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THE PERSIAN EMPIRE.
Numerous sculptures in bas-relief decorate the faces of the walls, and these throw much light upon the manners and customs of the ancient Persian kings. The successive palaces increase, not only in size, but in sumptuousness of adornment, thus registering those changes which we have been tracing in the national history. The residence of Cyrus was small and modest, while that of Artaxerxes Ochus equalled in size the great palace of the Assyrian Sargon.
TABLE OF KINGS OF MEDIA AND PERSIA.
| Kings of Media | Phraortes | ?–625 | |
| Cyaxares | 625–585 | ||
| Astyages | 585–558 | ||
| Kings of Persia | Cyrus | 558–529 | |
| Cambyses | 529–522 | ||
| Pseudo-Smerdis | 522–521 | ||
| Darius 1 | 521–486 | ||
| Xerxes 1 | 486–465 | ||
| Artaxerxes I. (Longimanus) | 465–425 | ||
| Xerxes II | 425 | ||
| Sogdianus | 425–424 | ||
| Darius II. (Nothus) | 424–405 | ||
| Artaxerxes II. (Mnemon) | 405–359 | ||
| Artaxerxes III. (Ochus) | 359–338 | ||
| Arses | 338–336 | ||
| Darius III. (Codomannus) | 336–330 |
