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Posted by Webmaster on November 6 2004, 11:50 PM
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Hello and welcome to the Persians section of the 0 AD history archive. We hope you enjoy your stay. In the game, we will cover the Persians as they were in the Achaemenid period
Persia was a small nation that grew to be the world's first superpower. We have our first mention of the Persians around 844 B.C. in an Assyrian inscription alongside the Medes. The area was dominated by foreign powers until the Medes found their own empire. The Achaemenids first appeared around 700 when the dynasty's namesake, Achaemenes, founded the kingdom. In 559 Cyrus the Great became king, also becoming the Median Emperor. Cyrus combined the two realms, founding the Achaemenid Empire. From there the Achaemenids expanded, conquering the remnants of the once great Babylonian Empire, the rich lands of Lydia and more. Egypt became a Persian possession in 522, followed a few years later by Northern India. By game start the Achaemenids ruled over an empire that stretched from the Mediterranean to the Indus. A superpower admired the world over not only for its mighty armies, but for the fair-minded ruling style of the Persian Great Kings. However that admiration, especially from the Greeks, would not last much longer. The momentous Persian Wars soon erupted and the Persians were defeated multiple times by the united Hellenic cause. However the Persians would still become involved in Greek affairs, though their role was reduced to that of little more then political meddling. The Achaemenids began to slide into a slow but certain decline after the passing of Xerxes, though they would continue to remain a force to be reckoned with for many years to come. Eventually a series of civil wars and court intrigues weakened the Achaemenid Empire to being a shell of its former self by the time of the Macedonian Invasion. The Achaemenid Empire ended in 330 B.C. when Darius III was slain in Baktria, thus passing the empire into the hands of Alexander.
In 0 AD the Persians have many bonuses to match to their historic strengths. These bonuses are:
Camelry: Though only used a few times in Persian history the camel troops earned great renown, to represent this the Persians can train camel troops at a lower rate.
Great King's Levy: Through the levy the Great King was able to call up a massive amount of troops in a short time, to represent this the Persians can train citizen soldiers at a much higher rate for a lower price.
Power of coin: The Lydians invented coinage, but the Persians, especially Darius, popularized it, to represent this the Persians receive higher income from trade.
Persian Architecture: The Persians were renowned for their ability as builders; to represent this the Persians' buildings have more hit points.
Persia, like every other civilization in the game has its fair share of heroes, they are:
Cyrus the Great: The founder of the Achaemenid Empire, famous for the kindness he showed to his conquered subjects.
Darius the Great: The monarch who took the Achaemenids to their greatest extent, a great administrator and decent conqueror.
Xerxes: The son of Darius, he is most famous for his extensive building projects and his failed invasion of Greece.
In conclusion the Persians were a great power in the time frame of 0 AD. The first superpower and true cosmopolitan state Achaemenid Persia stood tall in Mediterranean affairs until its fall to traitorous satraps and Alexander.
7th Century BC
Median Empire
6th Century BC
Early Persian Empire
The Persian Army
Persian Immortals
5th-4th Century BC
Late Persian Empire
1st Century BC
Parthian Empire
Parthian Army
4th Century AD onwards
The Sassanian Army
The Savaran
Miscellanea
Arms of the Shah-an-Shah - Persian Arms and Armour
Great Battles of the Persians
Persian Architecture
Popular Misconceptions about the Persians
Zoroastrianism in Achaemenid Persia |
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