Achaemenid Empire
Name Comments Dates
Cyrus the Great Founder of the empire ; King of the four corners of the world 560-530 BC
Cambyses II King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt 530-522 BC
Bardiya /Smerdis King of Persia , allegedly an imposter 522 BC
Darius I King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt 522-486 BC
Xerxes I King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt 486-465 BC
Artaxerxes I King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt 465-424 BC
Xerxes II King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt 424 BC ( 45 days )
Sogdianus King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt 424-423 BC
Darius II King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt 423-405 BC
Artaxerxes II King of Persia 405-358 BC
Artaxerxes III King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt ( Regained control over Egypt after 50 years ) 358-338 BC
Artaxerxes IV King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt 338-336 BC
Darius III King of Persia in addition to Pharaoh of Egypt ; last ruler of the empire 336-330 BC
Achaemenid kings and rulers -- Attested
 There were 13 attested kings during the 220 years of the Achaemenid Empire 's existence . The reign of Artaxerxes II was the longest , lasting 47 years .
The Achaemenid Empire (/əˈkiːmənɪd/; 𐎧𐏁𐏂 Xšāça (Old Persian) The Empire c. 550-330 BC), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire based in Western Asia founded by Cyrus the Great. Ranging at its greatest extent from the Balkans and Eastern Europe proper in the west to the Indus Valley in the east, it was larger than any previous empire in history, spanning 5.5 million square kilometers. Incorporating various peoples of different origins and faiths, it is notable for its successful model of a centralised, bureaucratic administration (through satraps under the King of Kings), for building infrastructure such as road systems and a postal system, the use of an official language across its territories, and the development of civil services and a large professional army. The empire's successes inspired similar systems in later empires. By the 7th century BC, the Persians had settled in the south-western portion of the Iranian Plateau in the region of Persis, which came to be their heartland. From this region, Cyrus the Great advanced to defeat the Medes, Lydia, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire, establishing the Achaemenid Empire. Alexander the Great, an avid admirer of Cyrus the Great, conquered most of the empire by 330 BC. Upon Alexander's death, most of the empire's former territory fell under the rule of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire, in addition to other minor territories which gained independence at that time. The Iranian elites of the central plateau reclaimed power by the second century BC under the Parthian Empire. The Achaemenid Empire is noted in Western history as the antagonist of the Greek city-states during the Greco-Persian Wars and for the emancipation of the Jewish exiles in Babylon. The historical mark of the empire went far beyond its territorial and military influences and included cultural, social, technological and religious influences as well. Despite the lasting conflict between the two states, many Athenians adopted Achaemenid customs in their daily lives in a reciprocal cultural exchange, some being employed by or allied to the Persian kings.