Achaemenid dynasty

The Achaemenid Dynasty (Hakamanishiya in the Old Persian (Avestan ??) language - transliterated Hakamanshee in Modern Persian) - was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire. At the height of their power, around 500 BC, the Achaemenid rulers of Persia ruled over territories roughly encompassing parts of today's Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Egypt, Syria, Northern India/Pakistan, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Caucasia, Central Asia, Arabia, and Libya.

Related Topics:
Old Persian - Avestan - Persian - Persian Empire - Iran - Iraq - Armenia - Afghanistan - Turkey - Bulgaria - Greece - Egypt - Syria - India - Pakistan - Jordan - Israel - Lebanon - Caucasia - Central Asia - Arabia - Libya

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Darius I ("Darius the Great") was the first to speak of Achaemenes, who he claimed was an ancestor of Cyrus II ("Cyrus the Great", ca. 576 - 529 BC), and therefore the progenitor of the entire line of Achaemenid rulers. However, some scholars hold that Achaemenes was a fictional character used to legitimize Darius' rule, and that Darius I usurped the Persian throne. In any case, the name Achaemenid has been commonly accepted for the line of Persian kings beginning at least with Darius I. When the name refers to the entire line of early Persian rulers, including Cyrus II and his son Cambyses, the Achaemenid era stretches from about 650 to 330 BC.

Related Topics:
Darius I - Achaemenes - Cyrus II

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