The . Investigating Civilisations by Andrew Wilson

China: the brutal Mongol invasions wiped is an attempt to remedy out populations, but in the end even the this state of ignorance or indifference – a Mongols succumbed to Persian culture. cheap and simple illustrated book which The Parthian dynasty in first opened aims to highlight the story of the Persians the west to trade with , and Iranians (we explain why Persians are Iranians, but controlled the Overland silk roads for not all Iranians are Persian!); how they centuries. At other times it was over-run – emerged from a nomadic past on the briefly by the under steppes to create the world’s first Alexander and his successors, then, not intercontinental empire; how they dealt until over a millennium later, by , with challenges from , Seljuqs, Mongols, Afghans, Turkomen - Macedonians, and Romans. There is a all these peoples left their mark – but were website which goes into the earlier story at the same time soon “persianized” in in much greater detail – and then takes it language and culture. on through problems caused by the arrival Yet today Iran is suspect to the West, of Huns, Arabs, Turks, Mongols – and and by some regarded as an enemy. The more recently of Russians, British, current regime, in charge of Iran since Germans and Americans. the establishment of the Islamic Republic The format is the traditional Iran’s gives it an important after the fall of the hated monarchy in “two-page spread” – where each spread place in the world. To the west lie , 1979, is disliked by many of its own deals with a specific topic, illustrated by and . South is Arabia and the citizens, and distrusted by many original source material wherever possible . To the southeast is the outsiders. Nations often suffer (both written sources and objects). The Indian subcontinent. To the north are governments unloved by the rest of the language has been checked as suitable for and the . To the northeast world – but in Iran’s case this dislike of Key Stage 3 students, although the lie the developing states of Central . the Islamic Republic seems to have material will be appropriate for anyone at To the east, and China. encouraged us to ignore the previous secondary level. It’s also been Iran’s history involved it with all 2,500 years of Iranian history. Even the recommended for children with Iranian these regions: in the west where once it “Persian Wars” of the 5th and 4th heritage – as there’s very little available dominated, it held firm against Romans, centuries BC tend to be seen as a part of which approaches the subject from a and later Ottomans. Briefly in ancient Greek history, or only a prelude to non-western stance. times, and again in the 18th century, it subsequent “clashes of civilisation” There’s been much discussion in occupied large parts of the Indian between east and west – rather as the academic circles about “decolonising” subcontinent. It lost the Caucasus to Greeks saw the Trojan War as a warm-up the Classics – while not really involved in Russia in the recent past. Afghanistan was for Marathon and Salamis. We still tend the politics of this controversy, it can be a thriving region of the Iranian world to accept the imperialist historian who confidently stated that this book looks until the British became involved. The told us in 1851 that “[on the Battle of outward from Iran – taking a view from Iranian world once extended eastwards Marathon] depended the whole future of the centre, rather than from the point- into and the frontiers of civilisation”. of-view of a tiny city that briefly found

The Journal of Classics Teaching 20 (40) p.37-38 © The Classical Association 2019. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction Downloaded infrom any https://www.cambridge.org/core medium, provided the original. IP work address: is properly 170.106.40.139 cited., on 29 Sep 2021 at 16:19:27, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at 37 https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2058631019000333 itself of interest to an empire of 10 situation! It’s an introduction. It leaves out which adds ideas for discussions and million people! much that is important (though the activities. The Persians is published by My fascination with Iran – as a website can fill gaps), but I hope that as Hands Up Education Community former Classics teacher with the normal world events unfold there will be some for Interest Company. limited experience of ancient Persia whom Iran is not “a faraway country… of More about The Persians and how to (, Aeschylus’ Persians, bit of which we know nothing”. buy copies can be found on the Hands Up Parthians) – began when I toured the It’s hoped that The Persians will be Education website (www.hands-up- country in 2009. Young Iranians I met the first of several books in a series on education.org.uk) or by email from spoke excellent English, and were not just Investigating Civilisations published by [email protected]. interested in Britain and its culture but Hands Up. Topics currently under The Persians website is at www. extremely knowledgeable about it. I consideration include Stories of Early the-persians.co.uk or www.the- thought how sad it was that the chance of Rome, and Democracy in Athens. There persians.com. a child in the UK having even rudimentary is a website specifically tailored to the knowledge in Iran was extremely remote. book, designed to help teachers who may Andrew Wilson. This book is my attempt to redress the not be familiar with the material – and

Downloaded38 from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.40.139, Theon 29 Persians Sep 2021. Investigating at 16:19:27, subject Civilisations to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2058631019000333