ABSTRACT
This chapter will provide a brief summary of the history of Iran, from its earliest archaeological remains to the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Macedonian. My purpose is to investigate the roots of Iranian culture and identity by studying the foundationof Iranian society as far back into thepast as known history permits. I will therefore undertake a chronological survey of the peoples who populated Iran before and during the Achaemenid period, as well as some discussion of contemporary archaeological remains. The rich textual and archaeological heritage of the Achaemenids will be treated in detail, with a focus on the Achaemenid kings Cyrus, Darius and Xerxes. The particular emphasis on the Achaemenids reflects the significance of their political and cultural legacy and social institutions, as evidenced by their longevity. This chapter will conclude with an assessment of the limitationsof Iranianhistoriography. Iwill argue that these limitations derive from several conditions, such as the inherent biases of Greek and Roman histories of Persia and the scarcity of written sources produced by ancient Iranians themselves.
