The Start of the Persian Empire
The Persian Empire began when the Indo Europeans migrated from central Europe and southern Russia to the mountains and plateaus of the fertile crescent around 1000 BC. Until 550 BC the Persians were little threat to surrounding empires, but that changed when Cyrus, Persia's king, started conquering near by kingdoms. Cyrus was a military genius, from 550 to 539 BC he leaded his army from victory to victory expanding his empire, which now covered the 2,000 miles between the Indus River to Anatolia. The Persian Empire had begun.