Ariadne: Resources for Athenaze

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Ancient Persia

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The Persian Empire was founded by Cyrus the Great (559-529 BCE), who united the Medes and the Persians, conquered Lydia (546 BCE) and Babylonia (539 BCE) and allowed the Jews in Babylon to return home to Israel. To the left is his tomb near Pasargadae. He was buried in a gold sarcophagus, and surrounded by arms, jewellery, and a cloak.

Darius, after defeating Gaumata, putting down rebellions in Elam and elsewhere, and marrying Cyrus' daughter Atossa, consolidated the Achaemenid empire.
The Behistun Rock inscription, located on a cliff 300 feet above one of the main travel routes, records how Darius, led by the god Ahuramazda, defeated the the usurper Gaumata and won military victories that helped him secure the throne of Persia.
One of Darius' achievements was the building of two capitals, one at Susa and the other at Persepolis (pictured here). Persepolis was built on a platform 450 m x 300 m. and contained a great audience hall (Apadana) that consisted of 72 interior columns that could hold more than 1000 guests.

 

Visit More images of Persepolis (Caravanserai Tours)

Images of Persepolis (Oriental Institute, Chicago)