The Persians were settled in Parsa (=Fars; Greek; Persis) in the southern Zagros by 700 BC. Founded perhaps by the semi-legendary Achaemenes (r.c.705-c.675 BC), they were concentrated around the great Marvdasht Plain situated between the Kor and Polvar rivers and north of modern Shiraz.
Achaemenes was succeeded by his son Teispes (r.c.675-c.640 BC). Inscriptions indicate that Teispes divided Persis between his two sons with Ariaramnes (r.c.640-c.615 BC) ruling eastern Persis and Cyrus-I (r.c.640-c.600 BC) ruling western Persis, or Anshan. They were succeeded by their respective sons Arsames of Persis (r.c.615-c.559 BC) and Cambyses-I (r.c.600-c.559 BC) of Anshan. It is generally agreed that Cambyses married Astyages daughter Mandana and their son was Cyrus II (c.46; r.559-530 BC).
Cyrus II the Great (c.46; r.559-530 BC)
During the reign of Astyages, the Medes ruled over a large area of the ancient Near East. When Cyrus ascended the Anshan throne he, like his predecessors, had to recognize the overlordship of the Median king. Cyrus, however, quickly conquered the Ariaramnes branch of the House of Achaemenes in east Persis, thereby uniting all of Persis under his rule.
Cyrus secured the allegiance of Aryan tribes of the Iranian Plateau, initiated diplomatic exchanges with Babylon, and then he revolted against Astyages in 554 BC. Astyages was betrayed by his own general Harpagus, and Cyrus entered Ecbatana in 549 BC. Cyrus treated his grandfather Astyages leniently, and the different parts of the empire from the frontiers of Bactria to the frontiers of Lydia, submitted without opposition. The Median Empire was replaced by the Persian Achaemenid Empire, though their kinsmen the Medes still held privileged positions in the state.
Croesus of Lydia (c.48; r.c.560-546 BC), seeing the collapse of Median power as an opportunity to expand his territories to the east (and being famously misled by the oracle of Delphi: ‘If Croesus attacked the Persians he would destroy a great empire’), prepared an expedition to Cappadocia. Croesus’ offensive beyond the Halys (the traditional boundary between the two states) ran into the army of Cyrus. The battle that unfolded at Pteria was not decisive. Croesus decided to retreat and take advantage of the winter to obtain reinforcements from his allies. He dispersed his army but Cyrus unexpectedly attacked in the dead of winter and took the Lydian army by surprise. Cyrus staged a battle close to Sardis and Croesus was forced to take refuge in the citadel, which was thought to be impregnable. But as the result of a stratagem, the city fell after a fourteen-day siege. In the following five years Cyrus incorporated most of Anatolian into his empire.
In 539 BC Cyrus crossed the Diyala River and took Opis on the Tigris. Soon afterwards Sippar surrendered and Babylon was taken by his commander Gobryas on 12 October. Cyrus entered Babylon on 29 October. He made efforts to extend his realm further east, and it is likely that he controlled most of Afghanistan and south Central Asia. He died while fighting against a Central Asia tribe.
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