A report on Darius the Great, Achaemenid Empire and Persepolis

The relief stone of Darius the Great in the Behistun Inscription

Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.

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

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

Lineage of Darius the Great according to the Behistun Inscription.

Darius the Great, by Eugène Flandin (1840)

Map of the expansion process of Achaemenid territories

Aerial architectural plan of Persepolis.

Ethnicities of the Achaemenid Army, on the tomb of Darius I. The nationalities mentioned in the DNa inscription are also depicted on the upper registers of all the tombs at Naqsh-e Rustam, starting with the tomb of Darius I. The ethnicities on the tomb of Darius further have trilingual labels on the lintel directly over them for identification, collectively known as the DNe inscription. One of the best preserved friezes, identical in content, is that of Xerxes I.

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.

Perspolis in 1920s, photo by Harold Weston

Map showing key sites during the Persian invasions of Greece

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reconstruction drawing of the Palace of Darius in Susa

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

The ruins of Tachara palace in Persepolis

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

Ruins of the Western side of the compound at Persepolis.

thumb|upright|Egyptian statue of Darius I, as Pharaoh of the Twenty-seventh Dynasty of Egypt;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Razmjou |first1=Shahrokh |title=Ars orientalis; the arts of Islam and the East |date=1954 |publisher=Freer Gallery of Art |pages=81–101 |url=https://archive.org/details/arsorient323320022003univ/page/n95/mode/2up}}</ref> 522–486 BC; greywacke; height: 2.46 m;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Manley|first1=Bill|title=Egyptian Art|year=2017|publisher=Thames & Hudson|pages=280|isbn=978-0-500-20428-3}}</ref> National Museum of Iran (Teheran)

Achaemenid gold ornaments, Brooklyn Museum

Achaemenid frieze designs at Persepolis.

Darius as Pharaoh of Egypt at the Temple of Hibis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sketch of Persepolis from 1704 by Cornelis de Bruijn.

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

Drawing of Persepolis in 1713 by Gérard Jean-Baptiste.

Winged sphinx from the Palace of Darius in Susa, Louvre

Drawing of the Tachara by Charles Chipiez.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Objects from Persepolis kept at the National Museum, Tehran.

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.

The Great Double Staircase at Persepolis.

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

Bas-relief on the staircase of the palace.

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.

Greek ships against Achaemenid ships at the Battle of Salamis.

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

Iconic relief of lion and bull fighting, Apadana of Persepolis

Achaemenid golden bowl with lioness imagery of Mazandaran

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

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

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

Ruins of the Hall of the Hundred Columns, Persepolis.

Forgotten Empire Exhibition, the British Museum.

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)

Persepolitan rosette rock relief, kept at the Oriental Institute.

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

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

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

A general view of the ruins at Persepolis.

Apadana Hall, Persian and Median soldiers at Persepolis

Lateral view of tomb of Cambyses II, Pasargadae, Iran

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

Darius I ( ; c. 550 – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was a Persian ruler who served as the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE.

- Darius the Great

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

- Persepolis

Darius worked on other construction projects throughout the empire, primarily focusing on Susa, Pasargadae, Persepolis, Babylon and Egypt.

- Darius the Great

According to the Cyrus Cylinder (the oldest extant genealogy of the Achaemenids) the kings of Anshan were Teispes, Cyrus I, Cambyses I and Cyrus II, also known as Cyrus the Great, who created the empire (the later Behistun Inscription, written by Darius the Great, claims that Teispes was the son of Achaemenes and that Darius is also descended from Teispes through a different line, but no earlier texts mention Achaemenes).

- Achaemenid Empire

Archaeological evidence shows that the earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BC. André Godard, the French archaeologist who excavated Persepolis in the early 1930s, believed that it was Cyrus the Great who chose the site of Persepolis, but that it was Darius I who built the terrace and the palaces.

- Persepolis

Artaxerxes moved the capital back to Persepolis, which he greatly extended.

- Achaemenid Empire

9 related topics with Alpha

Cyrus the Great

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Cyrus II of Persia (c.

The four-winged guardian figure representing Cyrus the Great or a four-winged Cherub tutelary deity. Bas-relief found on a doorway pillar at Pasargadae on top of which was once inscribed in three languages the sentence "I am Cyrus the king, an Achaemenian." Scholars who doubt that the relief depicts Cyrus note that the same inscription is written on other palaces in the complex.

"I am Cyrus the King, an Achaemenian" in Old Persian, Elamite and Akkadian languages. It is known as the "CMa inscription", carved in a column of Palace P in Pasargadae. These inscriptions on behalf of Cyrus were probably made later by Darius I in order to affirm his lineage, using the Old Persian script he had designed.

Painting of king Astyages sending Harpagus to kill young Cyrus

Detail of Cyrus Hunting Wild Boar by Claude Audran the Younger, Palace of Versailles

Victory of Cyrus over Lydia's Croesus at the Battle of Thymbra, 546 BC

Croesus on the pyre. Attic red-figure amphora, 500–490 BC, Louvre (G 197)

Ancient Near East circa 540 BC, prior to the invasion of Babylon by Cyrus the Great

Achaemenid soldiers (left) fighting against Scythians, 5th century BC. Cylinder seal impression (drawing).

Queen Tomyris of the Massagetae receiving the head of Cyrus

Tomb of Cyrus in Pasargadae, Iran, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2015)

Cyrus the Great is said in the Bible to have liberated the Jews from the Babylonian captivity to resettle and rebuild Jerusalem, earning him an honored place in Judaism.

Cyrus the Great (center) with his General Harpagus behind him, as he receives the submission of Astyages (18th century tapestry)

Painting of Daniel and Cyrus before the Idol Bel

Statue of Cyrus the great at Olympic Park in Sydney

17th-century bust of Cyrus the Great in Hamburg, Germany

The Cyrus cylinder, a contemporary cuneiform script proclaiming Cyrus as legitimate king of Babylon

600–530 BC; Kūruš), commonly known as Cyrus the Great and also called Cyrus the Elder by the Greeks, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, the first Persian empire.

Cyrus did not venture into Egypt, and was alleged to have died in battle while fighting the Massagetae, an ancient Eastern Iranian nomadic tribal confederation, along the Syr Darya in December 530 BC. However, Xenophon claimed that Cyrus did not die in battle and returned to the Achaemenid ceremonial capital of Persepolis again.

Achaemenids are "descendants of Achaemenes", as Darius the Great, the ninth king of the dynasty, traces his ancestry to him, declaring "for this reason we are called Achaemenids."

Rock relief of an Achaemenid king, most likely Xerxes, located in the National Museum of Iran

Xerxes I

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The "Caylus vase", a quadrilingual alabaster jar with cuneiform and hieroglyphic inscriptions in the name of "Xerxes, the Great King". Cabinet des Médailles, Paris

Engraving of Babylon by H. Fletcher, 1690

The soldiers of Xerxes I, of all ethnicities, on the tomb of Xerxes I, at Naqsh-e Rostam

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

Foundations of the Old Temple of Athena, destroyed by the armies of Xerxes I during the Destruction of Athens in 480 BC

The rock-cut tomb at Naqsh-e Rustam north of Persepolis, copying that of Darius, is usually assumed to be that of Xerxes

This cuneiform text mentions the murder of Xerxes I by his son. From Babylon, Iraq. British Museum

Xerxes being designated by Darius I. Tripylon, Persepolis. The ethnicities of the Empire are shown supporting the throne. Ahuramazda crowns the scene.

Trilingual inscription of Xerxes at Van (present-day Turkey)

The Persian king in the Biblical Book of Esther is commonly thought to be Xerxes

Xerxes (Ahasuerus) by Ernest Normand, 1888 (detail)

Xerxes I ( Xšayār̥šā; ; c. 518 – August 465 BC), commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, ruling from 486 to 465 BC. He was the son and successor of Darius the Great ((r.

Xerxes also oversaw the completion of various construction projects at Susa and Persepolis.

Susa

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Ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about 250 km east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers in Iran.

Map showing the area of the Elamite kingdom (in orange) and the neighboring areas. The approximate Bronze Age extension of the Persian Gulf is shown.

Assyria. Ruins of Susa, Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection

Goblet and cup, Iran, Susa I style, 4th millennium BC – Ubaid period; goblet height c. 12 cm; Sèvres – Cité de la céramique, France

Puzur-Inshushinak Ensi Shushaki, "Puzur-Inshushinak Ensi (Governor) of Susa", in the "Table au Lion", dated 2100 BCE, Louvre Museum.

Silver cup from Marvdasht, Iran, with a linear-Elamite inscription from the time of Kutik-Inshushinak. National Museum of Iran

Middle-Elamite basrelief of warrior gods, Susa, 1600-1100 BCE

Statue of Darius the Great, National Museum of Iran

Archers frieze from Darius' palace at Susa. Detail of the beginning of the frieze, left. Louvre Museum

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

The marriages of Stateira II to Alexander the Great of Macedon and her sister, Drypteis, to Hephaestion at Susa in 324 BCE, as depicted in a late-19th-century engraving.

A group of Western and Iranian archaeologists at a conference held in Susa, Khuzestan, Iran in 1977. Henry Wright, William Sumner, Elizabeth Carter, Genevieve Dolfus, Greg Johnson, Saeid Ganjavi, Yousef Majidzadeh,Vanden Berghe, and others.

$thumb|Master of animals, Susa I, Louvre Sb 2246.<ref>{{cite web|title=Site officiel du musée du Louvre|url=http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not&idNotice=17338|website=cartelfr.louvre.fr}}</ref>$

$King-priest with bow fighting enemies, with horned temple in the center. Susa II or Uruk period (3800–3100 BCE), found in excavations at Susa. Louvre Museum.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Álvarez-Mon |first1=Javier |title=The Art of Elam CA. 4200–525 BC |date=2020 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-03485-1 |page=101 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LxHaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT101 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Louvre Museum Sb 2125 |url=https://www.louvre.fr/oeuvre-notices/fragments-de-scellement-de-jarre-portant-l-empreinte-d-un-sceau-cylindre-representant}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Site officiel du musée du Louvre, Sb 2125 |url=http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not&idNotice=17353 |website=cartelfr.louvre.fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Cheng |first1=Jack |last2=Feldman |first2=Marian |title=Ancient Near Eastern Art in Context: Studies in Honor of Irene J. Winter by her Students |date=2007 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-474-2085-9 |page=48 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t-mvCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA48 |language=en}}</ref>$

Globular envelope with the accounting tokens. Clay, Uruk period (c. 3500 BCE). From the Tell of the Acropolis in Susa. The Louvre

Work in the granaries, Susa II, Louvre.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Álvarez-Mon|first1=Javier|title=The Art of Elam CA. 4200–525 BC|date=2020|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-000-03485-1|page=93|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LxHaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT93|language=en}}</ref>

Priest-King with bow and arrows, Susa II, Louvre.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Álvarez-Mon|first1=Javier|title=The Art of Elam CA. 4200–525 BC|date=2020|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-000-03485-1|page=101|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LxHaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT101|language=en}}</ref>

Prisoners, Susa II, Louvre.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Álvarez-Mon|first1=Javier|title=The Art of Elam CA. 4200–525 BC|date=2020|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-000-03485-1|page=97|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LxHaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT97|language=en}}</ref>

Orant statuette, Susa II, Louvre.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Álvarez-Mon|first1=Javier|title=The Art of Elam CA. 4200–525 BC|date=2020|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-000-03485-1|page=110|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LxHaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT110|language=en}}</ref>

Susa III/ Proto-Elamite cylinder seal, 3150–2800 BC. Louvre Museum, reference Sb 1484

Susa III/ Proto-Elamite cylinder seal 3150–2800 BC Mythological being on a boat Louvre Museum Sb 6379

Susa III/ Proto-Elamite cylinder seal 3150–2800 BC Louvre Museum Sb 6166

Economical tablet in Proto-Elamite script, Suse III, Louvre Museum, reference Sb 15200, circa 3100–2850 BCE

$Impression of an Indus cylinder seal discovered in Susa, in strata dated to 2600–1700 BCE. Elongated buffalo with line of standard Indus script signs. Tell of the Susa acropolis. Louvre Museum, reference Sb 2425.<ref>{{cite web|title=Site officiel du musée du Louvre|url=http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=13544|website=cartelfr.louvre.fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Marshall|first1=John|title=Mohenjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization: Being an Official Account of Archaeological Excavations at Mohenjo-Daro Carried Out by the Government of India Between the Years 1922 and 1927|date=1996|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=9788120611795|page=425|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ds_hazstxY4C&pg=PA425|language=en}}</ref> Indus script numbering convention per Asko Parpola.<ref>{{cite web|title=Corpus by Asko Parpola|url=http://www.mohenjodaroonline.net/index.php/indus-script/corpus-by-asko-parpola|website=Mohenjodaro|language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>Also, for another numbering scheme: {{cite book|last1=Mahadevan|first1=Iravatham|title=The Indus Script. Text, Concordance And Tables Iravathan Mahadevan|date=1987|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|pages=32–36|url=https://archive.org/stream/TheIndusScript.TextConcordanceAndTablesIravathanMahadevan/The%20Indus%20Script.%20Text%2C%20Concordance%20and%20Tables%20-Iravathan%20Mahadevan#page/n41/mode/2up|language=en}}</ref>$

$thumb|Indus round seal with impression. Elongated buffalo with Harappan script imported to Susa in 2600–1700 BCE. Found in the tell of the Susa acropolis. Louvre Museum, reference Sb 5614<ref>{{cite web|title=Site officiel du musée du Louvre|url=http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=13556|website=cartelfr.louvre.fr}}</ref>$

$thumb|Indian carnelian beads with white design, etched in white with an alkali through a heat process, imported to Susa in 2600–1700 BCE. Found in the tell of the Susa acropolis. Louvre Museum, reference Sb 17751.<ref>{{cite web|title=Site officiel du musée du Louvre|url=http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=13589|website=cartelfr.louvre.fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Guimet|first1=Musée|title=Les Cités oubliées de l'Indus: Archéologie du Pakistan|date=2016|publisher=FeniXX réédition numérique|isbn=9782402052467|pages=354–355|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-HpYDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA354|language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Art of the first cities : the third millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus.|page=395|url=https://archive.org/details/ArtOfTheFirstCitiesTheThirdMillenniumB.C.FromTheMediterraneanToTheIndusEditedByJ/page/n419|language=en}}</ref> These beads are identical with beads found in the Indus Civilization site of Dholavira.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nandagopal|first1=Prabhakar|title=Decorated Carnelian Beads from the Indus Civilization Site of Dholavira (Great Rann of Kachchha, Gujarat)|publisher=Archaeopress Publishing Ltd|isbn=978-1-78491-917-7|url=https://www.academia.edu/37860117|language=en|date=2018-08-13 }}</ref>$

$thumb|Indus bracelet, front and back, made of Pleuroploca trapezium or Turbinella pyrum imported to Susa in 2600–1700 BCE. Found in the tell of the Susa acropolis. Louvre Museum, reference Sb 14473.<ref>{{cite web|title=Louvre Museum Official Website|url=http://cartelen.louvre.fr/cartelen/visite?srv=car_not&idNotice=13532|website=cartelen.louvre.fr}}</ref> This type of bracelet was manufactured in Mohenjo-daro, Lothal and Balakot.<ref name="FeniXX réédition numérique">{{cite book|last1=Guimet|first1=Musée|title=Les Cités oubliées de l'Indus: Archéologie du Pakistan|date=2016|publisher=FeniXX réédition numérique|isbn=9782402052467|page=355|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-HpYDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA355|language=fr}}</ref> The back is engraved with an oblong chevron design which is typical of shell bangles of the Indus Civilization.<ref>{{cite book|title=Art of the first cities : the third millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus.|page=398|url=https://archive.org/details/ArtOfTheFirstCitiesTheThirdMillenniumB.C.FromTheMediterraneanToTheIndusEditedByJ/page/n422|language=en}}</ref>$

Indus Valley Civilization carnelian beads excavated in Susa.

Jewelry with components from the Indus, Central Asia and Northern-eastern Iran found in Susa dated to 2600–1700 BCE.

An ornate design on this limestone ritual vat from the Middle Elamite period depicts creatures with the heads of goats and the tails of fish, Susa, 1500–1110 BCE.

The Ziggurat at Chogha Zanbil was built by Elamite king Untash-Napirisha circa 1300 BCE.

Susa, Middle-Elamite model of a sun ritual, circa 1150 BCE

Letter in Greek of the Parthian king Artabanus II to the inhabitants of Susa in the 1st century CE (the city retained Greek institutions since the time of the Seleucid empire). Louvre Museum.<ref>Epigraphy of Later Parthia, «Voprosy Epigrafiki: Sbornik statei», 7, 2013, pp. 276-284 </ref>

Glazed clay cup: Cup with rose petals, 8th–9th centuries

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

Marble head representing Seleucid King Antiochus III who was born near Susa around 242 BC.<ref name=" Jonsson, David J. 2005 566 ">{{cite book|author= Jonsson, David J.|title= The Clash of Ideologies|publisher= Xulon Press|year= 2005|page=566|isbn= 978-1-59781-039-5|quote= Antiochus III was born in 242 BC, the son of Seleucus II, near Susa, Iran. }}</ref>

Glazed clay vase: Vase with palmtrees, 8th–9th centuries

Winged sphinx from the palace of Darius the Great at Susa.

Ninhursag with the spirit of the forests next to the seven-spiked cosmic tree of life. Relief from Susa.

19th-century engraving of Daniel's tomb in Susa, from Voyage en Perse Moderne, by Flandin and Coste.

Ribbed torc with lion heads, Achaemenid artwork, excavated by Jacques de Morgan, 1901, found in the Acropole Tomb

Herm pillar with Hermes, from the well of the "Dungeon" in Susa.

One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital of Elam and the Achaemenid Empire, and remained a strategic centre during the Parthian and Sasanian periods.

Following Cambyses' brief rule, Darius the Great began a major building program in Susa and Persepolis,which included building a large palace.

Reconstruction drawing of the Apadana of Susa

Palace of Darius in Susa

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Reconstruction drawing of the Apadana of the Susa Palace

Bull capital from the Apadana of the Susa Palace, Louvre

The Frieze of Archers, glazed siliceous bricks, Louvre

Statue of Darius, with a quadrilingual inscription at its base

Bracelet ornated with a pair of lion heads

Capital remains of the Apadana palace of Susa located in the museum of Susa

The Palace of Darius in Susa was a palace complex that was built at the site of Susa, Iran, during the reign of Darius I over the Achaemenid Empire.

The construction was conducted parallel to that of Persepolis.

Naqsh-e Rostam

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Map of the archaeological site of Naqsh-e Rostam

Upper register of the Achaemenid Tomb of Xerxes I

A 17th century drawing of Naqsh e Rostam, by Jean Chardin

Cube of Zoroaster, a cube-shaped construction in the foreground, against the backdrop of Naqsh-e Rostam

The triumph of Shapur I over the Roman emperors Valerian and Philip the Arab

Ka'ba-ye Zartosht in foreground, with behind the Tomb of Darius II above Sassanid equestrian relief of Bahram II.

Hormizd I Kushanshah on the lower panel.

Naqsh-e Rostam (lit. mural of Rostam, ) is an ancient archeological site and necropolis located about 12 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars Province, Iran.

A collection of ancient Iranian rock reliefs are cut into the face of the mountain and the mountain contains the final resting place of four Achaemenid kings notably king Darius the Great and his son, Xerxes.

Pasargadae

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"I am Cyrus the king, an Achaemenid." in Old Persian, Elamite and Akkadian languages. It is carved in a column in Pasargadae

The citadel of Pasargadae. At its top many column bases indicate the structure was not unlike the Athenian Acropolis in positioning and structure.

The tomb of Cyrus the Great in the Qajar period

Pasargadae (from Old Persian Pāθra-gadā, "protective club" or "strong club"; Modern Persian: پاسارگاد Pāsārgād) was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great (559–530 BCE), who ordered its construction and the location of his tomb.

The city remained the Achaemenid capital until Darius moved it to Persepolis.

Ecbatana

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Ancient city in Media in western Iran.

The New Fire Temple of Shiyan Malayer is the only surviving relic of the Medes era in Hagmatāna

Part of the Hagmatāna underground city on the Hagmatāna hill

The main explored in site of the Hagmatāna Hills

Ekbatana (forse), phraakates e musa, dracma, 2 ac-4 dc ca

A human skeleton in Hagmatāna Museum which is kept as it was found

Food and water jars kept in Hagmatāna Museum

Under the Achaemenid Persian kings, Ecbatana, situated at the foot of Mount Alvand, became a summer residence.

It is said that Alexander the Great deposited the treasures he took from Persepolis and Pasargadae and that one of the last acts of his life was to visit the city.

The citadel of Ecbatana is also mentioned in the Bible in Ezra 6:2, in the time of Darius I, as part of the national archives.

Royal Road

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The Royal Road was an ancient highway reorganized and rebuilt by the Persian king Darius the Great (Darius I) of the first (Achaemenid) Persian Empire in the 5th century BC. Darius built the road to facilitate rapid communication on the western part of his large empire from Susa to Sardis.

From near Babylon, it is believed to have split into two routes, one traveling northeast then east through Ecbatana and then along the Silk Road (via the Great Khurasan Road), the other continuing east through the future Persian capital Susa and then southeast to Persepolis in the Zagros Mountains.

Achaemenid coinage

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Coin type of Croesus, the Croeseid, minted in Lydia, under the rule of Cyrus the Great to Darius I. Circa 545–520. It only weighs 8.06 g, compared to the standard 10.7 grams of the Croeseid.

Lycia coin, with obverse bull protome and reverse incuse punch mark using a geometrical motif, circa 520-470 BC.

Siglos Type I ("King with bow and arrows"), from the time of Darius I. Circa 520-505 BC

Type II Daric ("King shooting arrow") temp. Darios I to Xerxes I. Circa 505-480 BC.<ref name="DARIC – Encyclopaedia Iranica"/>

Achaemenid bimetallic equivalence: 1 gold Daric was equivalent in value to 20 silver Sigloi. Under the Achaemenids the exchange rate in weight between gold and silver was 1 to 13.

Contemporary depiction of an Achaemenid king, here killing a Greek hoplite. Impression of a cylinder seal, engraved circa 500 BC–475 BC, at the time of Xerxes I. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Archer type of Herakles on a late 6th - early 5th century coin of Cyprus (Apadana hoard, left), and archer type on an Achaemenid Type II Siglos (right).

The gold Stater of Philip II of Macedon (ruled 359–336 BC) was the first true competition for the Achaemenid Daric. It was called Dareikos Philippeios ("Philip's Daric") by the Greeks

Coin of the Achaemenid satrap of Egypt Sabakes, in imitation of the Athenian tetradrachm. Circa 340-333 BC. Achaemenid Egypt.

Eastern hacksilber from the Achaemenid Levant, including jewelry and Greek coins, 425-420 BCE

Eastern border of the Achaemenid Empire and ancient kingdoms and cities of ancient India (circa 500 BCE).

Coin of the Achaemenid dynast of Lycia, Kherei, with Athena on the obverse, and himself wearing the Persian cap on the reverse. Circa 440/30-410 BCE.

Coin of Mazaios. Satrap of Cilicia, 361/0-334 BC. Tarsos, Cilicia.

Double Daric (16.65 g). Babylon mint, struck circa 315-300-298 BC

Coin of Phaselis, Lycia. Circa 550-530/20 BC.

Lycia coin. Circa 520-470 BC. Struck with worn obverse die.<ref>{{cite book|title=CNG: LYCIA. Circa 520-470/60 BC. AR Stater (18mm, 9.18 g).|url=https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=347325}}</ref>

Coin of Lesbos, Ionia. Circa 510-480 BC.

Lycia coin, with lion and Pegasus in circle, circa 480-460 BC.

Siglos Type II ("King shooting arrow"), time of Darius I to Xerxes I, circa 505-480 BC

Siglos Type III ("King running with lance"), from the time of Xerxes and after.

Siglos Type IV ("King running with dagger"), temp. Artaxerxes II to Artaxerxes III, circa 375-340 BC.

Daric Type III ("King running with lance") gold coin (mid-4th century BC)

Daric Type IV ("King running with dagger"), temp. Artaxerxes II to Artaxerxes III, circa 375-340 BC. (15mm, 8.33 g)

Double Daric minted, well after the conquests of Alexander the Great, in Babylon circa 322-315 BC.

Archaic coin of Thasos, circa 500-463 BCE.<ref>"a fragmentary stater of Thasos" described in Kagan p.230, Kabul hoard Coin no.9 in Daniel Schlumberger Trésors Monétaires d'Afghanistan (1953)</ref>

Archaic coin of Chios, circa 490-435 BCE.<ref>"a worn Chiot stater" described in Kagan p.230, Kabul hoard Coin no.12 in Daniel Schlumberger Trésors Monétaires d'Afghanistan (1953)</ref> [[:File:ISLANDS off IONIA, Chios. Circa 525-510 BC.jpg|Earlier types known]].

thumb|Coin of Akanthos, Macedon. Circa 470-430 BCE.<ref>Kabul hoard Coins No.7-8 in Daniel Schlumberger Trésors Monétaires d'Afghanistan (1953)</ref><ref name="Kagan quote">"The 1933 Cabul hoard pub-lished by Schlumberger consisted of over 115 coins, with signiﬁcant overlap with the Malayer hoard. Athens again is the largest group, with 33 recorded tetradrachms compared to eight sigloi. In addition to the worn archaic stater of Aegina, a fragmentary stater of Thasos and a worn Chiot stater may be archaic. There are two well-preserved early classical tetradrachms from Acanthus and an early classical stater of Corcyra. Again there is a signiﬁcant Levantine component represented by coins from Pamphylia, Cilicia and Cyprus, though nothing from Phoenicia. The early Cilician coins probably date the hoard slightly later than the Malayer hoard." in {{cite book|last1=Kagan|first1=Jonathan|title=ARCHAIC GREEK COINS EAST OF THE TIGRIS|page=230|url=https://www.academia.edu/1294681|language=en}}</ref>

Early Classical coins from Athens were by far the most numerous coin type in the Kabul hoard. Circa 454-404 BCE.<ref>Kabul hoard 31-32-33</ref>

Punch-marked coin minted in the Kabul Valley under Achaemenid administration. Circa 500-380 BC, or c.350 BCE.<ref name="CNG 309874">"Extremely Rare Early Silver from the Kabul Valley", CNG 102, Lot:649, CNG Coins</ref><ref name=JC>{{harvnb|Bopearachchi & Cribb, Coins illustrating the History of the Crossroads of Asia|1992|pp=57–59}}: "The most important and informative of these hoards is the Chaman Hazouri hoard from Kabul discovered in 1933, which contained royal Achaemenid sigloi from the western part of the Achaemenid Empire, together with a large number of Greek coins dating from the fifth and early fourth century BC, including a local imitation of an Athenian tetradrachm, all apparently taken from circulation in the region."</ref>

A siglos found in the Kabul valley, 5th century BCE. Coins of this type were also found in the Bhir Mound hoard.<ref name="Errington Bhir mound">{{harvnb|Bopearachchi & Cribb, Coins illustrating the History of the Crossroads of Asia|1992|pp=57–59}}: "Coins of this type found in Chaman Hazouri (deposited c.350 BC) and Bhir Mound hoards (deposited c.300 BC)." (Commentary by Joe Cribb and Osmund Bopearachchi)</ref>

Early punch-marked coins of Gandhara. Taxila-Gandhara region.

Coin of Themistocles as Achaemenid Governor of Magnesia. Rev: Letters ΘΕ, initials of Themistocles. Circa 465-459 BC

Baaltars on a throne (obverse) and head of Ares (reverse), on a double shekel of Pharnabazus II (380-375 BC).

Coin of Perikles, last king of Lycia under the Achaemenids. Circa 380-360 BCE.

Western Asia Satrap of the Achaemenid Period. Probably Tiribazos. Early 4th century BC.

The Achaemenid Empire issued coins from 520 BCE–450 BCE to 330 BCE.

As late as the time of the foundation of the Apadana Palace in Persepolis (dated to between 519 and 510 BC), it seems that the Achaemenids had not yet designed the Sigloi and Darics: no coins of these types were found in the Apadana hoard discovered under the palace's foundation stones, whereas the hoard contained several gold Croeseids of the light type from Sardis (probably minted under the rule of Darius I) and several imported Archaic Greek silver staters.

The coinage of the Achaemenid Empire started to move away from simply copying Lydian coinage, to introducing changes with the reign of Darius I (ruled 522-486 BC).