Persia, the great empire of the Achaemenids (550-330 BC) whose invasions of Greece (490, 480-479 BC) supplied the standing exemplum of barbarian impiety; Cicero invokes the Persians at Verr. 2.1.48 as the type of religious sanctity even foreign enemies respected. After Alexander, "Persia" is loosely applied to the Parthian successor-state.