Iranian plateau was a cradle of civilization; two major peoples shaped its history: Medes and Persians
- Medes built the firs kingdom (8th c. B.C.) centered in Ecbatana
- 7th c. B.C.: Medes and Persians united to push back and destroy the Assyrian empire => they established a new kingdom, centered in Persepolis and a new dynasty - the Achaemenids:

1. Cyrus the Great (557 - 530 B.C.)
    - conquered Greek cities in Asia Minor
    - Armenia
    - Phoenicia
    - Central Asia Minor
    - Middle East
    - NW India
    - Mesopotamia
2. Darius (522 - 486 B.C.)
    - conquered Egypt and unsuccessfully fought Scythians north of the Black Sea
    - conquered Thrace, but was defeated by Greeks at Marathon (490 B.C.)
3. Xerxes: decisively defeated by Greeks; beginning of the Persian empire's end
- the empire will be conquered by Alexander the Great

2. Persian empire

- administration
    > empire was divided into 23 satrapies (districts)
    > the satrap = governor of noble origin
                         supervised tax collection
                         recruited local army
                         represented emperor's authority in the provinces
    > the satrap shared power with a military governor (offices divided between civilian and military powers)
    > both were controlled by imperial spies (emperor's eyes and ears)

- all satrapies were connected with a formidable road network ( the longest highway started in Susa and reached the Aegean sea in Sardes)

Army: included only mercenaries recruited in the satrapies
- elite troops - the ten thousands Immortals (archers) depicted on the walls of the imperial palace in Persepolis
- cavalry - the major force of the Persian army

Society:
    Persians belonged to the large family of Indo - European peoples that have similar languages and similar institutions
    - one of the things they all had in common was a four classes social structure ( Celtic, early Roman, Persian and Indian societies)

Persians:
- Priests (magi): exclusive access to sacrifices, interpreted dreams and star signs
- warriors (aristocracy)
- officials (second aristocracy)
- peasants

Religion:
could be described as dualistic Mazdeismus, it was based on the existence of two major forces that fight each other:
    a) the Good Spirit (Ahura Mazda)
    b) the Bad Spirit (Ahriman)
> the Good Spirit was rapidly associated with solar power and like Indians, Persians worshipped the fire

- 6th c. B.C.: Zarathustra - preached a reformed religion (Zoroastrianism) in which he laid stress on virtues ( i.e. love for the Good Spirit; humans have free choice between good and evil)