= Decline And Fall = (8)

Learn about the decline of the Persian Empire in Age of Empires IV, from court intrigue and succession crises to external conflicts and Alexander the Great's conquest.

The Persian Empire reached its zenith around 500 B.C., but internal issues like court intrigue and unclear succession rules began its downfall. The death of a king often led to power struggles that depleted the treasury, lowered morale, and weakened central control over provinces. Excessive spending caused inflation and necessitated unpopular tax hikes. Provincial disputes, frequently over taxes, were often resolved violently, increasing widespread dissatisfaction. Five of the six kings following Xerxes' death in 464 B.C. were ineffective rulers who maintained the empire through increasingly severe measures.

The Greeks and Persians were on a path to conflict for many years, with hostilities commencing in 499 B.C. Despite possessing seemingly vast strength and economic resources, the Persians were unable to defeat the Greeks in 50 years of warfare on both land and sea. Although victorious, the Greeks were not immediately capable of invading Persia.

After the Greco-Persian Wars, the weakened Persian kings focused on preserving their increasingly fragile hold on the empire. Frequent revolts in distant provinces, notably Parthia, Lydia, and Egypt, undermined the economy and military. Before the empire could collapse from within, it was conquered by Alexander the Great in a remarkably brief period. Alexander invaded in 334 B.C., seized Lydia by 333 B.C., took Egypt in 332 B.C., and was crowned king of Persia in 331 B.C.