Districts of the Achaemenid Empire

Herodotus divided the Achaemenid Empire into 20 districts. The following is a description of the ethnic makeup of the districts and the amount they paid in taxes, translated from Herodotus' Histories.

The Districts

District Satrapies Tribute
I Ionians, Asian Magnesians, Aeolians, Carians, Lycians, Milyans, Pamphylians 400 talents of silver
II Mysians, Lydians, Lasonians, Cabalians, Hytennians 500 talents
III Hellespontine Phrygians, Phrygians, Asian Thracians, Paphlagonians, Mariandynians, Syrians 360 talents
IV Cilicians 500 talents of silver along with 360 white horses (one for each day of the year); of the talents, 140 were used to maintain the cavalry force that guarded Cilicia
V the area from the town of Posidium as far as Egypt, omitting Arabian territory (which did not pay taxes). This district also contained part of Syria, Samaria, Judea, and Cyprus. In the biblical Book of Ezra, this district is called Abar Nahara ("beyond the Euphrates river").
VI Egypt and the Libyans in the border towns of Cyrene and Barca 700 talents, in addition to the money from the fish in Lake Moeris, and 120,000 bushels of grain for the Persian troops and their auxiliaries stationed in the White Castle at Memphis
VII Sattagydians, Gandharans, Dadicae, Aparytae 170 talents
VIII Susa and the rest of Cissia 300 talents
IX Mesopotamia (Babylonia and Assyria) 1000 talents of silver and 500 eunuch boys
X Ecbatana and the rest of Media along with the Paricanians and Orthocorybantians 450 talents
XI Caspians, Pausicae, Pantimathi, and Daritae a joint sum of 200 talents
XII Bactrians and all neighboring peoples as far as the Aegli 360 talents
XIII Pactyica, Armenians, and all the peoples as far as the Black Sea 400 talents
XIV Sagartians, Sarangians, Thamanaeans, Utians, Myci, and the inhabitants of the Persian Gulf islands (where prisoners or displaced people were sent) together they paid 400 talents
XV the Sacae and the Caspians 250 talents
XVI Parthians, Chorasmians, Sogdians, and Arians 300 talents
XVII Paricanians and Asiatic Ethiopians 400 talents
XVIII Matienians, Saspires, Alarodians 200 talents
XIX the Mushki, Tibareni, Macrones, Mossynoeci, Mares 300 talents
XX Indians 360 talents of gold dust

See also

References

Provinces of the Achaemenid Empire
(Behistun, Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rustam, Susa, Susa foundation charter, and Daiva inscriptions)
Across the sea · Akaufaka · Arabia · Arachosia · Aria · Armenia · Assyria · Babylonia · Bactria · Cappadocia · Caria · Chorasmia · Dahae · Drangiana · 1t Egyptian Satrapy / 2nd Egyptian Satrapy · Eber-Nari · Elam · Gandhara · Gedrosia · Hyrcania · Ionia · Indus · Kush · Libya · Maka · Media · Parthia · Persia · Quadia · Saka · Sardis · Sattagydia · Skudra · Sogdia · Yehud
See also Districts of the Achaemenid Empire
according to Herodotus