Why Did the Achaemenid Empire Fall Essay - 1228 Words

Why did the Achaemenid Empire Fall? Throughout time there have been a number of Persian Empires, but none of them can compare to the great Achaemenid Empire, which ruled between 550 to 330BC. The Achaemenid Empire is known as the largest empire in Ancient history which stretched out approximately 8 million km ² at the height of its power. So how does an Empire so large and with such great power collapse? Was it struggle for power, which every new king had to suffer after the death of Darius the Great? Or was it because of corruption of the ministers and Satraps that made the empire decline. Maybe it could have been the invading Greek forces lead by Phillip the II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great or are all these to blame?†¦show more content†¦For the next few years he would lay siege and conquer many cities and countries and gains control of a vast majority of Asia Minor and Egypt. After Alexander had conquered Babylon he set his sights on Persia. He took Susa, one of the capitals and Persepolis th e ceremonial capital. Alexander had set his sights on taking Darius III and pursed him into Media then Parthia. In the year 330BC, Darius was taken prisoner by the Bactrian Satrap Bessus who had Darius stabbed as Alexander approached, He declared himself the new king under the name of Artaxerxes V. Alexander gave Darius a proper burial next to his Achaemenid ancestors and proclaims himself the rightful successor. Though Bessus proclaims himself as King of the Empire, he had no relations to anyone of the royal family, therefore it is generally accepted that the death of Darius the III marked the end of Achaemenid Empire. Much of the remaining Empire falls to Alexander or gains independence for themselves. Alexander succeeded in conquering the Achaemenid Empire because of his great tactical prowess on the battlefield making him and his army a formidable enemy for the generals of the Empire. He conquers many cities and state swiftly, many were willing to submit after seeing what they h ad done to other armies. In conquering the cities he began to merge Greek language, Greek Culture and Greek population with these conquered areas making the original culture of Persia decline. After the rule of King Darius the I (knownShow MoreRelatedThe Persian Empire And World Dominance2230 Words   |  9 Pagesthis chapter is that the Achaemenid Persian Empire rose to world dominance because Cyrus and Darius had tolerance for cultural and religious diversity. Her argument for including this Empire in her book is that the story of this Empire goes along with the thesis of the whole book. The Achaemenid Persian Empire rose to global dominance because it had tolerance and then eventually fell because it became intolerant. 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