Warfare in Ancient Persia 550 BC–330 BC

“The Persian Empire was a creature of war.” It rose from the ashes of the Assyrian Empire, rapidly absorbed the Near East through violent conquest, and dominated the region until Alexander the Great destroyed it in the second half of the 4th century BC. At first, the Persians were part of the Median Empire, but in 550 BC, Cyrus the Great of the House of Achaemenes forcefully seized the throne, paving the way for the Achaemenid Dynasty, which would rule Persia for more than 200 years. The success of the Achaemenid Empire was largely due to its vast, effective, and well-organized, military force. At the head of this force marched the infamous immortals—the Persian elite heavy infantry. The Achaemenids were the first to make the cavalry their central striking force, rely on large-scale naval warfare, and use size to guarantee success. But what exactly did their armies look like and how did they fight? Those questions puzzle historians to this day. In this video, we’ll explore what we actually know about the armies of the Achaemenid Empire, including how they fought and what was the key to their success.