Thrace and Macedon on the northeastern border of Greece. The Achaemenid Empire would eventually control Egypt, encompassing some 1 million square miles unified by a complex network of roads and, ruled by monarchs, to become the largest the world had yet seen. Also notable is the Qanat water management system, the oldest and longest of which is older than 3000 years and longer than 44 miles (71 km.)

Calling themselves the Parsa and their original territorial range Parsua, the majority of Persians had settled in the southwest Iranian plateau, bounded on the west by the Tigris River and on the south by the Persian Gulf which had become their heartland for the duration of the Achaemenid Empire. It was from this region that eventually Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II of Persia) would advance to defeat the Median, the Lydian, and the Babylonian Empires, opening the way for subsequent conquests into Egypt and Asia minor.

At the height of its power after the conquest of Egypt, the empire encompassed approximately 8 million km2 spanning three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.... More • http://en.wikipedia. ... nid_Empire View • Books • Images • Videos • Search Related • Empires • 6th Century BC • Anatolia • Bulgaria • Central Asia • Egypt • Greece • Iron Age • Macedonia • Middle East • Persepolis • Persians • Thrace • Turkey (Europe) • All Events