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Epigraphically recorded history in ancient Persia began dramatically with the rise of the Achaemenid dynasty in the 6th century bce. Cyrus II the Great’s conquest of Media, Lydia, and Babylonia, Cambyses’ occupation of Egypt, and the incursions into Greece of the succeeding side branch of the family, beginning with Darius I, created in short order a world power destined for centre stage on the international scene for the following two centuries. The international character of the empire is reflected in the frequently trilingual royal inscriptions—with Akkadian and Elamite versions in traditional syllabic cuneiform, and the Old Persian text in its ...(100 of 12223 words)