The ancient Persian Art. According to the legend, he received revelations from the great god Ahura Mazda, supreme, immaterial god, creator of the universe. They were innovators in religious matters, but their legacy was poor in the other fields of intellectual speculation. They never completely renounced their political ambitions, and the kings frequently tried to limit their influence. Monumental inscriptions were dedicated to the king, carved into the sides of mountains, where military successes were related. According to tradition, Achaemenes, who guided the Persians toward the South, founded the Achaemenid dynasty, to which the great kings who would come later belonged. Darius conquered to the East all the territories as far as the Indus River valley, and to the West, Thrace and Macedonia. Herodotus reports the Persians were “very fond of wine” and preferred to get drunk when making important decisions of state (Histories, 1.133). If it is in accordance with the spirit of good, he is rewarded in his above-ground life. He directed himself next against the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which he conquered quickly; he annexed thus Mesopotamia and its Syrian dependencies to the Persian dominions (1538 B.C.). Some of the sovereigns of conquered countries were elevated, at times, to the rank of satrap without, however, being assimilated into the Iranian nobility. But it is necessary to see in this fondness not only a pleasure of an aesthetic nature, but also a religious fact: gold is the metal which evokes fire, the sacred element. Society was divided into different hierarchies, in accordance with their privileges and occupations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. The period covered by the term Ancient Iran spans 12 centuries, from about 600 B.C. In winter they added to this a cloak. It was the world of darkness, led by Ahriman. The Persians were polygamous and had concubines, especially the great characters, as, for the rest, the maintenance of many women was too costly. Persian literature differs from the common definition of “literature” in that it is not confined to lyrical compositions, to poetry or imaginative prose, because the central elements of these appear, to greater or lesser degrees, in all the written works of the Persians. London: Harvard University Press, 1926. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0010 (accessed May 11, 2012). The three classes were nobles, bondsmen, and slaves—though technically, everyone was a bondsman of the king. It has been said also that the Persians were very modest and that they covered the greater part of their body. “Senet” was a similar type of game invented by the ancient Egyptians, but the Persians are still widely known as the inventors of backgammon. Plutarch recounts, in his Life of Artaxerxes: “One day, finding Artaxerxes trying to amuse himself in a vacant hour, she challenged him to play at dice for a thousand darics [and] allowed him to win the game.”. Apparently, there are found in the Persian society elements of a social organization of castes, which is normal in an Aryan people, related to those who established the system in India after conquering it. It was made up of 10,000 warriors called “The Immortals” because their number did not change in spite of losses, given that these were immediately replaced to keep the number constant. The political and administrative unity which they imposed facilitated exchanges. The Greeks and the Persians were colonizing Asia Minor and a turf war broke out. Each one had to deliver yearly a determined quantity of its characteristic products: metals, precious stones, grains or livestock. The Persians, on incorporating the Lydian kingdom into their empire, took the monetary custom and imposed it throughout all their State. Ancient Persia for Kids. Up to the age of 50, he could be called upon to serve again if needed. Greetings were always deep and respectful, as much between equals as between inferiors and superiors. The Persian Empire was sustained, in one way or another, for 150 more years, until in 330 B.C., it was incorporated by Alexander of Macedonia into his empire. From the aristocracy of the Persians and Medes came the personnel of the court, and from its heart, the satraps were recruited. Persia wanted to expand into Europe and the Greek city-states stood in the way. So, both archaeological and textual evidence suggest the upper class enjoyed hunting. These tunics were of colors, different in summer and winter, and purple was the color preferred by the kings and the greats. Zoroaster was the founder of the religion called Zoroastrianism of Mazda-ism. Your email address will not be published. Among the diverse locales which made up these magnificent constructions, the most important was the Audience Hall. They held the charges higher up in the hierarchy, as much on the administrative level as on the military. The columns, which supported the roofs, were of great height, of fluted shape, and at their highest end were found capitals formed of two bulls’ heads worked in stone, where the beams were supported. Yet, ancient Greek sources claim Darius III gave a chogan mallet and ball to Alexander the Great as a gift (Crowther, 2007, 21). They tightened these tunics at the waist with a leather belt. Interesting Facts About the Persian Empire. The sovereigns surrounded themselves with Greek doctors. In addition to the royal road from Sardis to Susa, numerous highways crossed the Empire in all directions, as much in the Asian interior as in Afghanistan or in the Indian Provinces. The Greeks at War! In the secondary categories the artisans were included, sometimes confused with artists; the architects, engineers, etc. McGovern suggests this Assyrian scene is applicable to Persia given the significant increase in fluted wine bowl production during the Achaemenid period (2003, 183). The Persian were not hostile to foreigners and received them gladly, but did not integrate them into their society. June 3, 2013 by Kids Discover. They were called the eyes and ears of the king because they informed him of all that happened in the empire and if his orders were carried out. In this way, the ground was revalued and grains like barley and wheat were cultivated above anything else, but also vineyards, as on the great occasions, especially in the era of their decay, the Persians consumed wine and other alcoholic drinks. Charter of Human Rights (Cyrus the Great) Map of the Empire of Cyrus the Great. These activities can be adjusted for any grade. “Mind, Body and the Cosmos: Chess and Backgammon in Ancient Persia.” Iranian Studies 35, no.4 (2002): 281-312. In ancient times, it was the site chosen by two peoples to settle and develop their civilization: the Medes and the Persians. This campaign, in 490 B.C., was Darius’s only failure. We cannot state that a Persian art existed, strictly speaking. At the end of the 8th Century B.C., the Medes organized a state and subdued the Persians. In the modern world, it is played with two players and the playing pieces are moved according to the roll of the dice. In its trace posts and relays were placed, by reason of the extent of its reach. The primary objective of Persian politics was to achieve a universal hegemony: that is to say, … As in the other countries of the ancient Orient, the problem of water was crucial in the Persian Empire, with the exception of a few rare, privileged regions. So, when the views of Xenophon, Herodotus and Plutarch are compared to the archaeological record what picture of ancient Persian pleasures will emerge? It is a plateau in Asia, neighbor to Mesopotamia, which was a witness to important historical events. Greek historians enthusiastically claim ancient Persians were forever feasting, drinking, playing games, hunting, and parading through sensuous pleasure gardens. Under the successors of Darius, and above all in the 4th Century, when the customs were relaxed and high classes lived in luxury and even licentiousness, the expression was born: Living the life of a satrap. The name is the Latinized form of magoi (e.g., in Herodotus 1:101), the ancient Greek transliteration of the Iranian original. To facilitate communications they constructed the great royal road, which crossed all of the Near East from Anatolia to Iran. ( Log Out /  The Persian Wars. As they went on expanding, they settled in different areas and formed distinct nations. 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