• Persian Empire 500 BC

The Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great (reigned 559-529 BC), is the successor to the Assyrian, Babylonian and Median empires, and it now dominates the Middle East and beyond.

Under its Great King, Darius (522-486 BC), the Persians have established a centralised system of government in which provincial governors, called satraps, represent the king in the provinces. Their loyalty and efficiency is observed by officials called the “King’s Eyes”. A truly imperial system of roads, postal services and military garrisons keeps the enormous empire under control, and helps knit the far-flung provinces together. All this stimulates commerce and cultural cross-fertilization, a process aided by the spread of the Aramaean language as the lingua-franca of the entire region.

Related Timelines:
Timeline of Middle East History

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