List of IllustrationsPreface to the English TranslationTranslator’s PrefaceIntroduction: On the Trail of an Empire1. Was There an Achaemenid Empire?2. From Alexander to Cyrus and Back Again: Fragments of ego-histoire3. The Historian and His Evidence4. Space and TimeTo the ReaderAcknowledgmentsPrologue: The Persians before the Empire1. Why Cyrus?2. The Founder Legends3. The Kings of Ansan4. Ansan and Susa5. Persian Society before the Conquests: Herodotus and Archaeology6. Ansan, Ecbatana, Babylon, and Susa7. From the Medes to the Persians8. ConclusionPart 1: The Empire-Builders: From Cyrus to DariusChapter 1. The Land-Collectors: Cyrus the Great and Cambyses (559-522)1. Medo-Persian Hostilities, the Defeat of Astyages, and the Fall of Ecbatana (553-550)2. The New International Situation and Cyrus’s Projects3. The Defeat of Croesus and the Establishment of a Mediterranean Front4. Cyrus in Central Asia5. The Capture of Babylon (539)6. Cyrus, Trans-Euphrates, and Egypt7. From Cyrus to Cambyses8. The Egyptian Campaign (525-522)9. Cambyses and the Egyptian TraditionsChapter 2. The Conquest and After: An Interim Summary1. From Cyrus to Darius: Sources and Problems2. Satraps and Satrapies3. Tributes and Gifts4. Continuities and Adaptations: The Case of Babylonia5. From Bactra to Sardis6. Persians and Conquered Populations7. The Seats of Power8. Royalty and Authority9. The King and the Gods10. Bardiya’s Usurpation (522)Chapter 3. Trouble, Secession, and Rebuilding (522-518)1. Darius Comes to Power (522)2. Revolts and Reconquests (522-518)3. The Aftermath of Victory: The Official Story4. Darius and the Six5. Summary and PerspectivesChapter 4. Darius the Conqueror (520-486)1. The Pursuit of Territorial Expansion (520-513)2. The Persians in Europe3. The Ionian Revolt (500-493)4. From Thrace to Memphis (492-486)Part 2: The Great KingChapter 5. Images of the World1. The Builder-King2. The King and His Peoples: Inscriptions and Iconography3. An Idealized Image of Space and Imperial Power4. Images and Realities: The King among His Peoples5. Images and Realities: The Imperial Festivals6. Royal Table and Royal Paradise: Exaltation of the Center and Appropriation of SpaceChapter 6. Representations of Royalty and Monarchic Ideology1. Sources and Problems2. The Prince in His Own Mirror3. The King in Majesty4. The Good Warrior5. The King, the Earth, and the Water6. Between Men and GodsChapter 7. People and Life at Court1. Sources and Problems2. Household Staff3. The Eunuchs4. The Women’s Side5. At the Great King’s Table6. The Royal Hunts7. Royal PompChapter 8. The King’s Men1. The Giving King2. Unequal Exchange3. The King and His Faithful: The Rationale of the System4. The King and His Faithful: The Dynamic of the Contradictions5. King and Satraps6. The King and His Faithful: The Persians, the Greeks, and the Others7. Achaemenid Royalty and Persian AristocracyPart 3: Territories, Populations, and the Dependent EconomyChapter 9. Territories, Communication, and Trade1. The Network of Roads2. Control of the Imperial Territory3. Lines of Communication and TradeChapter 10. Royal Assessments and Tribute1. Sources and Problems2. Satrapies and Tributes3. Gifts and Tribute4. Tributes, Gifts, and Assessments5. Payments of Tribute: Metal and Coin6. The Administration of Tribute: Continuities and Adaptations7. Tribute Economy and Appropriation: Royal Land and Tribute LandChapter 11. Persia: Empire and Tribute Economy1. The Persepolis Archives2. Administrative Hierarchy and Organization of Production3. The World of Work: The kurtas4. Agriculture: Produce and Levies5. Lands and Estates6. The Persepolis Tablets and the Imperial Administration: Sources and Problems7. The Management of Property and the Royal Warehouses in Egypt8. Management of Surpluses9. Lands and Peasants10. The King’s House11. TransitionChapter 12. The King of the Lands1. Darius and Egypt2. Babylonia under Darius3. Trans-Euphrates4. From Jerusalem to Magnesia on the Meander5. Western Asia Minor: Cities, Dynasts, and Empire after the Ionian Revolt6. Population Resettlement and Deportation7. Unity and DiversityPart 4: From Xerxes to Darius III: An Empire in TurmoilChapter 13. Xerxes the Great King (486-465)1. Sources and Problems2. From Darius to Xerxes3. From Sardis to Sardis (480)4. Xerxes between Two Fronts (480-479)5. The Persian Defeat: Its Causes and Consequences6. Xerxes and His Peoples7. Xerxes, Ahura-Mazda, and Persia8. Athenian Offensives and Royal Territories (478-466)9. Xerxes’ Western Strategy10. From Xerxes to Artaxerxes11. An AssessmentChapter 14. From the Accession of Artaxerxes I to the Death of Darius II (465-405/404)1. One King after Another (465)2. The Egyptian Revolt (ca-454)3. Trans-Euphrates Matters4. The Asia Minor - Eastern Aegean Front5. Ezra and Nehemiah in Jerusalem6. One King after Another (425-424)7. Affairs on the Western Front8. The Great King in His CountriesChapter 15. Artaxerxes II (405/404-359/358) and Artaxerxes III (359/358-338)1. The Reign of Artaxerxes II: Sources and Problems2. The War of the Two Brothers (404-401)3. Artaxerxes the Victor4. Conditions in Asia Minor and Artaxerxes II’s Strategy (400-396)5. Agesilaus in Asia Minor (396-394)6. Achaemenid Successes and Failures: From Asia Minor to Egypt (ca - ca)7. Artaxerxes II, His Satraps, and His Peoples (ca-359/358)8. At the Heart of Power9. The Wars of Artaxerxes III (351-338)Part 5: The Fourth Century and the Empire of Darius III in the Achaemenid longue durée: A Prospective AssessmentChapter 16. Lands, Peoples, and Satrapies: Taking Stock of the Achaemenid WorldIntroduction: In the Steps of Alexander and on the Trail of Darius1. Sources and Problems2. The Satrapy of Dascylium3. From Sardis to Ephesus4. From Celaenae to Halicarnassus5. Pixodarus at Xanthus6. From Tarsus to Mazaca7. From Tarsus to Samaria via Sidon and Jerusalem8. From Gaza to Petra9. Egypt from Artaxerxes III to Darius III10. From Arbela to Susa11. The Great King, Alexander, and the Peoples of the Zagros Mountains12. Persepolis, Pasargadae, and Persia13. From Persepolis to Ecbatana14. From Ecbatana to the Halys15. From Ecbatana to Cyropolis16. From the Punjab to the Indus Delta17. From Pattala to Susa and Babylon: The Persians and the Persian Gulf18. An Appraisal and Some QuestionsChapter 17. The Great King, His Armies, and His Treasures1. The Accession of Darius III2. The Great King and the Persian Aristocracy3. The Royal Armies4. Subject Populations and Tribute Economy5. TransitionPart 6: The Fall of an Empire (336-330)Chapter 18. Darius and the Empire Confront Macedonian Aggression1. Territories, Armies, and Strategies2. Darius and His Faithful3. The Local Elites, Darius, and Alexander: Popularity and Unpopularity of Achaemenid Dominion4. The Death of a Great King (330)5. The Fall of an EmpireConclusion: From Nabonidus to SeleucusResearch NotesList of AbbreviationsBibliographyIndexesIndex of SourcesIndex of Personal NamesIndex of Divine NamesIndex of Geographical NamesIndex of Ancient WordsIndex of Topics 1180