The fourth installment of Ancient Military History, this six-week class follows the rise and fall of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In the previous parts of this series, we’ve looked at the military conflicts of the Greek world, many of which were fought against Persia. Now, we’ll rewind the clock and look at Persia’s side of the story.

By the dawn of the 7th century BCE, the myriad civilizations of the Fertile Crescent had built themselves into powerful kingdoms, all vying for dominance, and all watching the frightening rise of Assyria. Against this backdrop of struggle and strife, of alliances and betrayals, the star of Cyrus shone brightly. From this quagmire he was able to lift his family to supremacy and found an empire that would come to rule almost half the world’s population. With the kingdom Cyrus built, his Achaemenid line was able to expand into Egypt, India, the eurasian step and eventually Greece, ultimately meeting their match against Alexander the Great. 

We’ll start at the beginning and cover it all. This is the story of the world's first great empire. This is the story of the King of Kings.

Syllabus:
Week 1: Balance of Power in the Fertile Crescent — Rival kingdoms in Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau vie for influence. Out of the chaos, Cyrus forges the first Persian empire.

Week 2: Line of Succession — Despite careful planning and clear instructions, the transfer of power after his death didn’t go the way Cyrus imagined. It’s a story of court intrigue and mistaken identities.

Week 3: Looking West — The King of Kings expands his Persian empire into Europe, puts down a revolt and sets the prelude for the most important war in European history.

Week 4: Invasion of Greece — Persia mobilizes the largest fighting force the world had yet seen to force the city-states of Greece into submission.

Week 5: Counterattack & Aftermath — Greece hits back, Egypt revolts, and a surprising, familiar character winds up in the Persian court.

Week 6: New Kings, Old Problems — A century of conflict with Greece has put Persia on the back foot. A series of short-lived kings and weak leadership has fractured the empire, though the cracks may not show. Macedon looms over the Aegean.