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Persia's Finest
Retired [X] High Elf

<b>Persian Empire</b>

The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau (Ir&#257;n - "Land of the Aryans") and beyond. Generally, the earliest entity considered a part of the Persian Empire is Persia's Achaemenid dynasty (648–330 BC), a united Aryan kingdom that originated in the region now known as Pars province of Iran and was formed under Cyrus the Great. Successive states in Iran prior to March, 1935 are collectively called the Persian Empire by Western historians

The earliest known record of the Persians comes from an Assyrian inscription from c. 844 BC that calls them the Parsu (Parsuash, Parsumash) and mentions them in the region of Lake Urmia alongside another group, the Madai (Medes). For the next two centuries, the Persians and Medes were at times tributary to the Assyrians. The region of Parsuash was annexed by Sargon of Assyria around 719 BC. Eventually the Medes came to rule an independent Median Empire, and the Persians were subject to them.

The Achaemenids were the first to create a centralized state in Persia, founded by Achaemenes (Hakhamanish), chieftain of the Persians around 700 BC.

Around 653 BC, the Medes came under the domination of the Scythians, and Teispes, the son of Achaemenes, seems to have led the nomadic Persians to settle in southern Iran around this time — eventually establishing the first organized Persian state in the important region of Anshan as the Elamite kingdom was permanently destroyed by the Assyrian ruler Ashurbanipal (640 BC). The kingdom of Anshan and its successors continued to use Elamite as an official language for quite some time after this, although the new dynasts spoke Persian, an Indo-Iranian tongue.

Teispes' descendants may have branched off into two lines, one line ruling in Anshan, while the other ruled the rest of Persia. Cyrus II the Great united the separate kingdoms around 559 BC. At this time, the Persians were still tributary to the Median Empire ruled by Astyages. Cyrus rallied the Persians together, and in 550 BC defeated the forces of Astyages, who was then captured by his own nobles and turned over to the triumphant Cyrus, now Shah of a unified Persian kingdom. As Persia assumed control over the rest of Media and their large empire, Cyrus led the united Medes and Persians to still more conquest. He took Lydia in Asia Minor, and carried his arms eastward into central Asia. Finally in 539 BC, Cyrus marched triumphantly into the ancient city of Babylon. After this victory, he set the standard of the benevolent conqueror by issuing the Cyrus Cylinder. Cyrus was killed in 530 during a battle against the Massagetae or Sakas.

Cyrus' son, Cambyses II, annexed Egypt to the Achaemenid Empire. The empire then reached its greatest extent under Darius I. He led conquering armies into the Indus River valley and into Thrace in Europe. A punitive raid against Greece was halted at the Battle of Marathon. His son Xerxes I tried to subdue the Greeks, but his army was defeated at the Battle of Plataea 479 BC.

The Achaemenid Empire was the largest and most powerful empire the world had yet seen. More importantly, it was well managed and organized. Darius divided his realm into about twenty satrapies (provinces) supervised by satraps, or governors, many of whom had personal ties to the Shah. He instituted a systematic tribute to tax each province. He took the advanced postal system of the Assyrians and expanded it. Also taken from the Assyrians was the usage of secret agents of the king, known as the King's Eyes and Ears, keeping him informed.

Darius improved the famous Royal Road and other ancient trade routes, thereby connecting far reaches of the empire. He may have moved the administration center from Fars itself to Susa, near Babylon and closer to the center of the realm. The Persians allowed local cultures to survive, following the precedent set by Cyrus the Great. This was not only good for the empire's subjects, but ultimately benefited the Achaemenids, since the conquered peoples felt no need to revolt.

It may have been during the Achaemenid period that Zoroastrianism reached South-Western Iran, where it came to be accepted by the rulers and through them became a defining element of Persian culture. The religion was not only accompanied by a formalization of the concepts and divinities of the traditional (Indo-)Iranian pantheon but also introduced several novel ideas, including that of free will, which is arguably Zoroaster's greatest contribution to religious philosophy. Under the patronage of the Achaemenid kings, and later as the de-facto religion of the state, Zoroastrianism would reach all corners of the empire. In turn, Zoroastrianism would be subject to the first sycretic influences, in particular from the Semitic lands to the west, from which the divinities of the religion would gain astral and planetary aspects and from where the temple cult originates. It was also during the Achaemenid era that the sacerdotal Magi would exert their influence on the religion, introducing many of the practices that are today identified as typically Zoroastrian, but also introducing doctrinal modifications that are today considered to be revocations of the original teachings of the prophet.

The Achaemenid Empire united people and kingdoms from every major civilization in south west Asia. For the first time in history, people from very different cultures were in contact with one another under one ruler.

<b>Hellenistic Persia (330 BC–150 BC)</b>

The later years of the Achaemenid dynasty were marked by decay and decadence. The greatest empire of the time collapsed in only eight years, when it fell under the attack of a young Macedonian king, Alexander the Great.

The Achaemenid Empire's weakness was exposed to the Greeks in 401 BC, when a rebel prince, Cyrus the Younger, hired 14,000 Greek mercenaries to help secure his claim to the imperial throne (see Xenophon, Anabasis). This exposed the political instability weakness of Achaemenid State during a crisis of succession.

Philip II of Macedon, leader of most of Greece, decided to take advantage of this weakness when, after the death of Artaxerxes III Ochus in 338, the Persian Empire had no strong leader. After Philip's death in 336, his son and successor Alexander landed in Asia Minor in 334 BC. His armies quickly swept through Lydia, Phoenicia, and Egypt, before defeating all the troops of Darius III at Gaugamela (331) and capturing the capital at Susa. The last Achaemenid resistance was at the "Persian Gates" between Susa and near the royal palace at Persepolis. The Achaemenid Empire was now in Alexander's hands.
New Team Page Beta
Player Ma St Ag Av Skills Inj G Cp Td It Cs Mvp SPP Cost  
2
Cyrus II the Great,
Lineman
6 3 4 8   2 0 0 0 1 0 2/ 70k
(70)k
  
3
Darius I the Great
Lineman
6 3 4 8
Block
   2 2 0 0 0 1 7/ 90k
(90)k
  
4
Xerxes II
Lineman
6 3 4 8   1 0 0 0 0 0 0/ 70k
(70)k
  
5
Artaxerxes I Longimanus
Lineman
6 3 4 8 m 2 0 0 0 0 0 0/ 70k
(0)k
  
6
Darius III Codomannus
Lineman
6 3 4 8
Block
   2 0 0 1 0 1 7/ 90k
(90)k
  
7
Seleucus I Nicator
Lineman
6 3 4 8   2 0 0 0 0 0 0/ 70k
(70)k
  
10
Alexander of Macedon
Lion Warrior
8 3 4 7
Catch
   2 0 1 0 0 0 3/ 90k
(110)k
  
11
Cambyses II
Lineman
6 3 4 8   2 0 0 0 0 0 0/ 70k
(70)k
  
7 players (+1 player missing next game)  
Coach: coalheart Re-Rolls (100k): 3  
Race: High Elf Fan Factor: 6  
Current Team Value: 0k Assistant Coaches: 0  
Treasury: 0k Cheerleaders: 0  
Team Value: 810k Apothecary: Yes  

Games Played:2 (0/1/1) |TD Diff:-2 (1 - 3) |Cas Diff:-5 (1/1/0 - 2/1/4)
Last Opponent: Carpe Prunum