The Golden Age
Once Darius I became the new ruler of the Persian Empire, he proceeded to bring the Persian Empire to the height of its glory.
![Picture](/uploads/5/1/6/8/51684969/7121300_orig.jpeg)
Darius I took power in 521 B.C.E. amidst the confusion of Cambyses II's death. He was not as popular as Cyrus the Great (his distant cousin), and he was disliked by many Persians. Some even tried to keep him from the throne. Darius I spent the first three years of his reign fighting to restore order in Persia by quenching revolts and setting up an efficient administration. Once this was accomplished, he focused on strengthening the Persian Empire.
Darius reformed the army, making it a permanent force with paid soldiers (unlike Cyrus the Great.) Part of this reformation included the institution of a training program for the army. Darius’s army included cavalry soldiers on horses or camels by chariots, as well as archers. He formed a group of highly trained soldiers called the Ten Thousand Immortals, who often acted as his bodyguards. With his new army, Darius led his armies eastward into the mountains of modern Afghanistan, and down into the river valleys of India. Following his conquest, the Persian Empire extended over 2,500 miles, covering Egypt and Anatolia in west, part of India in the east, and the Fertile Crescent in the middle. Darius’s only failure was in his inability to conquer Greece. Darius also made changes to the Persian government. He surrounded kingship with ritual and ceremony, enforcing its powerful image. He also moved the Persian capital to Persepolis, a beautiful city that he designed himself. Despite his power, Darius could not control the entire empire by himself. He selected governors called satraps to help him rule. Each satrap governed one of twenty provinces that the empire was split into. These satraps had power locally, but Darius had divine power. Darius sent officials called the king’s eyes and the king’s ears to ensure that the satraps were loyal. The provinces were roughly similar to the homelands of many people who lived under the Persian Empire, and they allowed people to practice their own religions. Other officers that Darius appointed in each province were a military leader and a tax collector. He also maintained power by developing an excellent system of roads. Such roads allowed Darius to communicate quickly with distant parts of the empire. The Royal Road, the most famous and important road of them all, ran from Susa in Persia to Sardis in Anatolia. Spanning a distance of 1,667 miles, this road is famous because it is considered to be the first highway. Darius made changes to the economy as well. He strengthened it by encouraging trade and by using the first currency system in Persia with coins of standard value. In turn, trade helped hold the large empire together as well.
Darius’ reign was widely considered the high point of Persian culture; emperors that followed never could compare. The Golden Age of the Persian Empire did not last long, as it arose at the beginning of Darius' reign and steadily declined once it was over.
Darius reformed the army, making it a permanent force with paid soldiers (unlike Cyrus the Great.) Part of this reformation included the institution of a training program for the army. Darius’s army included cavalry soldiers on horses or camels by chariots, as well as archers. He formed a group of highly trained soldiers called the Ten Thousand Immortals, who often acted as his bodyguards. With his new army, Darius led his armies eastward into the mountains of modern Afghanistan, and down into the river valleys of India. Following his conquest, the Persian Empire extended over 2,500 miles, covering Egypt and Anatolia in west, part of India in the east, and the Fertile Crescent in the middle. Darius’s only failure was in his inability to conquer Greece. Darius also made changes to the Persian government. He surrounded kingship with ritual and ceremony, enforcing its powerful image. He also moved the Persian capital to Persepolis, a beautiful city that he designed himself. Despite his power, Darius could not control the entire empire by himself. He selected governors called satraps to help him rule. Each satrap governed one of twenty provinces that the empire was split into. These satraps had power locally, but Darius had divine power. Darius sent officials called the king’s eyes and the king’s ears to ensure that the satraps were loyal. The provinces were roughly similar to the homelands of many people who lived under the Persian Empire, and they allowed people to practice their own religions. Other officers that Darius appointed in each province were a military leader and a tax collector. He also maintained power by developing an excellent system of roads. Such roads allowed Darius to communicate quickly with distant parts of the empire. The Royal Road, the most famous and important road of them all, ran from Susa in Persia to Sardis in Anatolia. Spanning a distance of 1,667 miles, this road is famous because it is considered to be the first highway. Darius made changes to the economy as well. He strengthened it by encouraging trade and by using the first currency system in Persia with coins of standard value. In turn, trade helped hold the large empire together as well.
Darius’ reign was widely considered the high point of Persian culture; emperors that followed never could compare. The Golden Age of the Persian Empire did not last long, as it arose at the beginning of Darius' reign and steadily declined once it was over.
![Picture](/uploads/5/1/6/8/51684969/1273473.jpg?173)
Emperor Xerxes, Darius's son, took over following his death and tried to expand. He attempted to conquer Greece, but failed just like his father. This defeat marked the end of Persian expansion. However, the Persian Empire persisted to maintain control over Afghanistan, Turkey, and Egypt for the next 150 years. The last strong ruler of Persia, emperors after Xerxes faced revolts and decreased trade.