Since the Achaemenid Persians were a semi-nomadic people who were suddenly rulers over a large, urban population, they adopted many elements of Near Eastern civilization, including models of kingship and royal ideology. The empire began with humble origins among a dynasty of semi-nomadic Persians known as the Achaemenids, who were of little consequence in the region until one of their kings named Cyrus “the Great” (ruled 559-530 BC) led them to conquer the most powerful kingdoms in the area including Media, Lydia, and finally Babylonia in 539 BC. The Achaemenid Empire is quite unique among other ancient empires because it seemingly came out of nowhere. An examination of the inscriptions that accompany many of his building activities reveals that Darius I was a pious man and an early follower of the religion that would become known as Zoroastrianism, but he was also quite tolerant and allowed other religions to flourish within his empire. He initiated several internal reforms that made the empire run more efficiently and was instrumental in the construction of an ancient Suez Canal that linked the Mediterranean and Red seas.ĭarius I was also the primary Persian king who commissioned the building of the capital city of Persepolis. Darius I was the father of Xerxes I (reigned 486-465 BC), who was the Persian king who led the Persian army for the remainder of the Greco-Persian Wars, but more importantly Darius I is known for several other non-military endeavors that helped make the Achaemenid Empire the most powerful political entity of the period.
![sun haven darius sun haven darius](https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/buphoto/Uf0NNcYEAAhvEpUsqbhMEA/258s.jpg)
Darius I then ordered the invasion of mainland Greece, although that ended in the Persian defeat at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. To those familiar with Darius the Great today, he is known primarily for his military endeavors as the Persian king who started the Greco-Persian Wars (499-449 BC) by suppressing the Greek Ionian Revolt. Statue of Darius I in the Iran National Museum, Tehranĭarius I (ruled 522-486 BC), often referred to as Darius “the Great,” is the best known of all the Achaemenid Persian kings for several reasons.