The Persians They were a people of Indo-European origin of the Indo-Iranian branch that ended up merging with the peoples they conquered in the Achaemenid era. originated as a group of nomadic tribes whose original location was north of the Iranian plateau. Around 1400 BC C., some of these tribes, ancestors of the historical Persians, moved towards the south of Iran. the iran It is a plateau in Asia, neighboring Mesopotamia, which witnessed important historical events. This plateau, which occupies 2,000,000 km². The central part of the plateau is a desert area, surrounded by high mountains the fertile landsuitable for cultivation and livestock, They are found on the slopes and valleys of these mountains.
Currently, the region is occupied by the states of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, but in ancient times, it was the place chosen by two peoples to settle and develop their civilization: the Medes and the Persians.
Persian Culture | the first empire
In the II millennium, around the year 1500, the Persians, Indo-Europeans who came from the other side of the Caucasus, occupied the western regions of Iran, Other groups penetrated to Asia Minor and other branches reached India. Those who stayed on the Iranian plateau were called Medes and Persians, the Medes occupied the northern territories of the plateau and the Persians occupied the southern lands. The situation in the area was as follows:
- Present-day Iran and Western Turkey: the Medes
- In Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine: The Neo-Babylonians
- In the north of Africa: the egyptians trying to spread into Palestine and Syria
- In Turkey: Various States of Greek influences.
Assyrians they constantly launched campaigns against neighboring towns, robbing, killing and deporting the populations or their ruling classes. What caused great human and economic deterioration throughout the area, including Assyria, which became depopulated as a result of the heavy casualties suffered in continuous wars. Assyria began to weaken, their enemies joined in a grand coalition, they defeated her and the year 610 a. C. the Assyrians had been completely subdued.
Persian Culture | The Persian Expansion
In the eighth century BC, the Medes had a kingdom with an organized army, which dominated the Iranian and Persian peoples, they were subjected to the payment of large taxes, which caused the discomfort of the Persian population, until in the year 550 BC, Cyrus the great, of the Achaemenid dynasty, led a rebellion against the Medes, being victorious and gathering all the tribes that inhabited the Iranian Plateau over his domains and influence.
From his government began to form the Persian empire. Cyrus the Great led the Persians to expansion, conquering large regions and in this way, he solved the increase in population and their food needs, since the region of Iran did not fully supply his empire, its desert lands did not produce food. necessary for the entire population.
Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian empire, after defeating and subduing the Medes and all the peoples of the Iranian Plateau, set out to conquer the kingdoms of Lydia and the Greek cities of Asia Minor. In 539 BC, the Persians conquered the region of Mesopotamia. Cyrus the Great ordered the return of the Jews to the region of Palestine, after freeing them from their captivity by annexing the region of Babylon, as well as all of Mesopotamia, Phoenicia and Palestine.
Cyrus II the Great died in combat in 529 BC.., and was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II, that with a great army conquered Egypt in 525 BC. at the Battle of Fluff. Returning to Persia, Cambyses was assassinated in an internal revolt. He was succeeded by his son Darius I the Great.
Persian Culture | The fall of the Persian Empire
the great ambition of the Persian Emperor, Darius I, was the conquest of Greece. This is how calls start Medical Warswho would face Persians and Greeks. The First Medical War would result the defeat of the Persians in 490 BC at the Battle of Marathon, the Greek cities led by Athens, with a better army, more orderly and disciplined, were victorious over the forces of the Persian Empire, this put an end to the ambitions of Darius I in continental Greece, although he expanded the territory of his Empire in the islands of the Aegean Sea.
After the death of Darius I, his son Xerxes Iinherited not only the throne, but also su desire to subdue the greeks. This military campaign would initiate the Second Medical Warwhere one of the most epic battles was the battle of thermopylaeso called because it took place in the passage of Thermopylae.
Xerxes I gathered an army and a huge navy to conquer all of Greecethe Greeks aware of the plans of Xerxes I, managed to recruit an army of men among the Greek polis, led by Sparta, the Athenian general Themistocles, proposed that the Greek allies cut off the Persian army’s advance at the Thermopylae Passwhile blocking the advance of the Persians in the Straits of Artemis.
Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held up the Persian advance for seven days in all, before they the rear was annihilated. During two full days of battle, a small force commanded by King Leonidas I of Sparta, blocked the only way that the immense Persian army could use to access Greece.
After the second day of battle, a local resident named Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks showing the invaders a small path they could use to access the rear of the Greek lines. Knowing that their lines were going to be overrun, Leonidas sacked most of the Greek army, staying to guard their retreat together with 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians, 400 Thebans and possibly a few hundred more soldiers, most of whom died in battle.
Despite this victory by the Persians, the Second Persian War would also end in victory for the Greeks led by the Hellenic cities of Athens and Sparta. This meant that the Persian emperors had enormous difficulties in maintaining control of their cities, revolts, political intrigues, economic problems, etc., were determining factors that contributed to the decline of the Empire, which would be conquered in the year 330 BC, by the army of Alexander the Great.
Persian Culture | Persian economy
The Persian economy was based on agriculture, herding, mining and of course trade. that kept him in contact with other cultures, the creation of coins, the Darico, minted in goldfurther stimulated both domestic and foreign trade.
With the formation of the empire, trade became a much more important activity, giving rise to a new social class of rich merchants. The geographical location of the Iranian plateau meant that through its territories great trade caravan routes, linked above all to India and China and whose end was in the Mediterranean Sea. The trade boosted the industry of luxury fabrics, jewelry, mosaics and rugs or carpets of great beauty.
Persian Culture | Social Organization of the Persians
Social classes were the backbone of Persian society, at the top of the social ladder the king and his family, then the royalty where he was the aristocracy (priests, nobles and great merchants), in the next social ladder they would go the middle and popular classes (traders, artisans and soldiers).
the last ladder was for farmerswho although they were considered free, formed the social base of the pyramid, on them fell much of the weight of the support of the other social classes, They were the ones who paid the most taxes. The peasants lived miserably, they were exploited, they were forced to hand over almost everything they produced on the land, provided services to the community collaborating in the construction of palaces and public works such as irrigation canals, roads, bridges, etc. Slaves and prisoners of war were not considered citizens and all the heaviest jobs in the construction of public works and palaces were assigned to them.
Persian Culture | Persian religion
The religion to which the Persians worshiped and the main religion was the Zoroastrianism, dualistic religion, with the belief in two gods. The god Hormuzrepresents the good and the god Ahrimanrepresents the evil.
According to Zaroastrianism On the day of final judgment, the god of good, Hormuz, will win and throw the god of evil, Ahriman, into the eternal abyss. On that day the dead will rise and the final judgment will take place, the just will win heaven and the unjust, hell. The book that contains the teachings of Zoroaster is called Zend-Avesta, It is the sacred book of the Persians.
Persian Culture | Video about Persian Culture
Other articles of interest in On History:
Bibliography:
- Greeks and Persians: The Mediterranean World in Ancient Times I. by H. Bengtson
- Culture and Economy of Ancient Iran by VG Lukonin and MA Dandamaev
- This is how they saw…the cultures of the Abylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Persians, Etruscans by Ivar Lissner ISBN: mkt0002288411