10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!!All Items Purchased From Forum Ancient Coins Are Guaranteed Authentic For Eternity!!!Please Call Us If You Have Questions 252-646-1958Expert Authentication - Accurate Descriptions - Reasonable Prices - Coins From Under $10 To Museum Quality Rarities10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!!All Items Purchased From Forum Ancient Coins Are Guaranteed Authentic For Eternity!!!Internet Challenged? We Are Happy To Take Your Order Over The Phone 252-646-1958Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!!
The Persian or Achaemenid Empire (c. 550 - 330 B.C.) was the largest empire in ancient history, extending across Asia, Africa and Europe, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine and Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and much of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. It was founded by Cyrus the Great, who defeated the Medes, Lydia, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire. In addition to its size, the Achaemenid Empire is notable for its successful centralized, bureaucratic administration (through satraps under the King of Kings), for its multicultural policy, for building infrastructure such as road systems and a postal system, for the use of an official language across its territories, and for the development of civil services and a large professional army. The empire had a significant influence on the development of humanity's culture and civilization to this day. Alexander the Great, an avid admirer of Cyrus the Great, conquered most of the empire by 330 B.C. 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.