Comparing The Achaemenid Empire And The Imperial Stability...

Throughout human civilization, it has been invariably true that the ideas and innovations belonging to particular societies have been adopted by both concurrent and later cultures. This has culminated in remarkably advanced societies, whose success can be attributed to that of their ancient counterparts. Much of the prosperity of modern civilization can certainly be accredited to the Achaemenid Empire, a pluralistic empire founded in 550 BCE. At its peak, it stretched from the Indus River Valley to the eastern Mediterranean coast. Despite its diversity, the empire remained politically and societally united throughout its existence. The two major Achaemenid emperors responsible for the imperial stability and prosperity were Cyrus and†¦show more content†¦To retain the power that emperors would have, Cyrus instituted checks and balances in this political system; though satraps technically governed the provinces, the emperor had the power to institute legislation that applied t o the entire empire (Farazmand). Furthermore, the emperor would have the ability to appoint, and if necessary, remove satraps from their positions. This ensured the loyalty of satraps, as emperors could monitor them. This system of checks and balances resulted in a politically efficient empire, in the context of both legislation and appointing government officials. This efficiency encouraged Greeks and Romans to use similar techniques to manage their governmental systems, contributing to the stability of their respective empires. Romans and Greeks were heavily influenced by Persian administrative policies, establishing a satrapy system of local governorship (New World Encyclopedia Contributors). With the existence of administrative divisions, Persians were given province-oriented legislation by their satraps. As a result, however, it became harder for the general public to communicate directly with high-ranking Persian officials, resulting in some bureaucratic flaws. The Achaemenid Empire s standardization of land and sea routes solidified their bureaucratic system, inspiring Romans to do the same. The Persian Royal Road was constructed by Darius the Great in the 5th century BCE. It is considered to be the first