| Achaemenids was the ruling
dynasty of Persia from about 550 BC to 330 BC. It was
named for Achaemenes (Hakhamanish; flourished 7th century
BC), a minor ruler of Anshan (in southwestern Iran), but
the real founder of the dynasty was his
great-great-grandson, Cyrus the Great, creator of the
Persian Empire. At
the zenith of their power, under Darius the Great, the
Achaemenids ruled an empire extending from the Indus
River in the east to Libya and Thrace in the west and
from the Persian Gulf in the south to the Caucasus and
the Jaxartes River (modern Syr Darya) in the north. They
provided Persia with superb administration, a
comprehensive code of laws, reliable currency, and
efficient postal service. Although Zoroastrians
themselves, they were tolerant of other religions, and
under their rule art and architecture flourished.
The dynasty ended with the
death of Darius III.
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