Ancient Empires and Cities

Persia and Iran

Acheamenids (560-330 BCE)
On the Customs of the Persians Herodotus (c.490-c.425 BCE):
Cylinder Recording Conquest of Babylon (mid 6th Cent. BCE) [At WCSLC]
Cyrus the Great (r.560/59-529 BCE) Illustrations of the great Persian King.
When Cyrus the Great was a Boy Xenophon
The Decree of Return for the Jews, 539 BCE Kurash (Cyrus) the Great From Persian and Biblical sources.
Greek Reports of Babylonia, Chaldea, and Assyria From Herodotus. Includes accounts of the Persian conquest.
Queen Tomyris of the Massagetai and the Defeat of the Persians under Cyrus Herodotus (c.490-c.425 BCE):
The Persians Reject Democracy/Darius' State Organization Herodotus (c.490-c.425 BCE)
Seal of Darius (r. 521-486 B.C.) [At WCSLC]
Life of Artaxerxes (r. 465-424)[At MIT] Plutarch (c.46-c.120 CE)
Accounts of Persian "Despotism" and Law, c. 430-300 BCE
Acheamenid Royal Inscriptions [At U Chicago]

Sassanids (224-636 CE)
The Karnamik-I-Ardashir, or The Records of Ardashir, The records of Ardashir, Founder of the Sassanian Kingdom
Procopius (c.500-after 562 CE): Persian Wars
The Story of King Vahahran & his Queen, c. 300 CE

Persian Religions
Avesta Page Collection of Zoroastrian texts.
Zoroastrian Creed [At Clinch Valley College]
The Selections of Zadspram [At EAWC]
Zoroaster [At CCNY]
Zoraster Repulsed By Everybody Gatha: Yasna 46 [At enteract.com]
Gatha of the Choice Zaraththustra reveals the exemplary choice which took place at the beginning of the world. Gatha: Yasna 30 [At enteract.com]
Second Gatha of the Choice Gatha: Yasna 31 [At enteract.com]
Zoroastrian Dualist Cosmogony: Ohrmazd and Ahriman Greater Bundahishn 1:18-26 [At enteract.com]
Ahura Mazda Teaches Yima How to Save all the Best and Fairest in the World Vivavdat,' Fargard II [At enteract.com]
A Mazdean (Zoroastrian) Sacrifice to the Sun Khorshed Yasht 1-5 [At enteract.com]
The Crossing of the Cinvat Bridge and the Roads to Heaven and Hell Menok I Khrat' I, 71-122 [At enteract.com]
Zoroaster (6th Cent BCE) [Modern Account][At wilmsey.com]
The Yatkar-I-Zariran, or Memoirs of Zarir This is supposed to be a "history" of the early struggle of the Zarathustrians around the time of Zarathustra.
The Towers of Silence, 1870 Sir Monier Monier-Williams:
The Parsees (modern Zoroastrians) in Bombay in the 19th century.

Art and Architecture
Persian Art and Architecture [At UPenn]
Art of Persia [At Coconino CC]
Persopolis [At Stanford] Short account and many images of the city.
Iran Photo Album [At OZnet]