Achaemenian Rule of Phoenicia
559 - 330 BCE

Achaemenian (Achaemenid) was from a persian word Hakhamanishiya.  Achaemenes (Hakhamanish) was thought to be the ancestral King (7 th century BCE) of Achaemenian Dynasty. Very little is known of him.  Two royal houses had descended from Teispes, the son of Achaemenes. The kings of the main line of succession were Cyrus I, Cambyses I, Cyrus II the Great (c. 590 -. 529 BCE), and  Cambyses II (c. 529 - 522 BCE).

Darius I (reign c. 522 - 486 BCE) of the second line came to the throne after Cambyses II (522 BCE) died without leaving a direct heir. The kings of the second line of succession were Xerxes (c. 486 - 465 BCE), Artaxerxes I (c. 465- 425 BCE), Xerxes II(c. 425 - 424 BCE), Darius II Ochus (c. 423 - 404 BCE), Artaxerxes II  (Reign c. 404 -359 BCE), Artaxerxes III (c. 359 - 338 BCE) and King Arses  (c. 338 - 336 BCE). Darius III (c. 336-330 BCE) grandnephew of Artaxerxes II and satrap of Armenia was made the King of Achaemenian Empire after King Arses was killed in a Palace plot. The dynasty came to an end with the murder of Darius III by a over jealous minor satrapy to please Alexander. Alexander issued orders not kill the fellow Emperor after defeating him in 330 BCE.

Greatest of the Achaemenian ruler was Cyrus II (reigned c. 559 - 529 BC), who enlarged the empire by conqering Lidya, Syria, Judaea. By the reign of Xerxes I,  Achaemenian Empire streched from Macedonia in the west to the Hyphasis (Beas) River in India and from the Caucasus Mountains in the north to the Arabian Desert in the south. The empire was divided into administrative provinces (satrapies), each run by a satrap. Aramaic was used mainly for imperial administrative correspondence. Old Persian, Elamite and Akkadian were also used.
 


Silver 1/12 Siglos. c.540-330 BCE.
Obverse : Persian king holding  a bow.
Reverse : Incuse punch
 

Silver 1/6 Siglos. c.540-330 BCE.
Obverse : Persian king kneeling drawing  a bow.
Reverse : Incuse punch.


Silver Siglos. c.540-330 BCE.
Obverse : Persian king running  holding a bow and a spear.
Reverse : Incuse punch.
 

Gold Daric of Achaemenid King. c. 475-330 BCE.
Obverse: King running with a bow and a spear
Reverse: Rectangular incuse punch.

List of  AchaemenidKings

Cyrus I,
Cambyses I,
Cyrus II the Great,  (c. 590 -. 529 BCE)
Cambyses II (c. 529 - 522 BCE)
Darius I (reign c. 522 - 486 BCE),
Xerxes (c. 486 - 465 BCE),
Artaxerxes I (c. 465- 425 BCE),
Xerxes II(c. 425 - 424 BCE),
Darius II Ochus (c. 423 - 404 BCE)
Artaxerxes II  (Reign c. 404 -359 BCE)
Artaxerxes III (c. 359 - 338 BCE)
King Arses  (c. 338 - 336 BCE)
Darius III (c. 336-330 BCE)
 
 


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