Ancient Persia – The Complete History of Iran Through the Ages
The Persian Empire was not a single kingdom but a magnificent succession of empires that ruled the vast Iranian plateau—known as Irān, the “Land of the Aryans”—and stretched far beyond it. The earliest known Persian dynasty, the Achaemenids (648–330 BCE), united various Aryan tribes under one banner and built the first truly great empire of Iran. This empire, which began in what is now Fars Province, rose under the vision and leadership of Cyrus the Great, whose name still echoes through history as one of the most admired rulers of the ancient world.
Western historians often refer collectively to all pre-1935 Iranian dynasties as the “Persian Empire.” But the Persian story is much more than a label; it’s a chronicle of human ambition, innovation, and cultural achievement that shaped much of the ancient world.
