Formed largely by the conquests of the first three Achaemenid Kings – Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius- the ‘Persian’ empire extended from the shores of the Mediterranean as far east as modern Pakistan and into Central Asia. Nevertheless, the heartland of the empire always remained in Iran where the great palaces at Pasargadae, Susa and Persepolis served both as dwelling places for the Great King as well as repositories of fabulous wealth from all parts of the empire.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• L. Allen, The Persian Empire, A History, British Museum Press, 2005
• L. Llewellyn-Jones, Persians. The Age of the Great King, Headline, 2022
• M. Waters, Ancient Persia. A Concise History of the Achaemenid Empire, 550-330 BCE, Cambridge University Press, 2014
• M. Wood, In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, BBC Books (and DVD), 1997

COURSE OUTLINE

• The Rise of Empire: The widespread movement of peoples into Iran during the second millennium BCE saw the formation of the Achaemenids who, under Cyrus the Great, created an empire extending from the Aegean to modern Pakistan.
• Darius the Great: With the death of Cambyses, Achaemenid rule descended into chaos, only to be revived by Darius the Great. We shall examine his reign and his great monuments.
• The Empire at its Height: The 5th century saw the apogee of Achaemenid rule over its vast empire, exemplified by Persepolis with its extensive and well-preserved remains which are still being uncovered.
• The Fall of the Achaemenids: We examine the background to Alexander’s conquests and then follow the progress of his campaigns against Darius III and his huge armies.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Obtain an overall knowledge of a truly remarkable empire
2. Learn of the frequent interaction (both in peace and in war) between Persia and Greece, forming the subject of some of the most well-known histories and plays of antiquity
3. Become more familiar with the remarkable conquests of Alexander the Great, easily one of the most famous kings of the ancient world