THE GROWTH AND DEMISE OF THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE

From its humble start in Persia, the Achaemenid Empire rose to become a colossal power, stretching from the seas of the Aegean Sea to the heartland of India. Under ambitious rulers like Cyrus the Great and Darius I, it expanded, assimilating diverse cultures and religions within its vast dominion. The Achaemenids forged a sophisticated infrastructu