THE ASCENT AND DECLINE OF THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE

From its humble start in Persia, the Achaemenid Empire rose to become a colossal power, stretching from the seas of the Aegean Sea to the core of India. Under ambitious leaders like Cyrus the Great and Darius I, it grew, assimilating diverse cultures and religions within its vast dominion. The Achaemenids constructed a sophisticated infrastructure