Ruling in the fifth and sixth centuries B.C.E., the Persian…

Ruling in the fifth and sixth centuries B.C.E., the Persian king [BLANK-1] began to refer to himself as King of Kings. He was an exceedingly capable ruler of Ancient Mesopotamia’s largest empire. He divided his empire into districts and appointed Persian or local nobles to administer the districts as his satraps. He conquered Scythia, Thrace, and Macedonia. He (and later his son and successor as well) launched an unsuccessful invasion of Greece – a conflict that came to be known as the Persian Wars.

During the fifth century B.C.E., the city of Athens and Athe…

During the fifth century B.C.E., the city of Athens and Athenian culture blossomed under the rule of [BLANK-1]. This figure, Athens’ great leader, appropriated Delian League funds to pay for building programs to restore huge public structures and to rebuild the city following the destructive occupation during the Persian Wars. Art, theater, and philosophy flourished in Athens during his rule. Under this leader’s rule, Athens expanded its empire and became so powerful and aggressive that it alarmed Sparta. The result of the growing rivalry between Athens and Sparta was the Peloponnesian War.