Which cities handled most of the Achaemenid Empire's day-to-day administration?

The Achaemenid Empire was governed from a rotating royal court rather than a single administrative hub. While the king and his central bureaucracy resided primarily in Susa, the court moved seasonally to other major cities to manage the empire.1

Key centers of administration included:

• Susa: Served as the primary administrative capital for Darius I and his successors, housing the central government and bureaucracy.12
• Ecbatana: The royal court typically relocated here during the hot summer months.1
• Persepolis: The court likely visited this city in the spring.1
• Babylon: This city served as a significant royal residence and functioned as the administrative headquarters for the satrapies of Assyria and Syria.31

While these cities hosted the central court, the empire’s day-to-day provincial administration was handled by satraps (governors) stationed throughout the various provinces, or satrapies. These governors maintained their own local courts modeled after the central government to manage regional security, taxation, and judicial matters.415