Ancient Persia, which usually means the Achaemenid Empire, was Mediterranean from the beginning. Cyrus the Great established the empire when he revolted against

Ancient Persia, which usually means the Achaemenid Empire, was Mediterranean from the beginning. Cyrus the Great established the empire when he revolted against the Median Empire in 553 BC. When he died in 530 BC, his empire covered most of present-day Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.