Ancient Persia

Political

Around 550 B.C Cyrus the Great captured the Medes and started to make an outward conquest of the land surrounding him to make a great empire known as, Persia .

His warriors consisted of the Medes as well as the Persians, who were considered to be well trained horsemen, who were well acquainted with bow and arrows. The Persian army was made into regiments of a thousand and the Persian warriors mainly relied on speed as well as sharp attacks when facing a well armored enemy. By conquering Media Cyrus the Great also received Assyria , which the Median king Cyarxes captured at an earlier time. Cyrus then conquered Lydia , ruled by Croesus and then in 539 B.C Babylonia surrendered to Cyrus without a fight. When Cyrus took over Babylonia he freed the Jews from captivity, he helped them rebuild their temple in Jerusalem , and he helped bring back the images of gods that were excluded in society. With Babylonia came Palestine and with that came the conquering of land eastwards towards India . Cyrus the Great died in 529 B.C while on a campaign, and was buried in tomb that was ready for him in Pasargadae , the capital of his land at that time.

Cyrus

His son Cambyeses II took over the reign after his brother was discovered to be assassinated. He ruled from 529 to 522 B.C and in a short campaign he was able to capture Egypt . When the throne was taken over by an imposter claming to be Cyrus' son Darius the 1 st as well as a number of nobles assassinated him and took over the throne.

Darius

As a result of the sudden ruling change rebellions started to form and Darius spent a lot of years trying to make a strong as well as a unified government. When Darius gained power he divided Persia into 20 provinces, which were ruled by satraps. He had people who made visits to the provinces and reported back to him in order for him to keep track of everything. Darius also build many palaces, created a code of laws and created a new capital of known as Persepolis . Darius then went into battle with the Greeks after they helped the Ionian city state revolt in Asia Minor . Darius lost the battle at Marathon with the Greeks and died while planning his second attack. His son Xerxes then took over the throne and went into war with the Greeks in revenge and ended up killing many people, but was eventually driven back to Persia .

Xerxes

After many years of unfit kings, Persia started to be degraded in its sense of greatness. The line of Achaemenian kings came to an end when Darius the III was killed by his own men as a result of running away from battle scenes that he encountered with Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great took over Persepolis as well as Persia and in a short time he died of an unknown illness. With Alexander's death came the crumpling of Persian political power.

Economic

Not much is written about Persia's economy but it can only be assumed that it had a rich economy considering that according to Plutarch's life of Alexander 10, 000 pairs of mules as well as 5,000 camels were used to carry a way just a portion of persepolis' treasures when he invaded Persia. When Persia was united people came from all over the empire and traded, as well as sold their products to one and other. The merchants of course contributed to making the economy stay stable but it was also the normal people that came to the central part of Persia and contributed with their minerals as well as other materials in bazaars. When Darius gained power he created an annual tax for the people to contribute to and he also created a coinage system in which people from all around the empire used to buy as well as sell their products. People from all around the empire paid yearly tributes to Darius at persipolis and these tributes included jewelries, gold, metallic objects, pottery and other things that the craftsmen and the artisans of Persia had to offer.

Religious

Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes all believed in Zoristarism. Zoristarism was one of the early religions that believed in the idea that there was only one who was above all others and was worthy of being worshiped. People who believed in Zoristarism worshiped the Lord of Wisdom, Ahura Mazda, the god that appeared in every flame. The prophet who brought this religion among his people was called Zarathustra, meaning “with golden camels.” At the beginning this prophet only spoke of the glory of Ahuramazda but as he aged he taught the ideas of morality, right doings, purity and perfection, as well he also talked about envisioning things which were later recognized as angels.

At the beginning many Persians believed in various gods but when this prophet introduced this great religion, many of the people living in central Persia took this religion upon themselves. This religion had an amazing purity and according to Albert Schweitzers it had an incredible similarity to Christianity. The ancient text of this teaching was edited and distributed during the Sasanian times but it was destroyed by the Arabs when they invaded Persia at a later point in time. It should be known though, the text was secretly carried away to other places and is still practiced today in Bombay , Yazd as well as Kerman .

Social

Lifestyle of Persia 's rich and famous was more known about, as a result of the minority being considered insignificant. The kings were considered the ultimate source of law, honor as well as dignity. They had to take upon the customs of different regions, and they had to wear cloths that consisted of different designs that reflected the different cultures in Persia . The king wore earrings, chains as well as jewelries and sat on a decorated throne. Everybody was expected to face the floor and give respect when meeting the king. Chief nobles were next on the social ladder after the king, they were considered officers as well as cavalrymen in the army and they had the privilege to have landholdings. To keep these properties running army cooks, horse trainers and many other people used. They were mostly slaves but some were paid freemen. On these lands some serfs were able to rise in the social ladder within the worlds of their owner's. Slaves occupied the bottom of the social ladder but they had a better chance to earn their freedom than serfs. Among these societies were a lot of poor people and these poor people had to give up or sell their children sometimes in order to pay of their debts. Slaves were born into a family sometimes and they were overall well treated, they were trusted and were sometimes given freedom. The middle class was mostly made up of freemen, who were mostly skilled laborers. Some freemen worked in the army, some lived on estates, and some worked on large-scale buildings. The ones that were skilled were butchers, merchants as well as bakers. Manliness was an up most importance according to Herodotus, a Greek historian, which is why the father of the family did not see the son during its childhood. Since the men of the families were the most important people, the families with the most boys got an annual present from the king. The females were not well educated so they would not a have a well knowledge of the world they lived. The pastimes of the Persians included chess as well as polo.

Intellectual

Probably the first indication that Persia had an intellectual development was when Cyrus the Great created the world's first known charter of human rights. When Cyrus entered Babylonia he decided that even under a monarchy people deserved to have certain rights, that's why he wrote on a clay tablet the things he did to give people the rights and freedom that they deserved. He declared that he freed many from captivity and helped bring back the images of many gods that were banned from society. He also declared that he helped rebuild temples, recognizing the fact that religion was an important aspect of people's lives and that suppressing certain religions would not make certain people happy. The second Intellectual proof that the Persian civilization is the way the king had certain spies look over the people who ruled other sectors o the empire. The king acknowledged the fact that the ruler he appoints a certain province could become corrupted that is why he had spies to make sure they did their jobs.

Artistic

The Persian Empire had a vast number of Artisans, spanning from Asia minor to Egypt . Evidence of the work of Persian artist and their different techniques can be seen in the present day Persipolis. Magnificent winged bulls with human heads are present at the front door of Xerxes castle symbolizing the Assyrian type of sculpting. The stands of the burned down castle resembled those from Greece and that could be as a result of the artists that were used from around Asia Minor . On the walls of the palace as well as the cliffs there are carvings and etched pictures of the Persian people visiting the king, giving gifts, traveling along the royal road and going to war. The features that the artist mainly used in their works to portray the Persians included long firm noses, wide eyes, curly hair, short and bearded. Lastly the carvings on the cliffs of Persipolis have pictures of the Zoristarian god, emphasizing the importance of religion in the Persian culture.

Technological

By far the most important technological development of the Persian Empire would have to be the perfection of the war chariot. The Persian chariots of war were specially designed to have strong wheels so they would not brake easily. They also had long axles which helped the chariot stay more stable. The box for the driver was created out of timbers in the form of a turret. This box came up to the elbows of the person who drove it, so that he would be able to control the horses easily. The wheels had steel blades at the ends for damaging other chariots. Another technological development was the design and creation of the armors for the drives of the chariots. The drivers had specially designed armors to protect everything with the exception of their eyes.

Archaeological Mystery

Two of the biggest archaeological mysteries that surround ancient Persia are the Persian carpets as well as the place they were placed in. Persipolis was the palace built by Darius the first, but after Alexander the Great had conquered Persia it was found in ruins of ashes. The motive behind this action is unknown but there are some theories behind it. According to Plutarch's life of Alexander, when Alexander the Great was in Persipolis he was heavily drunk with a woman by the name of Thais by his side. She suggested that they burn down the house of Xerxes, the same person who burned down Athens at a previous time. Another theory is that Alexander the Great burned down Persipolis at his own will to have revenge on the Persians. What is puzzling about the theory of Alexander the Great burning down Persipolis is that by capturing the capital city as well as the whole Empire there was no point for him to burn down the palace that he was going to live in. Alexander the Great ruled over Persia and he like the Persians so much after his conquering that he married a Persian woman and ordered 80 of his best men to marry Persian women.

Of course the famous Persian carpet is linked with this mystery. Many people have analyzed the Persian carpets and they have realized that their true origins are hard to understand. The Persian carpet has its own unique way of having its threads tied together, they do not reflect that of the Turks, and they do not reflect that of the Mongolians. Not only is the origin of the carpet a mystery, the age of it is also another mystery. Evidence of it dating back to the Persian Era is misunderstood because, the main argument is whether carpets that were hanged on people's walls were considered true carpets or not. If we were to date the age of the Persian carpets that were used to walk on and see if it existed during the Persian Empire we would not find any answers as a result of the Persipolis being burned down.

Annotated Bibliography

Breasted, Charles. “Exploring The Secrets Of Persepolis ”. The National Geographic Magazine October, 1933: 382.

- Persepolis became the capital of Persia after the Pasargade.

-A library of 20, 000 clay tablets were found in Persepolis , regarding the Persian Kings.

-Darius was defeated at Marathon and Xerxes was defeated at Salamis .

- Egypt was invaded by the Persians many times.

-Strange creatures, half man and half beast were found at the gates of Persepolis .

- Persepolis exists in a valley where the estates as well as the gardens were once unimaginable.

-The bulls, with wings exist at the front entrance of Xerxes palace. They are around 17 feet high and they are supposed to symbolize “the proud challenge of the old Persian emperors whose artists sculptured them”.

-Layers of charcoal and ashes were found between the palace walls.

-According to Plutrach's writing when Alexander entered Susa he slaughtered the people with no mercy.

-A quote from Plutarch's life of Alexander states that “it took 10, 000 pairs of mules and 5,000 camels to carry away the other furniture and wealth there.”

- Persepolis was burned down by Alexander according to Plutarch

-Thias, an Athenian woman has been recognized as an encourager for Alexander to burn down Persepolis .

Cyrus Cylinder. The British Museum : 1878

-Cyrus claims he was able to conquer Babylonia 's last king with the aid of Marduk, the Babylonian god.

-It describes the relief he brought upon the city as well as how he returned the images of a number of gods.

-He organized restoration to temples and helped people travel back to their homelands.

-The clay cylinder is considered as one of the world's first charter of human rights.

-It states that Nabonidus, king of Babylonia , had gathered the images of gods from his people.

-The cylinder states that "May Ahura Mazda protect this land, this nation, from rancor, from foes, from falsehood, and from drought".

Falls, C.B. The First 3000 years . New York : The Viking Press, August 1967.

-Cyrus the Great was a vassal prince of Medes.

-More insight to religion

-Cyrus placed camels in front of his troops, so that when the Lydian animals charged, the horses would be terrified by the foul as well as strange animal.

-The high point of Persia started from 550 B.C and lasted through 336 B.C

-Camels were mostly used for Caravans and the donkey aided them.

-Persian kings built roads for Caravans to travel on.

-Conquests of different regions of land surrounding Mesopotamia lead to Persia 's establishment under Cyrus the Great.

-After becoming Babylon 's king, Cyrus the Great liberated the Jews from captivity.

-Cyrus sent them to Jerusalem to help them rebuild their temple.

-Hebrews were more theoretic instead of a military nation as a result they were focused constantly on religion which lead them to the making of the Jewish bible.

-When Alexander the great invaded Darius the III was a cruel as well as a cowered man who ruled. Alexander managed to invade every part of the Persian Empire and take control. Darius fled the battle grounds and at one point Alexander managed to take control of the vast Empire.

-Under Alexander's rule the Greeks were put under the command of Persians, and

Persians were appointed as governors.

Nardo, Don. The Persian Empire . U.S.A: Lucent Books, 1947 (originally)

-The Aryan nomads descended into Iran around 1100 to 1000 B.C

-Cyrus the Great or Cyrus the second was born in 599 B.C.

-Cyrus took over the Greek Ionian city with success without the interference of the Spartan soldiers.

-When Cyrus took over Babylonia in 539BC he created Parsagadae.

-It was while campaigning that he was killed in 530BC.

-Persians had a cuneiform form of writing that was more developed.

-The Persian army was made into regiments of a thousand men.

-The Persian militants had invented their own type of ranks.

-Cyrus developed a superior amount of warriors from Persian nobility.

-He had specially designed chariots of war made with stong wheels, so they would not brake easily, as well with long axles. The box for the driver was constructed out of timbers in the shape of a turret. This box was up to the elbows of the person so they would be able to control the horses easily. The drivers had specially designed armors to protect everything except their eyes. The wheels had steel blades at the end for damaging other chaiots.

-lifestyle of Persia 's rich and famous were more known about, as a result of the minority being considered insignificant.

-The kings were considered ultimate source of law, honor as well as dignity. The only limit to his power though is that he was expected to take upon the customs of different regions and to consult with noble men before making permanent decisions.

-The king wore cloths that consisted of different designs which reflected the different cultures in Persia .

-The king wore earrings, chains as well as jewelries and sat on a decorated throne.

-Everybody was expected to face the floor and give respect when meeting the eking.

-Chief Nobles were next on the social ladder after the king.

-Landholdings were given to nobles and they were considered as officers as well as cavalrymen in the army. To keep these properties running army cooks, horse trainers and many other people were used. They were mostly slaves but some were paid freemen.

-Achaemenid rulers were given small farming lands on which they lived in and worked in return for them to supply the owner with harvests.

-On these lands the serfs created things that resembled huts, usually of mud-brick, thatch or stone.

-Some serfs were able to rise in the social ladder with the worlds of their owner's lands, but most were usually in trouble of payment.

-Slaves occupied the bottom of the social ladder.

-A slave had a better chance to earn his or her freedom than a serf.

-Parents had to give up or sell their children sometimes in order to pay of their debts.

-Slaves were born into a family sometimes.

-The slave was overall well treated, but unfair fullness towards him or her did occur.

-Usually was trusted with responsibilities and sometimes was given freedom.

-The middle class were mostly made up of the paid freemen.

-They were mostly unskilled laborers.

-Some worked in the army, some lived on estates, and some worked on large-scale buildings.

-The ones that were well skilled were butchers, merchants as well as bakers.

-Higher on the social ladder were merchants who made a relaxed living by trading items from around Persia .

-Persians believed that the farther you were from the heartland the worse you were.

-Manliness was an up most importance. (According to Herodotus, a Greek historian.)

-The family with the most boys would get annual presents from the king.

-The father of the family in Persia did not see the male child until he was over 5 years old, so that the father would not have to see the death of the son at a young age as a result kids dieing easily during those times.

-The females were not well educated so that they would not have a well knowledge of their world and that they would have a lower place in society.

-Cyrus' son, Cambyses sent an assassin to kill his younger brother, Bardiya, so that his leadership would not corrupt Persia , after his father died.

-After hearing about an imposter who claimed to be Cambyses brother, Cambyses died of unknown reasons.

-The imposter who resembled Cambyses' brother took over the reign of the royalty for 7 months, from March to September 522 B.C

-He was then killed by a number of Persian nobles.

-Darius, a man of the Achaemenid family branch took over.

Payne, Robert. The Splendor of Persia . Internet.

http://ali.sdc.uwo.ca/splendor1.html

(Imprint): New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1957

-Many words derive from Persian.

Ex. Spinach, paradise, peach, peacock, pear.

-They released Jews from captivity in Bablonia.

-The Persians invented the idea of angels, which the Jews borrowed during the time they were captive in Babylonia , and the Christian people borrowed from the Jews.

-The Persian invented Chess.

-They invented Polo.

-They were one of the first people for having highways for wheeled traffic were, which were created by Darius.

-Poetry was an up most importance.

-Many fairy tales have Persian origins.

-Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes all worshipped the Ahura Mazda.

-Zarathustra was the prophet.

The Cliff Carving at Behistun: September 29, 522 B.C

“On the tenth day of the month Bagayadi [September 29], I slew that Gautama the Magian and his chief associates, [at] a stronghold…[in] the land of Nisaya in Media; I deprived him of the kingdom; by the will of Ahura-Mazda [the chief Persian god], I became king.

-Darius was ruthless king

-Darius took over Persia in 522 B.C

-Darius replaced the imposter who claimed to be the son of Cyrus.

-Darius believed in Ahura-Mazda.

-Darius declared himself as king by the will of his god.