Significant Persian Leaders
Some of the most influential Persian Leaders, with information about them and what they did.
Cyrus the Great
- New leader, Cyrus the Great, arose among Persians in 559 B.C.
- After being king for 10 years, he revolted against the Medes and defeated them, ruling both the Persians and the Medes
- Afterwards, set out to expand his territory
- He captured Lydia in Asia Minor, several Greek cities, and defeated the Chaldeans and the city of Babylon
- When he conquered regions, he allowed the people to keep their customs rather than adopting Persian ones
- This won him respect
- Cyrus died in 530 B.C. while fighting in Central Asia, having ruled the largest empire in the world
Cyrus’s son, Cambyses II, became emperor and invaded Egypt, but was thought to be a madman and tyrant
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Darius I
- Darius I became the new leader of Persia using the confusion of Cambyses’ death
- Fought to restore order in Persia for first year of rule
- Many Persians disliked him, tried to keep him from throne
- Once the drive for rebellion was diminished, he began to strengthen his empire
- Darius reformed the army, creating a permanent army with paid soldiers, unlike Cyrus, and he also instituted a new training system for the army
- Formed a group of highly trained soldiers called the Ten Thousand Immortals, who often acted as his bodyguards
- Darius’s army also included cavalry soldiers on horses or camels by chariots, and archers
- With army, he conquered new lands, but failed to conquer Greece
- Also made changes to Persian government, surrounding kingship with ceremony and ritual
- Enforced a powerful image of being king
- Even with his power, he couldn’t control all of Persia because of its size, which is why he chose governors called satraps to help him rule
- Each satrap governed a specific region under Darius’ rule
- Darius sent officials called the king’s eyes and the king’s ears to ensure that the satraps were loyal
- He also strengthened the economy, using first coins in Persia and encouraged trade
- Darius’ reign was widely considered the high point of Persian culture; emperors that followed never could compare
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- Ardashir 3
- was Ardashir 2 son with Stateira
- killed off most of his brothers family so he could become the king of Persia.
- was a stronger king that his ancestors, and he conquered Egypt again in 342 B.C.E.
- stopped revolts
- made Persia much more powerful
- was poisoned by his advisor, Bagoas, in 338 B.C.E.
- Bagoas/Arse
- Ardashir 3's son was Arse, and Bagoas thought he could control him on the throne because Arse was a child at the time.
- Once Arse was grown up, he was also poisoned by Bagoas
- Bagoas made Arse’s cousin the new king, called Darius 3.
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