The Achaemenid Empire, or better known as the First Persian Empire, was one of the largest empires in History - led by Cyrus the Great it covered 2.1 million square miles. But where did it come from? And what do we know about their society? It was in their DNA to travel and explore - so why did the Persians settle on the Eurasian plateau?Tristan is once again joined by Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones from Cardiff University to talk about the rise of the Persians and how they fit into this turbulent period of ancient history. The first society to have worn trousers, the original cowboys, and some of the first peoples to domesticate animals - the rise of the Persian empire dramatically effected intercontinental relationships for years to come.For more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.