A report on Alexander the Great, Achaemenid Empire and Artaxerxes III

Alexander riding Bucephalus on a Roman mosaic

Alexander III riding Bucephalus on a Roman mosaic

The Achaemenid Empire at its greatest territorial extent under the rule of Darius I (522 BC–486 BC)

Map of The Kingdom of Macedon in 336 BC, birthplace of Alexander

Achaemenid coinage of Idrieus of Caria during the reign of Artaxerxes III, showing the Achaemenid king on the obverse, and his satrap Idrieus on the reverse. Circa 350-341 BC.

Roman medallion depicting Olympias, Alexander's mother

Coinage of Tennes, the king of Sidon who revolted against the Achaemenid Empire. Dated 351/0 BC.

Archaeological Site of Pella, Greece, Alexander's birthplace

Map of the expansion process of Achaemenid territories

Artaxerxes III as Pharaoh of Egypt, satrapal coinage of Mazaeus in Cilicia.

Philip II of Macedon, Alexander's father

Cyrus the Great is said, in the Bible, to have liberated the Hebrew captives in Babylon to resettle and rebuild Jerusalem, earning him an honored place in Judaism.

Battle plan from the Battle of Chaeronea

The tomb of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire. At Pasargadae, Iran.

Soldiers of various ethnicities of the Achaemenid Empire, tomb of Atarxerxes III.

Pausanius assassinates Philip II, Alexander's father, during his procession into the theatre

The Achaemenid Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC

Historically, kings of the Achaemenid Empire were followers of Zoroaster or heavily influenced by Zoroastrian ideology.

The emblema of the Stag Hunt Mosaic, c. 300 BC, from Pella; the figure on the right is possibly Alexander the Great due to the date of the mosaic along with the depicted upsweep of his centrally-parted hair (anastole); the figure on the left wielding a double-edged axe (associated with Hephaistos) is perhaps Hephaestion, one of Alexander's loyal companions.

The Persian queen Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great, sister-wife of Cambyses II, Darius the Great's wife, and mother of Xerxes the Great

The Unfinished Gate at Persepolis gave archaeologists an insight into the construction of Persepolis.

The Macedonian phalanx at the "Battle of the Carts" against the Thracians in 335 BC

Map showing events of the first phases of the Greco-Persian Wars

Greek hoplite and Persian warrior depicted fighting, on an ancient kylix, 5th century BC

Gérard Audran after Charles LeBrun, 'Alexander Entering Babylon,' original print first published 1675, engraving, Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, DC.

Achaemenid king fighting hoplites, seal and seal holder, Cimmerian Bosporus.

Alexander Cuts the Gordian Knot (1767) by Jean-Simon Berthélemy

Achaemenid gold ornaments, Brooklyn Museum

Name of Alexander the Great in Egyptian hieroglyphs (written from right to left), c. 332 BC, Egypt. Louvre Museum.

Persian Empire timeline including important events and territorial evolution – 550–323 BC

Site of the Persian Gate in modern-day Iran; the road was built in the 1990s.

Relief showing Darius I offering lettuces to the Egyptian deity Amun-Ra Kamutef, Temple of Hibis

Administrative document from Bactria dated to the seventh year of Alexander's reign (324 BC), bearing the first known use of the "Alexandros" form of his name, Khalili Collection of Aramaic Documents

The 24 countries subject to the Achaemenid Empire at the time of Darius, on the Egyptian statue of Darius I.

The Killing of Cleitus, by André Castaigne (1898–1899)

The Battle of Issus, between Alexander the Great on horseback to the left, and Darius III in the chariot to the right, represented in a Pompeii mosaic dated 1st century BC – Naples National Archaeological Museum

Silver tetradrachm of Alexander the Great found in Byblos (ca 330-300 bc.) (BnF 1998–859; 17,33g; Byblos, Price 3426b)

Alexander's first victory over Darius, the Persian king depicted in medieval European style in the 15th century romance The History of Alexander's Battles

The Phalanx Attacking the Centre in the Battle of the Hydaspes by André Castaigne (1898–1899)

Frataraka dynasty ruler Vadfradad I (Autophradates I). 3rd century BC. Istakhr (Persepolis) mint.

Alexander's invasion of the Indian subcontinent

Dārēv I (Darios I) used for the first time the title of mlk (King). 2nd century BC.

Winged sphinx from the Palace of Darius in Susa, Louvre

Asia in 323 BC, the Nanda Empire and the Gangaridai of the Indian subcontinent, in relation to Alexander's Empire and neighbours

Alexander (left) and Hephaestion (right): Both were connected by a tight friendship

Volume of annual tribute per district, in the Achaemenid Empire, according to Herodotus.

Alexander at the Tomb of Cyrus the Great, by Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes (1796)

Achaemenid tax collector, calculating on an Abax or Abacus, according to the Darius Vase (340–320 BC).

A Babylonian astronomical diary (c. 323–322 BC) recording the death of Alexander (British Museum, London)

Letter from the Satrap of Bactria to the governor of Khulmi, concerning camel keepers, 353 BC

19th-century depiction of Alexander's funeral procession, based on the description by Diodorus Siculus

Relief of throne-bearing soldiers in their native clothing at the tomb of Xerxes I, demonstrating the satrapies under his rule.

Detail of Alexander on the Alexander Sarcophagus

Achaemenid king killing a Greek hoplite. c. 500 BC–475 BC, at the time of Xerxes I. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Kingdoms of the Diadochi in 301 BC: the Ptolemaic Kingdom (dark blue), the Seleucid Empire (yellow), Kingdom of Pergamon (orange), and Kingdom of Macedon (green). Also shown are the Roman Republic (light blue), the Carthaginian Republic (purple), and the Kingdom of Epirus (red).

Persian soldiers (left) fighting against Scythians. Cylinder seal impression.

A coin of Alexander the Great struck by Balakros or his successor Menes, both former somatophylakes (bodyguards) of Alexander, when they held the position of satrap of Cilicia in the lifetime of Alexander, circa 333-327 BC. The obverse shows Heracles, ancestor of the Macedonian royal line and the reverse shows a seated Zeus Aëtophoros.

Color reconstruction of Achaemenid infantry on the Alexander Sarcophagus (end of 4th century BC).

Seal of Darius the Great hunting in a chariot, reading "I am Darius, the Great King" in Old Persian (𐎠𐎭𐎶𐏐𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁𐎴 𐏋, "adam Dārayavaʰuš xšāyaθiya"), as well as in Elamite and Babylonian. The word "great" only appears in Babylonian. British Museum.

Achaemenid calvalryman in the satrapy of Hellespontine Phrygia, Altıkulaç Sarcophagus, early 4th century BC.

Armoured cavalry: Achaemenid Dynast of Hellespontine Phrygia attacking a Greek psiloi, Altıkulaç Sarcophagus, early 4th century BC.

Reconstitution of Persian landing ships at the Battle of Marathon.

Alexander (left), wearing a kausia and fighting an Asiatic lion with his friend Craterus (detail); late 4th century BC mosaic, Pella Museum

Greek ships against Achaemenid ships at the Battle of Salamis.

A Roman copy of an original 3rd century BC Greek bust depicting Alexander the Great, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen

Iconic relief of lion and bull fighting, Apadana of Persepolis

A mural in Pompeii, depicting the marriage of Alexander to Barsine (Stateira) in 324 BC; the couple are apparently dressed as Ares and Aphrodite.

Achaemenid golden bowl with lioness imagery of Mazandaran

The Hellenistic world view: world map of Eratosthenes (276–194 BC), using information from the campaigns of Alexander and his successors

A section of the Old Persian part of the trilingual Behistun inscription. Other versions are in Babylonian and Elamite.

Dedication of Alexander the Great to Athena Polias at Priene, now housed in the British Museum

A copy of the Behistun inscription in Aramaic on a papyrus. Aramaic was the lingua franca of the empire.

Alexander's empire was the largest state of its time, covering approximately 5.2 million square km.

The Buddha, in Greco-Buddhist style, 1st to 2nd century AD, Gandhara, northern Pakistan. Tokyo National Museum.

This medallion was produced in Imperial Rome, demonstrating the influence of Alexander's memory. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.

Alexander in a 14th-century Armenian manuscript

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven wonders of the ancient world, was built by Greek architects for the local Persian satrap of Caria, Mausolus (Scale model)

Alexander in a 14th-century Byzantine manuscript

Alexander conquering the air. Jean Wauquelin, Les faits et conquêtes d'Alexandre le Grand, 1448–1449

Reconstruction of the Palace of Darius at Susa. The palace served as a model for Persepolis.

Folio from the Shahnameh showing Alexander praying at the Kaaba, mid-16th century

Lion on a decorative panel from Darius I the Great's palace, Louvre

Detail of a 16th-century Islamic painting depicting Alexander being lowered in a glass submersible

A Hellenistic bust of a young Alexander the Great, possibly from Ptolemaic Egypt, 2nd-1st century BC, now in the British Museum

Apadana Hall, Persian and Median soldiers at Persepolis

A fresco depicting a hunt scene at the tomb of Philip II, Alexander's father, at the Archaeological Site of Aigai, the only known depiction of Alexander made during his lifetime, 330s BC

Lateral view of tomb of Cambyses II, Pasargadae, Iran

Plaque with horned lion-griffins. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ochus ( Ochos), known by his dynastic name Artaxerxes III ( Artaxšaçāʰ; ), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 359/58 to 338 BC. He was the son and successor of Artaxerxes II and his mother was Stateira.

- Artaxerxes III

In 334 BC, he invaded the Achaemenid Persian Empire and began a series of campaigns that lasted for 10 years.

- Alexander the Great

The Macedonian king Alexander the Great, himself an ardent admirer of Cyrus the Great, conquered most of the Achaemenid Empire by 330 BC. Upon Alexander's death, most of the former territory of the empire fell to the rule of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire after the partition of Alexander’s empire, until the Iranian elites of the central plateau finally reclaimed power under the Parthian Empire by the 2nd century BC.

- Achaemenid Empire

During his youth, Alexander was also acquainted with Persian exiles at the Macedonian court, who received the protection of Philip II for several years as they opposed Artaxerxes III.

- Alexander the Great

Egypt remained a part of the Persian Empire until Alexander the Great's conquest of Egypt.

- Artaxerxes III

In 358 BC Artaxerxes II died and was succeeded by his son Artaxerxes III.

- Achaemenid Empire

7 related topics with Alpha

Philip II of Macedon

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Map of the territory of Philip II of Macedon

Statue of Philip II, 350-400 AD. Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier.

Roman medallion of Olympias, the fourth wife of Philip II and mother of Alexander the Great. From the Museum of Thessaloniki.

Pausanius assassinates King Philip during his procession into the theatre, 336 BC

Assassination of Philip of Macedon. 19th century illustration.

Philip II gold stater, with head of Apollo

Niketerion (victory medallion) bearing the effigy of king Philip II of Macedon, 3rd century AD, probably minted during the reign of Roman Emperor Alexander Severus

The tomb of Philip II of Macedon at the Museum of the Royal Tombs in Vergina

The golden larnax and the golden grave crown of Philip

alt=The gilded silver diadem of Philip II, found in his tomb at Vergina. |The gilded silver diadem of Philip II, found in his tomb at Vergina.

Philip II of Macedon ( Philippos; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king (basileus) of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ancient kingdom, and the father of Alexander the Great.

After defeating the Greek city-states of Athens and Thebes at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC, Philip II led the effort to establish a federation of Greek states known as the League of Corinth, with him as the elected hegemon and commander-in-chief of Greece for a planned invasion of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.

From around 352 BC, he supported several Persian opponents to Artaxerxes III, such as Artabazos II, Amminapes or a Persian nobleman named Sisines, by receiving them for several years as exiles at the Macedonian court.

The Kingdom of Macedonia in 336 BC (orange)

Macedonia (ancient kingdom)

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Ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece.

The entrance to one of the royal tombs at Vergina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

A silver octadrachm of Alexander I of Macedon ((r. 498 – 454)), minted c. 465–460 BC, showing an equestrian figure wearing a chlamys (short cloak) and petasos (head cap) while holding two spears and leading a horse

Macedon (orange) during the Peloponnesian War around 431BC, with Athens and the Delian League (yellow), Sparta and Peloponnesian League (red), independent states (blue), and the Persian Achaemenid Empire (purple)

A Macedonian didrachm minted during the reign of Archelaus I of Macedon ((r. 413 – 399))

A silver stater of Amyntas III of Macedon ((r. 393 – 370))

Map of the Kingdom of Macedon at the death of PhilipII in 336BC (light blue), with the original territory that existed in 431BC (red outline), and dependent states (yellow)

The Stag Hunt Mosaic, c.300BC, from Pella; the figure on the right is possibly Alexander the Great due to the date of the mosaic along with the depicted upsweep of his centrally-parted hair (anastole); the figure on the left wielding a double-edged axe (associated with Hephaistos) is perhaps Hephaestion, one of Alexander's loyal companions.

A golden stater of Philip III Arrhidaeus ((r. 323 – 317)) bearing images of Athena (left) and Nike (right)

Paintings of Hellenistic-era military arms and armor from a tomb in ancient Mieza (modern-day Lefkadia), Imathia, Central Macedonia, Greece, 2nd centuryBC

The Temple of Apollo at Corinth, built c.540BC, with the Acrocorinth (i.e. the acropolis of Corinth that once held a Macedonian garrison) seen in the background

A tetradrachm minted during the reign of Antigonus III Doson ((r. 229 – 221)), possibly at Amphipolis, bearing the portrait image of Poseidon on the obverse and on the reverse a scene depicting Apollo sitting on the prow of a ship

The Kingdom of Macedonia (orange) under PhilipV ((r. 221 – 179)), with Macedonian dependent states (dark yellow), the Seleucid Empire (bright yellow), Roman protectorates (dark green), the Kingdom of Pergamon (light green), independent states (light purple), and possessions of the Ptolemaic Empire (violet purple)

A tetradrachm of Philip V of Macedon ((r. 221 – 179)), with the king's portrait on the obverse and Athena Alkidemos brandishing a thunderbolt on the reverse

Bronze bust of Eumenes II of Pergamon, a Roman copy of a Hellenistic Greek original, from the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum

The Vergina Sun, the 16-ray star covering the royal burial larnax of Philip II of Macedon ((r. 359 – 336)), discovered in the tomb of Vergina, formerly ancient Aigai

Hades abducting Persephone, fresco in the small Macedonian royal tomb at Vergina, Macedonia, Greece, c.340BC

Fresco of an ancient Macedonian soldier (thorakites) wearing chainmail armor and bearing a thureos shield, 3rd centuryBC, İstanbul Archaeology Museums

A mosaic of the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis depicting the abduction of Persephone by Pluto, 4thcenturyBC

The Lion of Amphipolis in Amphipolis, northern Greece, a 4th-centuryBC marble tomb sculpture erected in honor of Laomedon of Mytilene, a general who served under Alexander the Great

Portrait bust of Aristotle, an Imperial Roman (1st or 2nd centuryAD) copy of a lost bronze sculpture made by Lysippos

A fresco showing Hades and Persephone riding in a chariot, from the tomb of Queen Eurydice I of Macedon at Vergina, Greece, 4thcenturyBC

A banquet scene from a Macedonian tomb of Agios Athanasios, Thessaloniki, 4thcenturyBC; shown are six men reclining on couches, with food arranged on nearby tables, a male servant in attendance, and female musicians providing entertainment.

Ruins of the ancient theatre in Maroneia, Rhodope, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece

Tetradrachms (above) and drachms (below) issued during the reign of Alexander the Great, now in the Numismatic Museum of Athens

The Alexander Mosaic, a Roman mosaic from Pompeii, Italy, c. 100 BC

Kingdoms of the diadochi c.301BC, after the Battle of Ipsus
Kingdom of Ptolemy I Soter
Kingdom of Cassander
Kingdom of Lysimachus
Kingdom of Seleucus I Nicator
Epirus
Other
Carthage
Roman Republic
Greek States

Before the 4th century BC, Macedonia was a small kingdom outside of the area dominated by the great city-states of Athens, Sparta and Thebes, and briefly subordinate to Achaemenid Persia.

PhilipII's son Alexander the Great, leading a federation of Greek states, accomplished his father's objective of commanding the whole of Greece when he destroyed Thebes after the city revolted.

The satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia Artabazos II, who was in rebellion against Artaxerxes III, was able to take refuge as an exile at the Macedonian court from 352 to 342 BC. He was accompanied in exile by his family and by his mercenary general Memnon of Rhodes.

Artabazos II

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Artabazos II was Satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia, and ruled from its capital Daskyleion.

Coin of Artabazos. Satrap of Dascylium, Lampsakos, Mysia, circa 356 BC

Claire Bloom as Barsine, daughter of Artabazos II, and Richard Burton as Alexander the Great, in the 1956 film Alexander the Great.

Artabazos II (in Greek Ἀρτάβαζος) (fl. 389 – 328 BC) was a Persian general and satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia.

Towards the end of his life, he became satrap of Bactria for Alexander the Great.

Following the capture and death of his brother, Artabazos was made satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia, but in 356 BC he refused obedience to the new Persian king, Artaxerxes III.

Satrap

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A dignitary of Asia Minor in Achaemenid style, circa 475 BC. Karaburun tomb near Elmalı, Lycia

Coin of Themistocles, a former Athenian general, as Achaemenid Empire Satrap of Magnesia, circa 465–459 BC

Coinage of Tiribazos, Satrap of Achaemenid Lydia, 388–380 BC

Achaemenid Satrap Autophradates receiving visitors, on the Tomb of Payava, circa 380 BC

Banquet scene of a Satrap, on the "Sarcophagus of the Satrap", Sidon, 4th century BC

The satraps appointed by Alexander the Great during his campaign

Bagadates I (Minted 290–280 BC), the first indigenous satrap to be appointed by the Seleucid Empire

Coin of "Western Satrap" Nahapana, circa 120 CE

A satrap was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires.

The last great rebellions were put down by Artaxerxes III.

The satrapic administration and title were retained—even for Greco-Macedonian incumbents—by Alexander the Great, who conquered the Achaemenid Empire, and by his successors, the Diadochi (and their dynasties) who carved it up, especially in the Seleucid Empire, where the satrap generally was designated as strategos (in other words, military generals); but their provinces were much smaller than under the Persians.

Persepolis

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As is typical of Achaemenid cities, Persepolis was built on a (partially) artificial platform.

Darius the Great, by Eugène Flandin (1840)

Aerial architectural plan of Persepolis.

Perspolis in 1920s, photo by Harold Weston

Hemidrachm from the Kingdom of Perside.Date: c. 100AC. - 100 AD.

Bust of Alexander the Great (British Museum of London).

"The Burning of Persepolis", led by Thaïs, 1890, by Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse

Ruins of the Western side of the compound at Persepolis.

Achaemenid frieze designs at Persepolis.

Reliefs of lotus flowers are frequently used on the walls and monuments at Persepolis.

Statue of a Persian Mastiff found at the Apadana, kept at the National Museum, Tehran.

Babylonian version of an inscription of Xerxes I, the "XPc inscription".

The lithograph of Shapur II in Bishapour, which is modeled on the maps of the Persepolis donors.

Sketch of Persepolis from 1704 by Cornelis de Bruijn.

Drawing of Persepolis in 1713 by Gérard Jean-Baptiste.

Drawing of the Tachara by Charles Chipiez.

A bas-relief at Persepolis, representing a symbol in Zoroastrianism for Nowruz.{{ref|a}}

A bas-relief from the Apadana depicting Delegations including Lydians and Armenians{{ref|page 39 image 21 in The Arts of Persia edited by R W Ferrier}} bringing their famous wine to the king.

Achaemenid plaque from Persepolis, kept at the National Museum, Tehran.

Objects from Persepolis kept at the National Museum, Tehran.

The Great Double Staircase at Persepolis.

Bas-relief on the staircase of the palace.

Depiction of united Medes and Persians at the Apadana, Persepolis.

Depiction of trees and lotus flowers at the Apadana, Persepolis.

Ruins of the Hall of the Hundred Columns, Persepolis.

Forgotten Empire Exhibition, the British Museum.

Persepolitan rosette rock relief, kept at the Oriental Institute.

alt=Museum display case showing Achaemenid objects.|Achaemenid objects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, including a bas relief from Persepolis.

A general view of the ruins at Persepolis.

Persepolis (, Pārsa; ) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c.

The complex was taken by the army of Alexander the Great in 330 BC, and soon after the wooden parts were completely destroyed by fire, very likely deliberately.

Noted structures include the Great Stairway, the Gate of All Nations, the Apadana, the Hall of a Hundred Columns, the Tripylon Hall and the Tachara, the Hadish Palace, the Palace of Artaxerxes III, the Imperial Treasury, the Royal Stables, and the Chariot House.

Sidon

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Third-largest city in Lebanon.

Persian style bull protome found in Sidon gives testimony of the Achaemenid rule and influence. Marble, 5th century BC

The Peutinger Table showing the location of Tyre and Sidon within the Roman Empire

Sidon Sea Castle, built by the Crusaders in AD 1228

Israeli soldiers in the port of Sidon, June 1982

Shrine commemorating the last meeting place between St. Paul and St. Peter inside the Old City of Sidon.

The castle and the harbour of Saida, the ancient Sidon

In the years before Christianity, Sidon had many conquerors: Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and finally Romans.

At the end of the Persian era, in 351 BC, Phoenicia was invaded by Artaxerxes III.

Like other Phoenician city-states, Sidon suffered from a succession of conquerors, first by the Persian Achamenid empire in the 6th century BC, ending with its occupation by Alexander the Great in 333 BC, and the start of the Hellenistic era of Sidon's history.

Nectanebo II

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The last native ruler of Egypt, as well as the third and last pharaoh from the Thirtieth Dynasty of Egypt.

Egyptian gold stater of Nectanebo II. The design on the reverse consists of Egyptian hieroglyphs meaning "good gold": pectoral necklace (nub = "gold") crossing horizontally over a windpipe and heart (nefer = "good").

Saqqara, Sarcophagus of Nectanebo II, which he never used since he fled to the south. British Museum

Black siltstone obelisk of Pharaoh Nectanebo II. According to the vertical inscriptions he set up this obelisk at the doorway of the sanctuary of Thoth, the Twice-Great, Lord of Hermopolis. Today, it is located in the British Museum, London.

Papyrus of the Dream of Nectanebo, c. 160–150 BC

Natanabo, from Sola Busca Tarot (Northern Italy, c. 1491, Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan)

Alexander unhorsing Porrus, the King of India (BL Royal MS B xx, c. 1420)

For several years, Nectanebo II was successful in keeping Egypt safe from the Achaemenid Empire.

The Persians occupied Memphis and then seized the rest of Egypt, incorporating the country into the Achaemenid Empire under Artaxerxes III.

Soon after Alexander the Great's godhood was confirmed by the Libyan Sibyl of Zeus Ammon at the Siwa Oasis, a rumor was begun that Nectanebo II, following defeat in his last battle, did not travel to Nubia but instead to the court of Philip II of Macedon in the guise of an Egyptian magician.