Old Persian (c. 6th century BCE - 4th century BCE):
* The official language of the Achaemenid Empire (founded by Cyrus the Great).
* A Northwest Iranian language, related to modern Kurdish and Tajik.
* Inscriptions from the Achaemenid period are a major source for understanding Old Persian.
Middle Persian (c. 3rd century BCE - 10th century CE):
* The language of the Parthian and Sasanian Empires, which followed the Achaemenids.
* A descendant of Old Persian, but with significant changes in grammar and vocabulary.
* The language of the Avesta, the sacred text of Zoroastrianism, is a form of Middle Persian.
Persian (c. 9th century CE - present):
* The language of the Persianized Islamic dynasties, including the Tahirids, Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Seljuk Turks, and later, the Safavids, Qajars, and Pahlavis.
* A descendant of Middle Persian, with significant influence from Arabic.
* Modern Persian is the official language of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.
Other Languages:
* Aramaic: Used as a lingua franca within the Achaemenid Empire, particularly for administrative purposes.
* Greek: Became prevalent in the eastern Mediterranean after Alexander the Great's conquest.
* Arabic: Dominated after the Islamic conquests, becoming the language of religion, literature, and administration in many parts of the empire.
Summary:
* Official Language: While Old Persian, Middle Persian, and Persian were all official languages at different times, the most prominent was Persian, which evolved over centuries and continues to be spoken today.
* Other Languages: The Persian Empires were multicultural, with various languages influencing the cultural and linguistic landscape.
It's important to note that the use of these languages was not always uniform. Some regions within the empires might have used different languages, depending on local populations and historical circumstances.