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Ancient History : Kings of Persia

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The ancient Persian empire has a rich history.  It began c. 550 B.C. and fell to Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.  The Bible mentions this kingdom and the names of some of its kings in many books of the OldTestament (Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel).  In fact, the very first king of Persia is clearly spoken of by Isaiah the Jewish prophet.  Though the ancient empire was founded on Zoroastrianism, the Arabs brought the religion of Islam to the country in 641 A.D.  The country we know today as Iran accepts Persia as its official alternative name.

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References:

Persia Timeline – Ancient History Encyclopedia

List of the Kings of the Persian Empire – Old Testament Charts (BibleHistory Online)

The Achaemenid Persian Empire (550–330 B.C.) | Essay | HeilbrunnTimeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Image credit:  Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). Modifications by Manfy [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from WikimediaCommons

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~ How familiar are you with the kings of Persia?  

~ Would you recognize them by their historical accomplishments?

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  • Question of

    He defeated the Medes, the Lydians, and the Babylonians; and founded the Achaemenid dynasty. He is revered in biblical records and secular historical records as a wise and tolerant ruler.

    • Cyrus the Great
    • Cyrus the Younger
    • Darius the Great
  • Question of

    He is considered the second king of Persia, but historical records report conflicting and/or unconfirmed stories. Some say he murdered his younger brother. Some say he went mad. Some say his death was an accident while others indicate it may have been a suicide.

    • Cyrus II
    • Cambyses II
    • Darius II
  • Question of

    He reorganized and consolidated the Persian empire to include Egypt and India, but did not succeed in his invasion of Greece.

    • Cyrus the Great
    • Darius the Great
    • Darius III
  • Question of

    One of his most notable military achievement was the defeat of the Spartans at Thermopylae. Some believe he is the same king mentioned in the biblical Book of Esther.

    • Cyrus I
    • Darius I
    • Xerses I
  • Question of

    He reigned for 20 years and during that time the Persian empire was weakened by revolts and political intrigue.

    • Darius II
    • Cambyses II
    • Artaxerses II
  • Question of

    He crushed a rebellion led by his own brother; yet under his leadership the Persian empire continued to decline.

    • Artaxerses I
    • Artaxerses II
    • Artaxerses III
  • Question of

    After a reign of terror, he was assassinated. His son, who was his successor was deposed after only 2 years.

    • Artaxerses III
    • Darius III
    • Cyrus the Younger
  • Question of

    He was defeated by Alexander the Great in two significant battles; one at Issus in 333 B.C. and the other at Arbela which occurred in 331 B.C. and which marked the fall of the kingdom of Persia.

    • Darius the Great
    • Darius II
    • Darius III

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Written by Cmoneyspinner

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