560 - 500 BC (Empires from Persia)

This era saw the beginning of the Cyriates and the rise of the Persian Confederacy.Meanwhile,China became united.

Persia
Long dominated by the Medes and Zarathustrans,Persia began a change as Cyrus became leader of the Persians.The Zarathustrans signed an alliance with the Cyriate Rebels,led by Cyrus.Open warfare began in 553 BC,when Cyrus attacked Eastern Persia. The Zarathustrans,in turn,invaded East Persepolis and easily conquered it.The Cyriates forced the Medes to retreat from Persia,leaving the Medes with Parthia,Sogdia,Bactria,and Elam.Meanwhile,Elam was invaded by the Zarathustrans lead by Zarathustra III "The Unifier".Originally,the conquest was hard yet it became easy when Zarathustra cut off Elam from Media.Cyrus annexed Parthia and Elam finally fell.The Treaty of Sogdia was signed recognizing the Zarathustran and Lydian gains (Much of Anatolia) and Cyriate Independence.It destroyed Median Sovereignity as the Indo-Medians replaced the Medians.The Persian Confederation was soon formed.This invaded Babylon which fought the invasion off under Amel-Marduk.The Indo-Medians were conquered afterwards Cyrus and Zarathustra died in 540 BC,leaving the empires to Xerxes II and Darius I.Xerxes was incompetent and Darius overthrew him leading to him living out life in Persepolis.The Persian Empire was thus formed under Darius I.Babylon would collapse and the Persians would conquer the successors.Lydia was invaded but fought to a standstill in Cilcia resulting in Persia renouncing claims to Cilcia.Egypt was then invaded and North Egypt was annexed but Darius died,his son Xerxes I of Persia succeeded him.The campaign was continued and Egypt was fully conquered.