Achaemenid 

Achaemenid is name of the dynasty that ruled ancient Persia. from about 700 B.C.E. until the conquest of Persia by Alexander of Macedon. The notable kings of this dynasty are Cyrus the Great, who defeated the Babylonian Empire, united Persia and the Medean kingdom, conquered Palestine and restored the Jews, Darius, who expanded the empire westward into Europe and Xerxes I who tried and failed to conquer Athens. The first rulers of Achaemenid Persia were clients and subjects of the Assyrians. and may have ruled a small part of the ancient kingdom of Elam.

There is considerable uncertainty about the number and asequence of Persian kings. There may have been two Teispes for example. Some of the earlier kings may really have been tribal chiefs. The complete list of Achaemenid rulers may be:

Achaemenes of Persia. c 700 BCE (may be mythical)
Teispes of Anshan, son of Achaemenes
Cyrus I of Anshan, son of Teispes.
Ariaramnes of Persia, son of Teispes and co-ruler with Cyrus I.
Cambyses I of Anshan, son of Cyrus I.
Arsames of Persia, son of Ariaramnes co-ruler with Cambyses I
Cyrus II the Great, son of Cambyses I, ruled from c.550 - 530 BC.
Cambyses II, son of Cyrus ruled 530 - 521 BCE.
Smerdis, his supposed brother, ruled 521 BCE
Darius I, his brother-in-law and grandson of Arsames, ruled 521 -486 BCE.
Xerxes I, his son, ruled 486 -465 BCE
Artaxerxes I, his son, ruled 464 - 424 BCE.
Xerxes II, his son, ruled 424 - 423 BCE.
Sogdianus, his half-brother and rival, ruled 424 - 423 BCE.
Darius II, his half-brother and rival, ruled 424 - 404 BCE.
Artaxerxes II, his son, ruled 404 - 358 BCE
Artaxerxes III,his son, ruled 358 - 338 BCE
Arses, his son, ruled 338 - 336 BCE
Darius III Codomannus, great-grandson of Darius II, ruled 336 -330 BCE

 

Ami Isseroff

October 11, 2010.

Synonyms and alternate spellings: Achemenid Achamanian

Further Information:   Persia

Encyclopedia of the Middle East

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