The Persian Empire

Cyrus, Darius and Xerxes; these Persian kings are sometimes stereotyped as one-dimensional despots in Greek histories; the truth about the Achaemenid Persian Empire; an empire that stretches from Egypt and Asia Minor, all the way to the Indus Valley.

Greek historians provide valuable information about the Persian Empire; the Greek perspective is often negatively biased; archaeology uncovers inscriptions, administrative tablets and other documents that let the Persians speak for themselves.

The ancient world before the Persian Empire; in the centuries leading up to the Persian Empire, the Assyrians are the major international power; the Assyrian kingdom collapses; it leaves a power vacuum in the region; the stage set for new power.

Cyrus, the first great king of the Persian Empire, expands the empire through pragmatic leadership; he uses local customs and traditions and thereby gains legitimacy over Central Asia and Babylon; his son Cambyses expands the empire into Egypt.

Whether Darius, the son-in-law of Cyrus, is a legitimate king; After Cambyses dies, Darius establishes himself as an unwavering leader; Darius creates a royal genealogy and a Persian identity; he then turns to building infrastructure.

The five Persian capitals; Pasargadae, Ecbatana, Babylon, Susa and Persepolis; built in strategic, fortified locations, these cities are major symbols of power for the great kings; exploring the great hall at Persepolis, which holds 10,000 guests.

Seeing beyond the outside stereotypes of Persian kings as tyrants; seeing what the kings themselves have to say; in sculpted reliefs and carvings on royal tombs, the words and images of Darius and Xerxes show Persian values of harmonious cooperation.

A trip into the western provinces; the empire's diverse local customs; the Persian Empire is famous for its roads and bridges; how its express messenger system allows information to travel quickly; the king keeps tabs on every corner of the empire.

Traveling east through what is now Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and onward into Afghanistan, Pakistan and India; the complexity and influence of Persian power; the empire is held together by its efficient administration and communication systems.

Revolts in Ionia and Cyprus and an attack by the Athenians show the limits of the Persian philosophy of harmonious cooperation; the early challenges to Persian power; how Darius contains these threats using military force and strategic communication.

The war with the Greeks from the Persian perspective; the Athenians throw a Persian herald into a pit; Darius sends his fleet across the Aegean Sea; they advance into Greece; at Marathon, the Persian forces stumble and are defeated by the Athenians.

The facts that dispel the image of Xerxes as a decadent oriental despot; Xerxes is handpicked by Darius to succeed him; after assuming the throne, Xerxes defeats rebellions in Egypt and Babylonia; he then finishes his father's domestic projects.

The Persian Empire, under Xerxes, tries to take control of Greece; Xerxes captures half the nation without a fight; he scores a great victory against the Spartan king Leonidas; the critical mistake at Salamis, after which the Persians are to retreat.

The cultural exchanges in the Persian Empire; a large area of the globe comes under the control of a single power; people exchange goods and adopt foreign customs; the Persian policy of tolerance of local customs enables this empire to flourish.

Probing the Achaemenid religion; the Persians are influenced by the sage Zarathustra; the ancient Persians practice polytheism, with the god Ahura Mazda on top; the kings view themselves as instruments of god; helping them legitimize their power.

Delving into a new phase of the Persian Empire following Xerxes's war in Greece; after the assassination of Xerxes, his middle son, Artaxerxes I, holds the empire together; watching how Darius II uses diplomacy during the Peloponnesian War.

Darius II's passing presents a new challenge to the empire; we experience the crucial moment when, after Artaxerxes II takes power, his brother Cyrus orchestrates a revolt; the two brothers clash in a great showdown at Cunaxa for the kingship.

The empire creates a new Persian currency; discovering that while agriculture is important, wealth sometimes becomes concentrated in the hands of a few crafty entrepreneurs whose financial clout presents a systemic risk to the empire.

Taking a look at the lives of ordinary folks; beyond the capital cities, farming is the basis of the empire's wealth; exploring the agricultural practices of the empire; meeting day-to-day workers, including migrant laborers and slaves.

Why scholars debate how much political power women have in ancient Persia; Achaemenid women have considerable legal and economic freedom; how royal women participate in palace ceremonies; meeting three powerful women in the empire.

Charting the life of "the king who loved his subjects"; Artaxerxes II stabilizes the empire, eventually negotiating an important peace with the Spartans; watching as he then embarks on a building program unlike anything since Darius I.

As the empire enters the fourth century B.C., rumors of Macedonian aggression abound; how Philip II reforms the Macedonian military; Darius III comes to power in Persia the same year as Alexander in Macedon; how Darius III prepares for battle.

The battles between the Persians and the Macedonians; the sieges of Alexander the Great; Darius III on the run; Alexander commands a powerful army and defeats Darius; he then takes on the mantle of Great King, adopting much of Persian ideology.

Learning about the Persian legacy; what becomes of the kingdoms that follow, which are the Seleucids, the Parthians and the Sasanians; by the time Islamic invaders arrive, the Persian Empire becomes legend; its legacy lives on even in modern Iran.