Episode notes
In this episode of Thrones of Power: Empires That Changed the World, we explore the rise of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, the first true multicultural empire in history. Founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great, it expanded from the Aegean Sea to the Indus Valley, incorporating countless peoples, languages, and faiths. Cyrus’s philosophy of tolerance set it apart—allowing conquered peoples to keep their traditions while uniting them under a single imperial system.
The Persians pioneered innovations in governance, dividing their vast realm into satrapies governed by satraps and monitored by royal inspectors. They built the Royal Road, a marvel of infrastructure that enabled rapid communication across thousands of miles. Economically, they standardized coin ...