Ancient Near East Subsequently, the Medes controlled much of the ancient Near East from their base in Ecbatana (modern-day Hamadan, Iran), most notably most of what is now Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and the South Caucasus. Following the fall of the Medes, the Achaemenid Empire was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over most of the Near East and far beyond, and the second great Iranian empire (after the Median Empire). At the height of its power, encompassing approximately 7.5 million square kilometers, the Achaemenid Empire was territorially the largest empire of classical antiquity, and the first world empire. It spanned three
Macalla (ancient city) Macalla (ancient city) Macalla () was an ancient city of Bruttium, where, according to Lycophron, was the sepulchre of Philoctetes, to whom the inhabitants paid divine honours. The author of the treatise "De Mirabilibus", ascribed to Aristotle, mentions the same tradition, and adds that the hero had deposited there in the temple of Apollo Halius the bow and arrows of Hercules, which had, however, been removed by the Crotoniats to the temple of Apollo in their own city. We learn from this author that Macalla was in the territory of Crotona, about 120 "stadia" from that city; but its position