Since ancient times, Persians in the Rui region of southwestern Iran have always surrendered to the Medes in the northwest. However, with the continuous hegemony between the Medes and the West Asian countries and the weakening of their national strength, the Persians began to slowly and secretly cultivate their own strength. In the era of Persian leader Ju Lushi, Persians began to set up academies in Iran to teach aristocratic children shooting and defense and many routines of life, and the Persian social system gradually matured. On the other hand, Persia also stepped up its training to prepare for the conquest of Medea. In 550 BC, King Cyrus II of Persia (later called "the Great") destroyed Medea; Then it expanded outward and established the Persian Empire. In 546 BC, Cyrus II destroyed the kingdom of Lydia in Asia Minor and conquered the Greek city-states on the west coast of Asia Minor for the second time. In 539 BC, Persia reduced its allies around New Babylon by the strategy of propaganda war, thus destroying the kingdom of New Babylon. Ju Lushi released the Jews who had been enslaved in Babylon for many years, so he was called "kind Ju Lushi" by the Jews. In order to consolidate the northeast border of the empire, he went out to hunt down the Masagatai people in the river basin (now the Syr Darya River) and died in 529 BC.
After Ju Lushi's death, his son Cambyses Ⅱ (reigned from 529 BC to 522 BC) succeeded to the throne, but he was at odds with his relatives. In 525 BC, when Cambyses Ⅱ invaded Egypt, it was difficult for the late Egyptian dynasty to resist the Persian army. The king of Persia stayed in Egypt until 522 BC. When he learned that someone in the clan had seized the throne, he rushed back to Iran, accidentally injured by his own sword and died of infection. At this time, his army led Darius back to Iran and called on the aristocratic class on the charge of hanging the people. Soon, Gao Mada, who launched a coup, was killed by Darius I at one fell swoop, consolidated the empire he inherited with strict systems and legislation, and then expanded outward. In the East, it consolidated the territory conquered by Cyrus II and incorporated the Indus Valley into the empire. In the west, about 5 13 BC, he crossed the Helegu Strait (now the Daniil Strait) and personally recruited the Scythians on the west and north shores of the Black Sea, ready to conquer Greece.
In 490 BC, Darius I sent the Mites to invade Greece, but was defeated in the marathon and forced to retreat. Later, his son Xerxes I (reigned from 486 BC to 465 BC) continued his plan to conquer Greece. As a result, the imperial navy was defeated by Salamis, the army was defeated by Platia, and the imperial warships at Cape mickal in the Aegean Sea were burned by the Greeks. Since then, the empire has been unable to invade the west. (See Bo Shi War) The failure of the invasion of Greece was a turning point in the history of the Persian Empire, after which the national situation gradually declined.
After Xerxes I, Ardeshir I (reigned from 464 BC to 425 BC), Xerxes II (reigned from 425 BC to 424 BC) and Darius II (reigned from 423 BC to 403 BC) were all weak. During their reign, court conspiracies and local rebellions occurred one after another. Only because of the contradiction between Athens and Sparta in Greece, the empire supported one side and the other with money and diplomatic means to maintain its control over Asia Minor. From 404 BC to 343 BC, Egypt once regained its independence when Persia was weak, but Persia conquered Egypt again in 343 BC. The last king Darius Iii (reigned from 337 BC to 330 BC) was not a cowardly monarch, but Macedonia had already risen, and he could not resist Alexander the Great's eastward advance. In 330 BC, Persepolis, the capital of the empire, fell, and Darius Iii, the king of Persia, was killed by Bethus, the governor of Bactria province, and the Armenian dynasty was declared dead. The following year, Persia was conquered by Macedonia, and the ancient Near East civilization entered the Hellenistic era.
The Persian Empire has a vast territory and complex nationalities. In its heyday, the empire maintained the unity of the empire with strict centralized political institutions, powerful military forces and a more enlightened policy towards the conquered peoples. The post road network built for military and administrative needs closely linked all parts of the empire and created conditions for commercial development. The opening of sea routes has promoted international trade. Darius I's tax reform, unified weights and measures and monetary system further promoted the economic development of the empire.
In terms of art, the Persian Empire left a precious legacy. The empire recruited labor and building materials from the conquered peoples to build palaces and decorate the capital. Persian architecture combines the artistic achievements of Egypt, Babylon and Greece, forming its own unique and magnificent style. The palace in Persepolis, the new capital of Darius I, is built on a huge stone platform, with a hall for the king to listen to politics and a hall with 100 columns. The pillars of Baizhu Hall are 7.62 meters high, with sacred cows, horned lions and human faces as the capitals. On the side wall of the high platform, the ranks of immortal troops, courtiers and conquered nations are embossed. Susa's palace ruins have colored glazed tile walls, depicting the king's guards and various wild animals. All this is to show the greatness of the empire and the dignity of the king. Metal joinery is also a highly developed craft in Persia. Artists decorated the doors and utensils of the palace by hammering gold coins in various animal shapes.