Reason read; shared read, war room challenge, I would like to know more about ancient history as it relates to the Bible. This book is set in the middle east and looks at the first world empire in the fifth century. It is a clash between Greeks and Persians.

The Persian Wars were sparked when Athens and Eretria sent aid to the Ionians in their revolt against Persia in 498 BCE. Persian anger was further stoked when Persian envoys demanding Greek submission to Persia were murdered by Athens and Sparta. The Ionian Revolt ended in 493 BCE.

Assuming that Ahasuerus is indeed Xerxes I, the events described in Esther began around the years 483–482 BCE, and concluded in March 473 BCE.

These 12 Achaemenid Rulers Led an Empire;
Cyrus; He famously allowed the Jewish people to return to Judea, thus ending the Babylonian captivity, and issued a general proclamation of freedom of worship and religious tolerance.
Cambyses II: took on Egypt
Bardiya: Cyrus made Bardiya satrap of the eastern provinces, while Cambyses II became king. According to later sources, shortly before his own death Cambyses II had Bardiya executed out of jealousy but kept it secret.
Darius I The Great: became king after his horse neighed first. He divided the empire into twenty satrapies and appointed governors with wide powers to oversee them, created a bureau of royal inspectors, set up a chancery with many branches, established a universal currency, built a system of royal roads and canals, instituted a new tax system, and built numerous temples and palaces throughout the empire. Darius I is also the first King of Persia known to have been a firm believer in Ahura Mazda, the supreme deity of Zoroastrianism.
Xerxes I: probably the king that married Esther
Artaxerxes I
Darius II
Artaxerxes II
Artaxerxes III
Artaxerxes IV
Darius III
Artaxerxes V

As Kings of Persia, they ruled over the largest empire the ancient world has ever seen, which stretched from the Indus River in the east to the Balkan Peninsula in the west. The Kings of Persia were able to draw on enormous resources from all across this vast empire and exert influence far beyond their borders.

I listened to an audio version and it would have been helpful to have also had a hard copy. I have to say that my knowledge of ancient history could you more work. ( )

The title is somewhat misleading. Persian Empire serves more of a backdrop to a narrative about the heroic struggle and legendary civilization of Ancient Greece. The story is wonderful in its own right, but this is not what I counted on. There're many good books on the Greek-Persian war. I expected a more thorough investigation of this world's first superpower, to which that conflict amounted to something more than a border skirmish. Too bad yet again we only scratched surface and seen just a tip of an iceberg. I know there are scholarly tomes, but I wanted something more easy-going...alas, not this time.

excellent

My favorite part was when leonidas yelled “this is Sparta” and kicked the Persian ambassador down the hole. Would recomment ( )

The story of Persia attempt to conquer the Greek city states: Athens, Sparta and lesser known cities. A lot of detail about things from long ago. The battle of Thermopylae is a highlight. Amazing detail about Persia crossing off the Hellespont. A map would have been helpful to keep things straight. ( )

I recently read The Classical World by Robin Lane Fox, which makes only a passing mention of the Battle at Thermopylae, Battle of Salamis and the invasion of Greece by Xerxes, King of Persia. So I decided to fill in the gap with Persian Fire by Tom Holland.

The author provides a well written narrative of the rise of the Persian Empire, the political experimenting/squabbling of the Greek city-states (such as Sparta and Athens) and the eventual clash of Persia and Greece. Holland has the ability to make long-dead people (e.g.Darius, Xerxes, and Leonidas), as well as ancient battles, come alive on the page.

Enough battle details and maps are provided to explain what is going on without bogging the text down with minute details. The author also provided a timeline at the back of the book, so you know when everything is happening. ( )