Countries of former Persia. The Rise and Kings of the Persian Empire

The Persian power had a huge impact on the history of the Ancient World. The Achaemenid state, formed by a small tribal union, existed for about two hundred years. Mention of the splendor and power of the Persian country is in many ancient sources, including the Bible.

Start

The first mention of the Persians is found in Assyrian sources. In an inscription dated to the 9th century BC. e., contains the name of the land Parsua. Geographically, this area was located in the Central Zagros region, and during the mentioned period the population of this area paid tribute to the Assyrians. The unification of tribes did not yet exist. The Assyrians mention 27 kingdoms under their control. In the 7th century the Persians apparently entered into a tribal union, since references to kings from the Achaemenid tribe appeared in the sources. The history of the Persian state begins in 646 BC, when Cyrus I became the ruler of the Persians.

During the reign of Cyrus I, the Persians significantly expanded the territories under their control, including taking possession of most of the Iranian plateau. At the same time, the first capital of the Persian state, the city of Pasargadae, was founded. Some Persians were engaged in agriculture, some led

The emergence of the Persian Empire

At the end of the 6th century. BC e. The Persian people were ruled by Cambyses I, who was dependent on the kings of Media. Cambyses' son, Cyrus II, became ruler of the settled Persians. Information about the ancient Persian people is scanty and fragmentary. Apparently, the main unit of society was the patriarchal family, headed by a man who had the right to dispose of the lives and property of his loved ones. The community, first tribal and later rural, was a powerful force for several centuries. Several communities formed a tribe, several tribes could already be called a people.

The emergence of the Persian state occurred at a time when the entire Middle East was divided between four states: Egypt, Media, Lydia, Babylonia.

Even in its heyday, Media was actually a fragile tribal union. Thanks to the victories of King Cyaxares, Media conquered the state of Urartu and the ancient country of Elam. The descendants of Cyaxares were unable to retain the conquests of their great ancestor. The constant war with Babylon required the presence of troops on the border. This weakened the internal politics of Media, which the vassals of the Median king took advantage of.

Reign of Cyrus II

In 553, Cyrus II rebelled against the Medes, to whom the Persians had been paying tribute for several centuries. The war lasted three years and ended with a crushing defeat for the Medes. The capital of Media (Ektabani) became one of the residences of the Persian ruler. Having conquered the ancient country, Cyrus II formally preserved the Median kingdom and assumed the titles of the Median rulers. Thus began the formation of the Persian state.

After the capture of Media, Persia declared itself as a new state in world history, and for two centuries played an important role in the events taking place in the Middle East. In 549-548 the newly formed state conquered Elam and subjugated a number of countries that were part of the former Median state. Parthia, Armenia, Hyrcania began to pay tribute to the new Persian rulers.

War with Lydia

Croesus, the ruler of powerful Lydia, realized what a dangerous enemy the Persian power was. A number of alliances were concluded with Egypt and Sparta. However, the Allies did not have the chance to begin full-scale military operations. Croesus did not want to wait for help and acted alone against the Persians. In the decisive battle near the capital of Lydia - the city of Sardis, Croesus brought his cavalry, which was considered invincible, onto the battlefield. Cyrus II sent soldiers riding camels. The horses, seeing unknown animals, refused to obey the riders; the Lydian horsemen were forced to fight on foot. The unequal battle ended with the retreat of the Lydians, after which the city of Sardis was besieged by the Persians. Of the former allies, only the Spartans decided to come to the aid of Croesus. But while the campaign was being prepared, the city of Sardis fell, and the Persians subjugated Lydia.

Expanding boundaries

Then it was the turn of the Greek city-states, which were located in the territory. After a series of major victories and suppression of rebellions, the Persians subjugated the city-states, thereby acquiring the opportunity to use them in battles.

At the end of the 6th century, the Persian power expanded its borders to the northwestern regions of India, to the cordons of the Hindu Kush and subjugated the tribes living in the river basin. Syrdarya. Only after strengthening the borders, suppressing rebellions and establishing royal power did Cyrus II turn his attention to powerful Babylonia. On October 20, 539, the city fell, and Cyrus II became the official ruler of Babylon, and at the same time the ruler of one of the largest powers of the Ancient World - the Persian Kingdom.

Reign of Cambyses

Cyrus died in battle with the Massagetae in 530 BC. e. His policy was successfully carried out by his son Cambyses. After thorough preliminary diplomatic preparation, Egypt, another enemy of Persia, found itself completely alone and could not count on the support of its allies. Cambyses carried out his father's plan and conquered Egypt in 522 BC. e. Meanwhile, discontent was brewing in Persia itself and a rebellion broke out. Cambyses hurried to his homeland and died on the road under mysterious circumstances. After some time, the ancient Persian power provided the opportunity to gain power to the representative of the younger branch of the Achaemenids - Darius Hystaspes.

Beginning of the reign of Darius

The seizure of power by Darius I caused discontent and grumbling in enslaved Babylonia. The leader of the rebels declared himself the son of the last Babylonian ruler and began to be called Nebuchadnezzar III. In December 522 BC. e. Darius I won. The rebel leaders were publicly executed.

Punitive actions distracted Darius, and in the meantime rebellions arose in Media, Elam, Parthia and other areas. It took the new ruler more than a year to pacify the country and restore the state of Cyrus II and Cambyses to its former borders.

Between 518 and 512, the Persian Empire conquered Macedonia, Thrace and part of India. This time is considered the heyday of the ancient kingdom of the Persians. A state of global importance united dozens of countries and hundreds of tribes and peoples under its rule.

Social structure of Ancient Persia. Darius' reforms

The Achaemenid Persian state was distinguished by a wide variety of social structures and customs. Babylonia, Syria, Egypt, long before Persia, were considered highly developed states, and the recently conquered tribes of nomads of Scythian and Arab origin were still at the stage of a primitive way of life.

Chain of uprisings 522-520. showed the ineffectiveness of the previous government scheme. Therefore, Darius I carried out a number of administrative reforms and created a stable system of state control over the conquered peoples. The result of the reforms was the first effective administrative system in history, which served the Achaemenid rulers for more than one generation.

An effective administrative apparatus is a clear example of how Darius ruled the Persian state. The country was divided into administrative-tax districts, which were called satrapies. The size of the satrapies was much larger than the territories of early states, and in some cases coincided with the ethnographic boundaries of ancient peoples. For example, the satrapy of Egypt territorially almost completely coincided with the borders of this state before its conquest by the Persians. The districts were led by government officials - satraps. Unlike his predecessors, who looked for their governors among the nobility of the conquered peoples, Darius I appointed exclusively nobles of Persian origin to these positions.

Functions of governors

Previously, the governor combined both administrative and civil functions. The satrap of the time of Darius had only civil powers; the military authorities were not subordinate to him. Satraps had the right to mint coins, were in charge of the country's economic activities, collected taxes, and administered justice. In peacetime, satraps were provided with a small personal guard. The army was subordinate exclusively to military leaders independent of the satraps.

The implementation of government reforms led to the creation of a large central administrative apparatus headed by the royal office. State administration was carried out by the capital of the Persian state - the city of Susa. The large cities of that time, Babylon, Ektabana, and Memphis also had their own offices.

Satraps and officials were under the constant control of the secret police. In ancient sources it was called “the ears and eye of the king.” Control and supervision of officials was entrusted to the Khazarapat - the commander of a thousand. State correspondence was conducted on which almost all the peoples of Persia owned.

Culture of the Persian Empire

Ancient Persia left its descendants a great architectural heritage. The magnificent palace complexes at Susa, Persepolis and Pasargadae made a stunning impression on their contemporaries. The royal estates were surrounded by gardens and parks. One of the monuments that has survived to this day is the tomb of Cyrus II. Many similar monuments that arose hundreds of years later took as their basis the architecture of the tomb of the Persian king. The culture of the Persian state contributed to the glorification of the king and the strengthening of royal power among the conquered peoples.

The art of ancient Persia combined the artistic traditions of Iranian tribes, intertwined with elements of Greek, Egyptian, and Assyrian cultures. Among the objects that have come down to descendants there are many decorations, bowls and vases, various cups, decorated with sophisticated paintings. A special place in the finds is occupied by numerous seals with images of kings and heroes, as well as various animals and fantastic creatures.

Economic development of Persia during the time of Darius

The nobility occupied a special position in the Persian kingdom. The nobles owned large land holdings in all conquered territories. Huge areas were placed at the disposal of the tsar’s “benefactors” for personal services to him. The owners of such lands had the right to manage, transfer the plots as an inheritance to their descendants, and they were also entrusted with the exercise of judicial power over their subjects. A land tenure system was widely used, in which plots were called allotments of a horse, bow, chariot, etc. The king distributed such lands to his soldiers, for which their owners had to serve in the active army as horsemen, archers, and charioteers.

But as before, huge tracts of land were in the direct possession of the king himself. They were usually rented out. The products of agriculture and livestock breeding were accepted as payment for them.

In addition to the lands, canals were under direct royal authority. The managers of the royal property rented them out and collected taxes for the use of water. For irrigation of fertile soils, a fee was charged, reaching 1/3 of the landowner's harvest.

Persian labor resources

Slave labor was used in all sectors of the economy. The bulk of them were usually prisoners of war. Bail slavery, when people sold themselves, did not become widespread. Slaves had a number of privileges, such as the right to have their own seals and participate in various transactions as full partners. A slave could redeem himself by paying a certain rent, and also be a plaintiff, witness or defendant in legal proceedings, of course, not against his masters. The practice of hiring hired workers for a certain amount of money was widespread. The work of such workers became especially widespread in Babylonia, where they dug canals, built roads, and harvested crops from royal or temple fields.

Darius' financial policy

The main source of funds for the treasury was taxes. In 519, the king approved the basic system of state taxes. Taxes were calculated for each satrapy, taking into account its territory and land fertility. The Persians, as a conquering people, did not pay tax, but were not exempt from the tax in kind.

Various monetary units that continued to exist even after the unification of the country brought a lot of inconvenience, so in 517 BC. e. The king introduced a new gold coin, called the darik. The medium of exchange was a silver shekel, which was worth 1/20 of a darik and served in those days. The reverse of both coins featured the image of Darius I.

Transport routes of the Persian state

The spread of the road network facilitated the development of trade between the various satrapies. The royal road of the Persian state began in Lydia, crossed Asia Minor and passed through Babylon, and from there to Susa and Persepolis. The sea routes laid by the Greeks were successfully used by the Persians in trade and for the transfer of military force.

The sea expeditions of the ancient Persians are also known, for example, the journey of the sailor Skilak to the Indian shores in 518 BC. e.

3 But I
2013

Ancient Persians: fearless, determined, unyielding. They created an empire that for centuries was a symbol of greatness and wealth.

The creation of such a huge empire as the Persian is impossible without military superiority.

The empire of all-powerful, ambitious kings stretched from northern Africa to central Asia. was one of the few who can rightfully be called great. The Persians created amazing, unprecedented engineering structures - luxurious palaces in the middle of a barren desert, roads, bridges and canals. Everyone has heard about the Suez Canal, but who?

But clouds were gathering on the horizon. The age-old struggle with Greece resulted in a clash that turned the course of history and determined the face of the Western world for millennia to come.

Water transfer

330 BC

While they were nomadic, they had no time to seize territory, but with the transition to agriculture they became interested in fertile lands and, naturally, water.

The ancient Persians would have left no trace in history if they had not been able to find sources and most importantly, a way to transfer water to their fields. We admire their engineering genius because they took water not from rivers and lakes, but in the most unexpected place - in the mountains.

Persia arose from nothing solely thanks to human persistence.

Three thousand years ago, ancient Persians roamed the Iranian plateau. Sources of water were rare. Makhandi - engineers, geologists and at the same time - figured out how to give water to the people.

Primitive Mahandi tools laid the first stone in the foundation of the Persian Empire - underground canal system, so-called ropes. They used gravity and the natural slope of the area from to.

First, they dug a vertical shaft and laid a small section of the tunnel, then the next one about a kilometer from the first and drove the tunnel further.

The water source could be 20 or 40 kilometers away. It is impossible to build a tunnel with a constant slope so that it flows into the mountains continuously without knowledge and skills.

The slope angle was constant throughout the entire length of the tunnel and not too large, otherwise the water would erode the base, and naturally, not too small so that the water would not stagnate.

2 thousand years before the legendary Roman aqueducts, the Persians transferred huge masses of water over considerable distances in dry, hot climates with minimal losses due to evaporation.

- founder of the dynasty. This dynasty reached its peak under the Tsar.

To create an empire, Cyrus needed the talents of not only a commander, but also a politician: he knew how to win the favor of the people. Historians call him a humanist, Jews called him Mashiach- anointed, the people called him father, and the conquered - a just ruler and benefactor.

Cyrus the Great came to power in 559 BC. Under him the dynasty becomes great.

History changes course, and a new style appears in architecture. Among the rulers who had the greatest influence not on the course of history, Cyrus the Great was one of the few who deserves this epithet: he worthy to be called Great.

The empire that Cyrus created was largest empire of the ancient world, if not the largest in human history.

By 554 BC. Cyrus crushed all his rivals and became sole ruler of Persia. All that remained was to conquer the whole world.

But first of all, it befits a great emperor to have a brilliant capital. In 550 BC. Cyrus embarks on a project the likes of which the Ancient World has never known: builds the first capital of the Persian Empire in what is now Iran.

Cyrus was innovative builder and very talented. In his projects, he skillfully applied the experience accumulated during his campaigns of conquest.

Like the later Romans, Persians borrowed ideas from conquered peoples and based on them they created their own new technologies. In Pasargadae we find motifs inherent in the cultures of, and.

Stonemasons, carpenters, brick and relief craftsmen were brought to the capital from all over the empire. Today, two and a half thousand years later, ancient ruins are all that remains of Persia's first magnificent capital.

The two palaces in the center of Pasargadae were surrounded by flowering gardens and extensive regular parks. This is where they arose "paradisias"– parks with a rectangular layout. In the gardens, canals with a total length of a thousand meters were laid, lined with stone. There were swimming pools every fifteen meters. For two thousand years, the best parks in the world were created on the model of the “paradises” of Pasargadae.

In Pasargadae, for the first time, parks appeared with geometrically regular rectangular areas, with flowers, cypress trees, meadow grasses and other vegetation, as in current parks.

While Pasargadae was being built, Cyrus annexed one kingdom after another. But Cyrus was not like other kings: he did not turn the vanquished into slavery. By the standards of the Ancient World, this is unheard of.

He recognized the right of the vanquished to have their own faith and did not interfere with their religious rites.

In 539 BC Cyrus took Babylon, but not as an invader, but as a liberator who rescued the people from under the yoke of a tyrant. He did the unheard of - he freed the Jews from captivity, in which they had been since he destroyed. Cyrus freed them. In today's parlance, Cyrus needed a buffer state between his empire and his enemy, Egypt. So what? The main thing is that no one had done anything like this before him, and very few since. It’s not for nothing that in the Bible he is the only non-Jew called Moshiach - .

As one eminent Oxford scholar said: “The press spoke well of Cyrus.”

But, not having time to turn Persia into the only superpower of the Ancient world, in 530 BC Cyrus the Great dies in battle.

He lived too little and did not have time to prove himself in peaceful conditions. The same thing happened with, he also defeated his enemies, but was also killed before he could consolidate the empire.

By the time of the death of Cyrus, Persia had three capitals:, and. But He was buried in Pasargadae, in a tomb befitting his character.

Cyrus did not pursue honors, he neglected them. His tomb does not have elaborate decorations: it is very simple, but elegant.

The tomb of Cyrus was built using the same technology that was used in the West. Using ropes and embankments, hewn blocks of stone were stacked one on top of the other. Its height is 11 meters.

- a very simple, deliberately modest monument to the creator of the largest empire of its time. It is perfectly preserved, considering that it was built 25 centuries ago.

Persepolis - a monument to the greatness and glory of Persia

For three decades, no one and nothing could resist Cyrus the Great. When the throne was empty, the power vacuum plunged the Ancient World into chaos.

In 530 BC, Cyrus the Great, the architect of the greatest empire of the Ancient World, dies. The future of Persia is shrouded in darkness. A fierce struggle begins between the contenders.

In the end, comes to power distant relative of Cyrus, an outstanding commander. He restores law and order in the Persian Empire with an iron fist. His name is . He will become the greatest king of Persia and one of the greatest builders of all time.

He immediately gets down to business and rebuilds the old capital of Susa. Builds palaces lined with glazed tiles. The splendor of Susa is even mentioned in the Bible.

But the new king needed a new official capital. 518 BC Darius begins to implement the most ambitious project of the Ancient World. Not far from the present one he is building, which in Greek means "City of the Persians". All palaces are built on a single stone platform to emphasize the inviolability of the empire.

A gigantic area of ​​one hundred and twenty-five thousand square meters. He had to change the terrain: tear down elevations and erect retaining walls. He wanted the city to be visible from afar, so he placed it on a platform. It gave the city a unique, majestic appearance.

Persepolis – unique engineering structure with walls 18 meters long and 10 meters thick and halls with fancy columns.

Workers were brought from all corners of the empire. Most ancient empires were built on slave labor, but Darius, like Cyrus, preferred to pay those who built the palaces.

Workers set production standards, women also worked here. The norm was set depending on strength and qualifications, and they were paid accordingly.

He did not spend in vain: Persepolis became monument to the greatness and glory of Persia.

We must not forget about the origin of the Persians: their ancestors were nomads and lived in tents. When leaving the parking lot, they took the tents with them. Tents have firmly become a tradition.

The palaces of Persepolis are tents clad in stone. Abadan- this is nothing more than a stone tent. Abadana is the name given to the front hall of Darius.

The monumental stone columns are inspired by the memory of wooden poles that supported the canvas roofing of the tents. But here, instead of canvas, we see exquisite cedar. The nomadic past influenced the architecture of the Persians, but not only it.

The palaces were decorated with gold and silver, carpets and glazed tiles. The walls were covered with reliefs, on them we see peaceful processions of conquered countries.

But the engineering structures of Persepolis were not limited to the city limits. It contained water supply and sewerage system, the first in the ancient world.

Darius' engineers started by creating drainage system, laid the sewer pipes and only then erected the platform. Clean water came through the ropes, and waste water left through the sewer. The entire system was underground and not visible from the outside.

"Royal Way" and Darius Canal

The implementation of grandiose projects for the glory of the empire did not prevent Darius from pushing its boundaries. Under Darius, the Persian Empire reached mind-boggling proportions: Iran and Pakistan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Central Asia all the way to India.

Two projects of Darius made the empire unified: one, two and a half thousand kilometers long, connected remote provinces, the second - the Red Sea with the Mediterranean.

Under Darius the Great Persian the empire reached enormous proportions. He decided to strengthen its unity by connecting distant provinces with each other.

515 BC Darius orders to build a road which will pass across the empire from Egypt to India. The road, two and a half thousand kilometers long, was named.

An outstanding piece of engineering, the road through mountains, forests and deserts was built to last. They didn’t have asphalt, but they knew how to compact gravel and crushed stone.

Hard surfaces are especially important where groundwater is not deep. To prevent feet from slipping and carts from getting stuck in the mud, the road was laid along an embankment.

First, a “cushion” was laid, which either absorbed or drained groundwater away from the road.

On the “Royal Route” there were 111 outposts every 30 kilometers, where travelers could rest and change horses. The entire length of the road was guarded.

But that is not all. Darius needed to control such a remote territory as northern Africa, so he decided to pave the way there too. Its engineers developed the project channel between the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

The builders of Darius, experts in hydrology, first dug a canal using tools made of bronze and iron, then cleared it of sand and lined it with stone. The way was open for the ships.

The construction of the canal lasted 7 years, and it was built mainly by Egyptian diggers and masons.

In some places, the canal between the Nile and the Red Sea was, in fact, not a waterway, but a paved road: ships were dragged across the hills, and when the terrain became lower, they were launched again.

The words of Darius are known: “I, Darius, King of Kings, conqueror of Egypt, built this canal.” He connected the Red Sea to the Nile and proudly declared: “Ships went along my channel.”

By the beginning of the fifth century BC, Persia had become the greatest empire in history. Its grandeur surpassed that of Rome in its heyday four centuries later.. Persia was invincible, its expansion caused alarm among a young culture that had entered a phase of expansion - the Greek city-states.

Black Sea. The strait is a narrow strip of water that connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. On one side of the coast is Asia, and on the other is Europe. In 494 BC. An uprising broke out on the Turkish coast. The rebels were supported by Athens, and Darius decided to teach them a lesson - to go to war against them. But how? Athens across the sea...

He's building across the strait pontoon bridge. writes that 70 thousand soldiers entered Greece over this bridge. Fantastic!

Persian engineers placed many boats side by side across the Bosphorus, they became the basis of the bridge. And then they laid a road on top and connected Asia with Europe.

Probably, for reliability, a layer of compacted earth and even, possibly, logs was laid under the plank flooring. To prevent the boats from rocking on the waves and being carried away, they held by anchors strictly defined weight.

The flooring was solid, otherwise it would not have withstood the weight of many warriors and the blows of the waves. An amazing structure for an era when there were no computers!

Darius the Great

In August 490 BC. Darius captured Macedonia and walked up to Marathon, where he was met by the united army and under the command.

The Persian army numbered 60, 140 or 250 thousand people - depending on who you believe. In any case, there were 10 times fewer Greeks, they needed reinforcements.

The legendary messenger ran the distance from Marathon to in 2 days. Have you heard about?

The two armies stood face to face on a wide plain. In an open battle, the outnumbered Persians would simply crush the Greeks. This was the beginning of the Persian wars.

Part of the Greek troops launched an attack on the Persians; it was not difficult for the Persians to defeat them. But the main army of the Greeks was divided into two detachments: they attacked the Persians from the flanks.

The Persians fell into a meat grinder. After suffering heavy losses, they retreated. For the Greeks this was a great victory, for the Persians it was just an unfortunate bump in the road to world domination.

Darius decided to return home to his beloved capital Persepolis, but never returned: in 486 BC. on the march to Egypt Darius dies.

He left behind an empire that redefined what glory and greatness were. He prevented chaos by naming a successor in advance - his son.

Xerxes - the last of the Achaemenid dynasty

To stand on par with the innovator Cyrus and the expansionist Darius is no easy task. But Xerxes had a remarkable quality: he knew how to wait. He suppressed one uprising in Babylon, another in Egypt, and only then went to Greece. The Greeks were a bone in his throat.

Some historians say that he launched a preemptive strike, others that he wanted to complete the work begun by his father. Be that as it may, after Battle of Marathon The Greeks no longer feared the Persians. Therefore, I enlisted support, this is in the current situation, and decided attack the Greeks from the sea.

480 BC. The Persian Empire is at the peak of its glory, it is huge, strong and incredibly rich. Ten years have passed since the Greeks defeated Darius the Great at Marathon. Power is in the hands of Darius’ son, Xerxes, the last great monarch of the Achaemenid dynasty.

Xerxes wants revenge. Greece is becoming a serious opponent. The union of city-states is fragile: they are too different - from democracy to tyranny. But they have one thing in common - hatred of Persia. The ancient world is on the verge Second Persian War. Its outcome will lay the foundation of the modern world.

The Greeks traditionally called everyone except themselves barbarians. The rivalry between East and West began with the confrontation between Persia and Greece.

In the Persian invasion of Greece, more than ever before in military history, it was used to solve a strategic problem. engineering. The operation, which combined land and sea operations, required new engineering solutions.

Xerxes decided to enter Greece along the isthmus near Mt. Athos. But the sea was too stormy, and Xerxes ordered build a canal across the isthmus. Thanks to considerable experience and labor reserves, the canal was built in just 6 months.

To this day, their decision remains in military history. one of the most outstanding engineering projects. Taking advantage of his father’s experience, Xerxes ordered to build pontoon bridge through the Hellespont. This engineering project was much larger than the bridge built by Darius on the Bosphorus.

674 ships were used as pontoons. How to ensure the reliability of the design? A challenging engineering challenge! The Bosphorus is not a quiet harbor; the waves there can be quite strong.

The ships were held in place using a special system of ropes. The two longest cables stretched from Europe to Asia itself. At the same time, we must not forget that many soldiers, perhaps up to 240 thousand, had to cross the bridge.

The ropes made the structure quite flexible, which is necessary during waves. Each section of the bridge consisted of two ships connected by a platform. Such a bridge held the shock of waves and absorbed their energy.

Persian engineers connected the ships with a platform, and the road itself was laid on top of it. Gradually, plank by plank, a reliable road grew across the Hellespont on supports made of warships.

We should not forget that the road supported the weight of not only foot soldiers, but also tens of thousands of horsemen, including heavy cavalry. The reliability of the floating structure allowed Xerxes to transfer troops to Europe and back as needed: the bridge was not dismantled.

For some time, Europe and Asia were one.

After 10 days the bridge was ready. Xerxes entered Europe. A huge number of foot soldiers and heavy cavalry passed across the bridge. It withstood not only the weight of the army, but also the pressure of the waves of the Bosphorus.

Xerxes' plan was simple: use numerical superiority on land and at sea.

And again the army of the Greeks headed by Themistocles. He understood that he could not defeat the Persians on land, and he decided lure the Persian fleet into a trap.

Secretly from the Persians, Themistocles withdrew the main forces, leaving a detachment of 6 thousand Spartans for cover.

In August 480 BC. the opponents converged in a space so narrow that two chariots could not pass each other in it.

A huge Persian army was stuck in the gorge for several days, which is what the Greeks were counting on. They outwitted Xerxes like his father before.

At the cost of huge losses, the Persians broke through Thermopylae, destroying the Spartans whom Themistocles sacrificed, and let's go to Athens.

But when Xerxes entered Athens, the city was empty. Xerxes realized that he had been deceived and decided to take revenge on the Athenians.

For centuries, mercy to the vanquished was the hallmark of Persian kings. But not this time: it’s not at all Persian burned Athens to the ground. And right there repented.

The next day he ordered Athens to be rebuilt. But it’s too late: what’s done is done. Two centuries later, his anger brought disaster to Persia itself.

But the war was not over. Themistocles prepared a new trap for the Persians: he lured the Persian fleet into a narrow bay near and suddenly attacked the Persians.

Numerous Persian ships interfered with each other and could not maneuver. The heavy Greeks rammed the light Persians one after another.

This the battle decided the outcome of the war: defeated Xerxes retreated. From now on, the Persian Empire was no longer invincible.

He decided revive the "golden days" of Persia. He returned to the project started by his grandfather, Darius. Four decades after its founding, Persepolis was still unfinished. Artaxerxes personally oversaw the construction of the last great engineering project of the Persian Empire. Today we call it "Hall of a Hundred Columns".

The hall, measuring sixty by sixty meters, represented in plan almost perfect square. The most amazing thing about the columns of Persepolis is that if you mentally continue them upward, they will go tens and hundreds of meters into the sky. They are perfect, not the slightest deviation from the vertical. And they had only primitive tools at their disposal: stone hammers and bronze chisels. That's all! Meanwhile The columns of Persepolis are perfect. Real masters of their craft worked on them. Each column consists of seven to eight drums stacked one on top of the other. Scaffolding was erected near the column, and the drums were lifted using a wooden crane like a well crane.”

Any satrap, any ambassador of a given country, and indeed any person came to admiration at the sight of a forest of columns stretching into the distance as far as the eye could see.”

Engineering structures that were unheard of by the standards of the Ancient World were built throughout all empires.

In 353 BC. The wife of the ruler of one of the provinces began building a tomb for her dying husband. Her creation became not only a miracle of engineering, but also one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. , mausoleum.

The height of the majestic marble structure exceeded 40 meters. Stairs rose along the pyramidal roof - steps “to heaven”.

Two and a half thousand years later, a mausoleum was built on the model of this mausoleum in New York.

Fall of the Persian Empire

By the 4th century BC. The Persians remained the best engineers in the world. But the foundation under the ideal columns and luxurious palaces began to shake: the enemies of the empire were at the doorstep.

Athens supports uprising in Egypt. Greeks are included in Memphis. Artaxerxes starts the war, throws the Greeks out of Memphis and restores Persian rule in Egypt.

It was last major victory of the Persian Empire. In 424 BC Artaxerxes dies. Anarchy in the country has continued for no less than eight decades.

While Persia is busy with intrigue and civil strife, the young king of Macedonia studies Herodotus and the chronicles of the reign of the hero of Persia - Cyrus the Great. Even then it begins to dawn on him dream of conquering the whole world. His name is .

In 336 BC, a distant relative of Artaxerxes comes to power and takes the royal name. He will be called the King Who Lost the Empire.

Over the next four years, Alexander and Darius the Third met more than once in fierce battles. Darius's troops retreated step by step.

In 330 BC, Alexander approached the jewel in the imperial crown of Persia - Persepolis.

Alexander received from the Persians policy of mercy to the vanquished: He forbade his soldiers to plunder conquered countries. But how to keep them after defeating the greatest empire in the world? Maybe they got too excited, maybe they showed disobedience, or maybe they remembered how the Persians burned Athens?

Be that as it may, in Persepolis they behaved differently: they celebrated the victory, and what is a holiday without robbery?

The celebrations ended with the most famous arson in history: Persepolis was burned.

Alexander was not a destroyer. Perhaps the burning of Persepolis was a symbolic act: he burned the city as a symbol, and not for the sake of destruction itself.

The houses had a lot of draperies and carpets; the fire could have started accidentally. Why would a man who declared himself an Achaemenid burn Persepolis? There were no fire engines at that time, the fire quickly spread throughout the city and it was impossible to extinguish it.

Darius the Third managed to escape, but in the summer of 330 BC he was killed by one from the allies. The Achaemenid dynasty ended.

Alexander gave Darius the Third a magnificent funeral and later married his daughter.

Alexander proclaimed himself an Achaemenid- the king of the Persians and wrote the last chapter in the history of a gigantic empire that lasted 2,700 years.

Alexander found the murderers of Darius and delivered him from death with his own hand. He believed that only the king has the right to kill the king. But would he have killed Darius? Maybe not, because Alexander did not create an empire, but captured one that already existed. And Cyrus the Great created it.

Alexander could make his own an empire that existed long before his birth. And after his death, the cultural and engineering achievements of Persia would become the property of all mankind.

Ancient Persia
Human settlements existed on the Iranian plateau in the 4th millennium BC. e., long before the heyday of the civilizations of Mesopotamia. Some of the tribes (Persians, Medes, Bactrians, Parthians) settled in the western part of the plateau; Cimmerians, Sarmatians, Alans, and Baluchi settled in the east and along the coast of the Gulf of Oman.
The first Iranian state was the Kingdom of Media, founded in 728 BC. e. with its capital in Hamadan (Ecbatana). The Medes quickly established control over all of western Iran and part of eastern Iran. Together with the Babylonians, the Medes defeated the Assyrian Empire, captured northern Mesopotamia and Urartu, and later the Armenian Highlands.

Achaemenids
In 553 BC. e. young Persian king of Anshan and Parsa Cyrus from the Achaemenid clan opposed the Medes. Cyrus captured Ecbatana and declared himself king of Persia and Media. At the same time, the Median king Ishtuvegu was captured, but later released and appointed governor of one of the provinces. Until his death in 529 BC. e. Cyrus II the Great subjugated the entire Western Asia from the Mediterranean and Anatolia to the Syr Darya to the Achaemenid Empire. Earlier, in 546 BC. e., Cyrus founded the capital of his kingdom in Fars - Pasargadae, where he was buried. Cyrus' son Cambyses II expanded his father's empire to Egypt and Ethiopia.

Western Iran. Bas-relief on the rock. 22 meters long

After the death of Cambyses and the ensuing civil strife in his inner circle and riots throughout the country, he came to power Darius Hystasp. Darius quickly and harshly brought order to the empire and began new campaigns of conquest, as a result of which the Achaemenid Empire expanded to the Balkans in the west and to the Indus in the east, becoming the largest and most powerful state that had ever existed at that time. Cyrus also carried out a number of internal reforms. He divided the country into several administrative units - satrapies, and for the first time in history the principle of separation of powers was implemented: the troops were not subordinate to the satraps and at the same time the military leaders had no administrative power. In addition, Darius carried out a monetary reform and introduced the gold darik into circulation. Combined with the construction of a network of paved roads, this contributed to an unprecedented leap in trade relations.
Darius patronized Zoroastrianism and considered priests to be the core of Persian statehood. Under him, this first monotheistic religion became the state religion in the empire. At the same time, the Persians were tolerant of the conquered peoples and their beliefs and culture.

The heirs of Darius I began to violate the principles of internal structure introduced by the king, as a result of which the satrapies became more independent. There was a rebellion in Egypt, and unrest began in Greece and Macedonia. Under these conditions, the Macedonian commander Alexander began a military campaign against the Persians, and by 330 BC. e. defeated the Achaemenid Empire.

Parthia and Sassanids
After the death of Alexander II in 323 BC. e. his empire broke up into several separate states. Most of the territory of modern Iran went to Seleucia, but the Parthian king Mithridates soon began campaigns of conquest against the Seleucids and included Persia, as well as Armenia and Mesopotamia, into his empire. In 92 BC. e. a border was drawn between Parthia and Rome along the bed of the Euphrates, but the Romans almost immediately invaded the western Parthian satrapies and were defeated. In a return campaign, the Parthians captured the entire Levant and Anatolia, but were driven back to the Euphrates by the troops of Mark Antony. Soon after this, civil wars broke out in Parthia one after another, caused by Rome's intervention in the struggle between the Parthian and Greek nobility.
In 224, Ardashir Papakan, the son of the ruler of the small town of Kheir in Pars, defeated the Parthian army of Artaban IV and founded the second Persian Empire - Iranshahr ("Kingdom of the Aryans") - with its capital at Firuzabad, becoming the founder of a new dynasty - the Sassanids. The influence of the aristocracy and the Zoroastrian clergy increased, and persecution of non-believers began. Administrative reform has been carried out. The Sassanids continued to fight the Romans and the nomads of Central Asia.

Under King Khosrow I (531-579), active expansion began: Antioch was captured in 540, and Egypt in 562. The Byzantine Empire became tax dependent on the Persians. The coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula, including Yemen, were occupied. At the same time, Khosrow defeated the Hephthalite state on the territory of modern Tajikistan. Khusrow's military successes led to a flourishing of trade and culture in Iran.
The grandson of Khosrow I, Khosrow II (590-628) resumed the war with Byzantium, but suffered defeat after defeat. Military expenses were covered by exorbitant taxes on merchants and levies on the poor. As a result, uprisings began to break out throughout the country, Khosrow was captured and executed. His grandson, Yezigerd III (632-651) became the last Sasanian king. Despite the end of the war with Byzantium, the collapse of the empire continued. In the south, the Persians faced a new enemy - the Arabs.

Arab and Turkic conquests. Abbasids, Umayyads, Tahirids, Ghaznavids, Timurids.
Arab raids into Sasanian Iran began in 632. The Persian army suffered its most crushing defeat at the Battle of Qadisiyah in 637. The Arab conquest of Persia continued until 652, and it was incorporated into the Umayyad Caliphate. The Arabs spread Islam to Iran, which greatly changed Persian culture. After Islamization, literature, philosophy, art, and medicine developed rapidly. The flourishing of Persian culture marked the beginning of the Golden Age of Islam.
In 750, the Persian general Abu Moslem-Khorasani led the Abbasid campaign against the Umayyads to Damascus, and then to the capital of the Caliphate, Baghdad. In gratitude, the new caliph granted the Persian governors a certain autonomy, and also took several Persians as viziers. However, in 822, Tahir ben-Hussein ben-Musab, the governor of Khorasan, declared the independence of the province and declared himself the founder of a new Persian dynasty - the Tahirids. Already by the beginning of the Samanid reign, Iran had practically restored its independence from the Arabs.

Despite the adoption of Islam by Persian society, Arabization in Iran was not successful. The introduction of Arab culture met resistance from the Persians and became the impetus for the struggle for independence from the Arabs. The revival of the Persian language and literature, which peaked in the 9th-10th centuries, played an important role in restoring the national identity of the Persians. In this regard, Ferdowsi's epic “Shahnameh”, written entirely in Farsi, became famous.
In 977, the Turkmen commander Alp-Tegin opposed the Samanids and founded the Ghaznavid state with its capital in Ghazni (Afghanistan). Under the Ghaznavids, Persia's cultural flourishing continued. Their Seljuk followers moved the capital to Isfahan.
In 1218, the northeast of Iran, which was part of the Khorezm kingdom, was attacked by Genghis Khan. The whole of Khorasan was devastated, as well as the territories of the eastern provinces of modern Iran. About half the population was killed by the Mongols. As a result of famine and wars, by 1260 the population of Iran had decreased from 2.5 million to 250 thousand people. Genghis Khan's campaign was followed by the conquest of Iran by another Mongol commander - Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan. Timur founded the capital of his empire in Samarkand, but he, like his followers, chose to abandon the implantation of Mongol culture in Persia.
The centralization of the Iranian state resumed with the rise to power of the Safavid dynasty, which put an end to the rule of the descendants of the Mongol conquerors.

Islamic Iran: Safavids, Afsharids, Zends, Qajars, Pahlavis.
Shia Islam was adopted in Iran as the state religion under Shah Ismail I of the Safavid dynasty in 1501. In 1503, Ismail defeated Ak-Koyunlu and built a new state on its ruins with its capital in Tabriz. The Safavid Empire reached its peak during Abbas I, defeating the Ottoman Empire and annexing the territories of modern Iraq, Afghanistan, parts of Pakistan, the territories of modern Azerbaijan, parts of Armenia and Georgia, as well as the provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran on the Caspian Sea. Thus, Iran's possessions already extended from the Tigris to the Indus.
The capital was moved from Tabriz to Qazvin and then to Isfahan. The conquered territories brought wealth and prosperity to Iran. Culture began to flourish. Iran became a centralized state, and the armed forces were modernized. However, after the death of Abbas the Great, the empire fell into decline. Mismanagement led to the loss of Kandahar and Baghdad. In 1722, the Afghans raided Iran, immediately taking Isfahan, and installed Mahmud Khan on the throne. Then Nadir Shah, the commander of the last Safavid ruler, Tahmasp II, killed him along with his son and established Afsharid rule in Iran.
First of all, Nadir Shah changed the state religion to Sunnism, and then defeated Afghanistan and returned Kandahar to Persia. Retreating Afghan troops fled to India. Nadir Shah urged the Indian Mogul, Mohammed Shah, not to accept them, but he did not agree, then the Shah invaded India. In 1739, Nadir Shah's troops entered Delhi, but an uprising soon broke out there. The Persians carried out a real massacre in the city, and then returned to Iran, completely plundering the country. In 1740, Nadir Shah made a campaign in Turkestan, as a result of which the borders of Iran advanced to the Amu Darya. In the Caucasus, the Persians reached Dagestan. In 1747, Nadir Shah was assassinated.

In 1750, power passed to the Zend dynasty, led by Karim Khan. Karim Khan became the first Persian in 700 years to become the head of state. He moved the capital to Shiraz. The period of his reign is characterized by a virtual absence of wars and cultural flourishing. The power of the Zends lasted only three generations, and in 1781 it passed to the Qajar dynasty. The founder of the dynasty, the blind Agha Mohammed Khan, carried out reprisals against the Zends and the descendants of the Afsharids. Having strengthened the power of the Qajars in Iran, Mohammed Khan organized a campaign against Georgia, defeating Tbilisi and killing more than 20 thousand residents of the city. The second campaign against Georgia in 1797 did not take place, since the Shah was killed by his own servants (Georgian and Kurdish) in Karabakh. Shortly before his death, Mohammad Khan moved the capital of Iran to Tehran.
As a result of a series of unsuccessful wars with Russia, Persia under the Qajars lost almost half of its territory. Corruption flourished, control over the outskirts of the country was lost. After prolonged protests, the country experienced a Constitutional Revolution in 1906, resulting in Iran becoming a constitutional monarchy. In 1920, the Gilan Soviet Republic was proclaimed in Gilan, which would exist until September 1921. In 1921, Reza Khan Pahlavi overthrew Ahmed Shah and in 1925 was declared the new Shah.
Pahlavi coined the term “Shakhinshah” (“king of kings”). Under him, large-scale industrialization of Iran began and the infrastructure was completely modernized. During World War II, the Shaheenshah refused British and Soviet requests to station troops in Iran. Then the Allies invaded Iran, overthrew the Shah and took control of the railways and oil fields. In 1942, Iran's sovereignty was restored, and power passed to the Shah's son, Mohammed. However, the Soviet Union, fearing possible aggression from Turkey, kept its troops in northern Iran until May 1946.
After the war, Mohammad Reza pursued a policy of active Westernization and de-Islamization, which did not always find understanding among the people. Numerous rallies and strikes took place. In 1951, Mohammed Mossadegh became the Chairman of the Government of Iran, who was actively engaged in reform, seeking a revision of agreements on the distribution of profits of the British Petroleum company. The Iranian oil industry is being nationalized. However, in the United States, a coup plan was immediately developed, with the active participation of British intelligence services, carried out in August 1953 by the grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, Carmit Roosevelt. Mossadegh was removed from his post and imprisoned. Three years later he was released and placed under house arrest, where he remained until his death in 1967.
In 1963, Ayatollah Khomeini was expelled from the country. In 1965, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Mansour was mortally wounded by members of the Fedayan Islam group. In 1973, all political parties and associations were banned, and a secret police was founded. By the end of the 1970s, Iran was engulfed in mass protests that resulted in the overthrow of the Pahlavi regime and the final abolition of the monarchy. In 1979, the Islamic Revolution took place in the country and an Islamic republic was founded.
The internal political consequences of the revolution were manifested in the establishment of a theocratic regime of the Muslim clergy in the country and the increasing role of Islam in absolutely all spheres of life.
Meanwhile, the President of neighboring Iraq, Saddam Hussein, decided to take advantage of internal instability in Iran and its strained relations with Western countries. Iran has been (not for the first time) made territorial claims over areas along the Persian Gulf coast east of the Shatt al-Arab River. In particular, Hussein demanded the transfer to Iraq of western Khuzestan, where the majority of the population were Arabs and there were huge oil reserves. These demands were ignored by Iran, and Hussein began preparing for a large-scale war. On September 22, 1980, the Iraqi army crossed the Shatt al-Arab and invaded Khuzestan, which came as a complete surprise to the Iranian leadership.
Although Saddam Hussein achieved considerable success in the first months of the war, the advance of the Iraqi army was soon stopped, Iranian troops launched a counteroffensive and by mid-1982 drove the Iraqis out of the country. Khomeini decided not to stop the war, planning to “export” the revolution to Iraq. This plan relied primarily on the Shiite majority of eastern Iraq. However, after another 6 years of unsuccessful offensive attempts on both sides, a peace agreement was signed. The Iran-Iraq border remains unchanged.
In 1997, Mohammed Khatami was elected President of Iran, proclaiming the beginning of a policy of tolerant attitude towards culture and the establishment of closer ties with Western countries.
From 2005 to 2013 - President of Iran, elected for two consecutive terms, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Persia (which country is now, you can find out from the article) existed more than two thousand years ago. It is known for its conquests and culture. Many peoples ruled on the territory of the ancient state. But they could not eradicate the culture and traditions of the Aryans.

From the middle of the sixth century BC, the Persians appeared on the stage of world history. Until this time, residents of the Middle East had heard very little about this mysterious tribe. They became known only after they began to seize lands.

Cyrus the Second, king of the Persians from the Achaemenid dynasty, was able to quickly capture Media and other states. His well-armed army began preparations to march against Babylon.

At this time, Babylon and Egypt were at enmity with each other, but when a strong enemy appeared, they decided to forget about the conflict. Babylon's preparation for war did not save it from defeat. The Persians captured the cities of Opis and Sippar, and then took control of Babylon without a fight. Cyrus the Second decided to further advance to the East. In a war with nomadic tribes, he died in 530 BC.

The successors of the deceased king, Cambyses the Second and Darius the First, managed to capture Egypt. Darius was able not only to strengthen the eastern and western borders of the power, but also to expand them from the Aegean Sea to India, as well as from the lands of Central Asia to the banks of the Nile. Persia absorbed the famous world civilizations of the ancient world and controlled them until the fourth century BC. Alexander the Great was able to conquer the empire.

Second Persian Empire

The Macedonian soldiers took revenge on the Persians for the destruction of Athens by burning Persepolis to ashes. At this point, the Achaemenid dynasty ceased to exist. Ancient Persia fell under the humiliating rule of the Greeks.

It was only in the second century BC that the Greeks were expelled. The Parthians did this. But they were not allowed to rule for long; Artaxerxes overthrew them. The history of the second Persian power began with him. In another way, it is usually called the power of the Sassanid dynasty. Under their rule, the Achaemenid Empire is revived, albeit in a different form. Greek culture is being replaced by Iranian culture.

In the seventh century, Persia lost its power and was incorporated into the Arab Caliphate.

Life in Ancient Persia through the eyes of other peoples

The life of the Persians is known from works that have survived to this day. These are mainly the works of the Greeks. It is known that Persia (what the country is now can be found out below) very quickly conquered the territories of ancient civilizations. What were the Persians like?

They were tall and physically strong. Life in the mountains and steppes made them hardened and resilient. They were famous for their courage and unity. In everyday life, the Persians ate moderately, did not drink wine, and were indifferent to precious metals. They wore clothes made from animal skins and covered their heads with felt caps (tiaras).

During the coronation, the ruler had to put on the clothes that he wore before becoming king. He was also supposed to eat dried figs and drink sour milk.

The Persians had the right to live with several wives, not counting concubines. Closely related ties were acceptable, for example, between an uncle and a niece. Women were not supposed to show themselves to strangers. This applied to both wives and concubines. Proof of this is the surviving reliefs of Persepolis, which do not contain images of the fair sex.

Persian achievements:

• good roads;
• minting your own coins;
• creation of gardens (paradises);
• The cylinder of Cyrus the Great is a prototype of the first charter of human rights.

Previously Persia, but now?

It is not always possible to say exactly which state is located on the site of an ancient civilization. The world map has changed hundreds of times. Changes are happening even today. How to understand where Persia was? What is the country in its place now?

Modern states on whose territory there was an empire:

• Egypt.
• Lebanon.
• Iraq.
• Pakistan.
• Georgia.
• Bulgaria.
• Türkiye.
• Parts of Greece and Romania.

These are not all the countries that are related to Persia. However, Iran is most often associated with the ancient empire. What is this country and its people like?

Iran's mysterious past

The name of the country is the modern form of the word "Ariana", which translates as "land of the Aryans". Indeed, from the first millennium BC, Aryan tribes inhabited almost all the lands of modern Iran. Part of this tribe moved to Northern India, and part went to the northern steppes, calling themselves Scythians and Sarmatians.

Later, strong kingdoms emerged in Western Iran. One of these Iranian formations was Media. It was subsequently captured by the army of Cyrus the Second. It was he who united the Iranians in his empire and led them to conquer the world.

How does modern Persia live (what country is it now, it became clear)?

Life in modern Iran through the eyes of foreigners

For many ordinary people, Iran is associated with revolution and the nuclear program. However, the history of this country spans more than two thousand years. It has absorbed different cultures: Persian, Islamic, Western.

Iranians have elevated pretense to a true art of communication. They are very courteous and sincere, but this is only the outer side. In fact, behind their obsequiousness lies the intention to find out all the plans of their interlocutor.

Former Persia (now Iran) was captured by the Greeks, Turks, and Mongols. At the same time, the Persians were able to preserve their traditions. They know how to get along with strangers, their culture is characterized by a certain flexibility - taking the best from the traditions of strangers without abandoning their own.

Iran (Persia) was under Arab rule for centuries. At the same time, its inhabitants were able to preserve their language. Poetry helped them with this. Most of all they honor the poet Ferdowsi, and Europeans remember Omar Khayyam. The preservation of culture was facilitated by the teachings of Zarathustra, which appeared long before the Arab invasion.

Although Islam now plays a leading role in the country, Iranians have not lost their national identity. They remember well their centuries-old history.

>>History: Ancient Persia

21. Ancient Persia - “country of countries”

1. The rise of Persia.

The country of the Persians was a remote province for a long time Assyria. It was located on the site of modern Iran, occupying the territory between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. In the middle of the 6th century BC. e. The rapid rise of the Persian state began. In 558 BC. e. king Persia became Cyrus II the Great. He captured neighboring Media, then defeated Croesus, the ruler of the richest kingdom of Lydia.

Historians suggest that the world's first silver and gold coins began to be minted in Lydia in the 7th century BC. e.

The wealth of the last Lydian king Croesus became a proverb in ancient times. “Rich as Croesus” - this is what they said and still say about a very rich man. Before the start of the war with Persia, Croesus turned to the soothsayers, wanting to get an answer about the outcome of the war. They gave an ambiguous answer: “By crossing the river, you will destroy the great kingdom.” And so it happened. Croesus decided that we were talking about the Persian kingdom, but he destroyed his own kingdom, suffering a crushing defeat from Cyrus.

Under King Cyrus, the Persian Empire included all the lands that once belonged to Assyria and the Neo-Babylonian kingdom. In 539 BC. e. fell under the onslaught of the Persians Babylon. The Persian state surpassed all previously existing states of the Ancient World in territory and became an empire. The possessions of Persia as a result of the conquests of Cyrus and his son extended from Egypt to India. While conquering the country, Cyrus did not encroach on the customs and religion of its people. To the title of the Persian king he added the title of ruler of the conquered country.

2. The death of Cyrus the Great.

In ancient times, many considered King Cyrus the Great to be the model of a ruler. From his ancestors, Cyrus inherited wisdom, firmness and the ability to rule over peoples. However, Cyrus, who defeated many kings and military leaders, was destined to fall at the hands of a female warrior. To the northeast of the Persian kingdom stretched the lands inhabited by the warlike nomadic tribes of the Massagetae. They were ruled by Queen Tomiris. Cyrus first invited her to marry him. However, the proud queen rejected Cyrus's proposal. Then the Persian king moved his army of thousands to the country of the Syr Darya River, in Central Asia. In the first battle, the Massagetians were successful, but then the Persians defeated part of the Massagetian army by cunning. Among the dead was the queen's son. Then the queen swore an oath to give the hated conqueror blood to drink. The light cavalry of the Massagetae exhausted the Persian army with their sudden and swift attacks. In one of the battles, Cyrus himself was killed. Tomiris ordered the leather fur to be filled with blood and the head of the dead enemy to be stuffed into it. Thus ended the almost 30-year reign of Cyrus the Great, who seemed so powerful.

3. The greatest eastern despotism.

At the end of the reign of Cyrus's son, King Cambyses, turmoil began in Persia. As a result of the struggle for power, Darius I, a distant relative of Cyrus, became the ruler of the Persian state.

The events that followed the death of Cyrus the Great and the first years of Darius's reign are known from the Behistun inscription. It was carved on the rock during the reign of Darius I. The height of the inscription is 7.8 m. It is made in three languages ​​- Old Persian, Elamite and Akkadian. The inscription was discovered in 1835 by the English officer G. Rawlinson. It made it possible to decipher Persian and then Akkadian cuneiform.

Under Darius, the Persian Empire expanded its borders even further and reached its greatest power. It united many countries and peoples. Persian empire was called the “country of countries”, and its ruler was called the “king of kings”. All his subjects obeyed him unquestioningly - from noble Persians who occupied the highest positions in the state, to the last slave. The Persian Empire was a true oriental despotism.

In order to better manage the huge empire, Darius divided its territory into 20 satrapies. A satrapy is a province headed by a governor appointed by the king - a satrap. Since these managers often abused their power, the word "satrap" subsequently acquired a negative meaning. It came to mean an official who rules arbitrarily, a tyrant ruler. Darius did not trust many satraps, so each of them had secret informers. These informers were called the “eyes and ears” of the king. They were obliged to report to the king everything about the actions, life and plans of the satraps.

Throughout the Persian Empire, special officials collected taxes into the royal treasury. Severe punishment awaited all those who evaded. No one could escape paying taxes .

Roads were built not only between major cities, but also reached the most remote corners of the Persian Empire. In order for the king's orders to reach the provinces faster and more reliably. Darius established a state post office. The "royal" road connected the most important cities of the Persian Empire. Special posts were installed on it. There were messengers here, ready at any moment to set off on fast-footed horses and deliver the king’s message to any point in the empire. Darius updated the monetary system. Under him, gold coins began to be minted, which were called “dariks”. Trade flourished in the Persian Empire, grandiose construction was carried out, and crafts developed.

4. Capitals of the Persians.

The Persian Empire had several capitals: the ancient city of Susa, the former capital of Media Ecbatana, the city of Pasargadae built by Cyrus. The Persian kings lived for a long time in Babylon. But the main capital was Persepolis, built by Darius I. Here the “king of kings” solemnly celebrated the Persian New Year, which was celebrated on the day of the Winter Solstice. The coronation took place in Persepolis. Representatives from all provinces came here for several weeks a year to present rich gifts to the king.

Persepolis was built on an artificial platform. In the royal palace there was a huge throne room where the king received ambassadors. The guards of the “immortals” are depicted on the walls rising along the wide staircases. This was the name of the selected royal army, numbering 10 thousand soldiers. When one of them died, another immediately took his place. The "Immortals" are armed with long spears, massive bows, and heavy shields. They served as the “eternal” guard of the king. Persepolis was built by all of Asia. An ancient inscription testifies to this.

The “procession of peoples” that were part of the Persian state is immortalized on the walls of Persepolis. Representatives of each of them bring rich gifts - gold, precious items, and lead horses, camels, and cattle.

5. Religion of the Persians.

In ancient times, the Persians worshiped different gods. Their priests were called magicians. At the end of the first half of the 1st millennium BC. e. The magician and prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra) transformed the ancient Persian religion. His teaching was called Zoroastrianism. The sacred book of Zoroastrianism is "Avesta".

Zoroaster taught that the creator of the world is the god of goodness and light, Ahura Mazda. His enemy is the spirit of evil and darkness Angra Manyu. They are constantly fighting among themselves, but the final victory will be for light and goodness. Man must support the god of light in this struggle. Ahura Mazda was depicted as a winged solar disk. He was considered the patron saint of the Persian kings.

The Persians did not build temples or erect statues of gods. They built altars on high places or on hills and performed sacrifices on them. Zoroaster's teaching about the struggle between light and darkness in the world had a great influence on the religious ideas of subsequent eras

IN AND. Ukolova, L.P. Marinovich, History, 5th grade
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