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What happened on this land around c. 500 BCE (Early Classical / Achaemenid rise) ?
Formation of a vast imperial administration, Persian royal road and satrapal system, major cultural and architectural achievements (Persepolis).
Rulers
Achaemenid Empire
c. 559–330 BCE
Founding and expansion under Cyrus II, Darius I: the first Persian empire, controlling Iran, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Levant and beyond.
Battles
Greco-Persian Wars (Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea)
c. 490–479 BCE
Major campaigns between Achaemenid Persia and Greek city-states with wide strategic impact.