Persia civ 5
![persia civ 5 persia civ 5](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/874/155/67a.jpg)
He had been an ally and brother-in-law to Astyages and sought to move against the Persians.Ĭyrus defeated Croesus at the Battle of Thymbria. In Lydia, a kingdom encompassing part of Asia Minor and the Ionian Greek cities, King Croesus was disturbed. 560 to 546 BC, Metropolitan Museum of ArtĪfter subjugating Ecbatana, Cyrus continued to increase Persian influence throughout the region. It was here that Alexander ordered the assassination of one of his generals, Parmenion, on suspicion of treason. Like many cities of the Achaemenid Empire, Ecbatana fell to Alexander the Great in 330 BC. The city was a formidable fortress said to be ringed by seven concentric keeps, although this may be an exaggeration by Herodotus. It became an important administrative hub and was also the preferred summer residence of several Persian kings. Cyrus marched into Ecbatana and claimed the Median Capital as his own.Įcbatana would remain one of the Persian Empire’s most important cities for the duration of Achaemenid rule. But Harpagus, in command of half of the army, defected to Cyrus and handed the Astyages over. That child was reportedly Cyrus the Great.Įventually, Cyrus did rise to overthrow Astyages, who invaded Persia to suppress the revolt. But his general Harpagus refused and hid the child away. To prevent that from happening, Astyages ordered his daughter’s baby to be killed. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Astyages had visions of his grandson usurping his throne. When Cyrus rebelled against the Medes to establish the Persian state, his opponent was King Astyages. The Defeat of Astyages, by Maximilien de Haese, 1775, via Museum of Fine Arts Boston Ecbatana – First Conquest of The Persian Empire Susa continued to function as an important center for subsequent empires that ruled Persia, such as the Parthians and the Seleucids.Ĥ. Susa fell to Alexander during the young Macedonian’s conquest, but it was not destroyed like Persepolis. The city forms one of the main centers along the Persian Royal Road, a vast route stretching for 1700 miles connecting the distant cities of the empire. Babylonian bricks, cedar timber from Lebanon, gold from Sardis, and ebony, ivory, and silver from Egypt and Nubia were all used.Īs the administrative hub of the Achaemenid Empire, Darius made sure that Susa was well connected. To build it, he hoarded the finest materials from across the Persian Empire. Darius oversaw the construction of a new grand palace at Susa. When Darius came to the throne, Susa remained Darius’s preferred royal retreat. In 540 BC it was Cyrus who took control of the ancient city.įollowing Cyrus’s death, his son Cambyses named Susa as his capital city. For centuries it was the capital of the Elamite civilization and was captured several times throughout its long history. One of the oldest cities in the Middle East, Susa may have been founded as far back as 4200 BC. Reconstruction of the Apadama at Susa, 1903, from The History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, Via But in 331 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the Achaemenid Empire and razed Persepolis to the ground. Xerxes’s successors would each add their own monuments to the city. Xerxes also raised the Gate of All Nations and finished the Royal Treasury.
![persia civ 5 persia civ 5](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VhYaftkz4VQ/maxresdefault.jpg)
His son, Xerxes I, built his own palace at the site, much larger than his father’s. Persepolis continued to expand after Darius’s death. These ambassadors are depicted in detailed bas-reliefs that still survive today. This vast hall must’ve been an imposing sight for the dignitaries that came from all over the empire to pay homage to Darius. Around the city itself, a community of artisans and builders sprang up as they worked to create an impressive complex in the shadow of the mountains.ĭarius had a mighty palace and grand apadana constructed at Persepolis. He raised his capital, Persepolis, about 50 km downriver from Pasargadae.Īfter construction began in 518 BC, Persepolis quickly became the new royal epicenter of the Persian Empire.
![persia civ 5 persia civ 5](https://cdn-products.eneba.com/resized-products/iW9Jwf06wu1crsblgxJJDFrDtgEX8LdDpTbpJSQm7jI_350x200_2x-0.jpeg)
Wishing to put his own stamp on the Persian Empire, Darius began the construction of a palace city of his own. Ruins at Persepolis, photo by Blondinrikard Fröberg, Via FlickrĪfter the short reign of Cyrus’s son Cambyses, the throne was claimed by Darius the Great.