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The Satrap of Western Anatolia and the Greeks
University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2017 The aS trap Of Western Anatolia And The Greeks Eyal Meyer University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons Recommended Citation Meyer, Eyal, "The aS trap Of Western Anatolia And The Greeks" (2017). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2473. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2473 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2473 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The aS trap Of Western Anatolia And The Greeks Abstract This dissertation explores the extent to which Persian policies in the western satrapies originated from the provincial capitals in the Anatolian periphery rather than from the royal centers in the Persian heartland in the fifth ec ntury BC. I begin by establishing that the Persian administrative apparatus was a product of a grand reform initiated by Darius I, which was aimed at producing a more uniform and centralized administrative infrastructure. In the following chapter I show that the provincial administration was embedded with chancellors, scribes, secretaries and military personnel of royal status and that the satrapies were periodically inspected by the Persian King or his loyal agents, which allowed to central authorities to monitory the provinces. In chapter three I delineate the extent of satrapal authority, responsibility and resources, and conclude that the satraps were supplied with considerable resources which enabled to fulfill the duties of their office. After the power dynamic between the Great Persian King and his provincial governors and the nature of the office of satrap has been analyzed, I begin a diachronic scrutiny of Greco-Persian interactions in the fifth century BC. -
An Introduction to Old Persian Prods Oktor Skjærvø
An Introduction to Old Persian Prods Oktor Skjærvø Copyright © 2016 by Prods Oktor Skjærvø Please do not cite in print without the author’s permission. This Introduction may be distributed freely as a service to teachers and students of Old Iranian. In my experience, it can be taught as a one-term full course at 4 hrs/w. My thanks to all of my students and colleagues, who have actively noted typos, inconsistencies of presentation, etc. TABLE OF CONTENTS Select bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 9 Sigla and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................... 12 Lesson 1 ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 Old Persian and old Iranian. .................................................................................................................... 13 Script. Origin. .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Script. Writing system. ........................................................................................................................... 14 The syllabary. .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Logograms. ............................................................................................................................................ -
The Achaemenid Legacy in the Arsakid Period
Studia Litteraria Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis 2019, special issue, pp. 175–186 Volume in Honour of Professor Anna Krasnowolska doi:10.4467/20843933ST.19.032.10975 www.ejournals.eu/Studia-Litteraria HTTP://ORCID.ORG/0000-0001-6709-752X MAREK JAN OLBRYCHT University of Rzeszów, Poland e-mail: [email protected] The Memory of the Past: the Achaemenid Legacy in the Arsakid Period Abstract The Achaemenid Empire, established by Cyrus the Great, provided a model looked up to by subsequent empires on the territory of Iran and the Middle East, including the empires ruled by Alexander of Macedonia, the Seleukids, and the Arsakids. Achaemenid patterns were eagerly imitated by minor rulers of Western Asia, including Media Atropatene, Armenia, Pontos, Kappadokia and Kommagene. The Arsakids harked back to Achaemenids, but their claims to the Achaemenid descendance were sporadic. Besides, there were no genealogical links between the Arsakids and Achaemenid satraps contrary to the dynastic patterns com- mon in the Hellenistic Middle East. Keywords: Iran, Cyrus the Great, Achaemenids, Arsakids, Achaemenid legacy In this article I shall try to explain why some rulers of the Arsakid period associa- ted their dynasty with the Achaemenids and what the context was of such declara- tions. The focus of this study is on the kings of Parthia from Arsakes I (248–211 B.C.) to Phraates IV (37–3/2 B.C.). The Achaemenids established the world’s first universal empire, spanning ter- ritories on three continents – Asia, Africa, and (temporary) Europe. The power of the Persians was founded by Cyrus the Great (559–530 B.C.), eulogised by the Iranians, Jews, Babylonian priests, and Greeks as well, who managed to make a not very numerous people inhabiting the lands along the Persian Gulf masters of an empire stretching from Afghanistan to the Aegean Sea, giving rise to the largest state of those times. -
Places and Peoples in Central Asia Graeco-Roman
PLACES AND PEOPLES IN CENTRAL ASIA AND IN THE GRAECO-ROMAN NEAR EAST ¥]-^µ A MULTILINGUAL GAZETTEER COMPILED FOR THE SERICA PROJECT FROM SELECT PRE-ISLAMIC SOURCES BY PROF. SAMUEL N.C. LIEU FRAS, FRHISTS, FSA, FAHA Visiting Fellow, Wolfson College, Cambridge and Inaugural Distinguished Professor in Ancient History, Macquarie University, Sydney ¥]-^µ ANCIENT INDIA AND IRAN TRUST (AIIT) CAMBRIDGE, UK AND ANCIENT CULTURES RESEARCH CENTRE (ACRC) MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, NSW, AUSTRALIA (JULY, 2012) ABBREVIATIONS Acta Mari = The Acts of Mār Mārī the CPD = A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary, ed. Apostle, ed. and trans. A. Harrak D. MacKenzie (Oxford, 1971). (Atlanta, 2005). Ctes. = Ctesias. AI = Acta Iranica (Leiden – Téhéran- DCBT = W.E. Soothill and L. Hodous Liège 1974f.) (eds.) A Dictionary of Chinese Akk. = Akkadian (language). Buddhist Terms (London, 1934). Amm. = Ammianus Marcellinus. DB = Inscription of Darius at Behistan, cf. Anc. Lett. = Sogdian Ancient Letters, ed. OP 116-135. H. Reichelt, Die soghdischen DB (Akk.) = The Bisitun Inscription of Handschriften-reste des Britischen Darius the Great- Babylonian Version, Museums, 2 vols. (Heidelberg 1928- ed. E.N. von Voigtlander, CII, Pt. I, 1931), ii, 1-42. Vol. 2 (London, 1978). A?P = Inscription of Artaxerxes II or III at DB (Aram.) = The Bisitun Inscription of Persepolis, cf. OP 15-56. Darius the Great- Aramaic Version, Aram. = Aramaic (language). eds. J.C. Greenfield and B. Porten, CII, Arm. = Armenian (language). Pt. I, Vol. 5 (London, 1982). Arr. = Flavius Arrianus. Déd. = J.T. Milik, Dédicaces faites par Athan. Hist. Arian. = Athanasius, Historia des dieux (Palmyra, Hatra, Tyr et des Arianorum ad Monachos, PG 25.691- thiases sémitiques à l'époque romaine 796. -
The Northern Provinces
Trauma Mon. 2015 February; 20(1): e25730. DOI: 10.5812/traumamon.25730 Editorial Published online 2015 February 25. National Getaways for the Weary Trauma Surgeon; Part 2: The Northern Provinces 1,* Mohammad Hosein Kalantar Motamedi 1Trauma Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran *Corresponding author : Mohammad Hosein Kalantar Motamedi, Trauma Research Center, Office of the Editor, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran. Tel: +98- 9121937154, Fax: +98-2188053766, E-mail: [email protected] Received: ; Accepted: January 10, 2015 January 15, 2015 Keywords: Trauma; Surgeon; Workload As we all well know, the trauma surgeon is oftentimes Provinces of Northern Iran over-stressed because of high workload and numerous Northern Iran is a trendy spot, especially amongst for- professional responsibilities; thus, it is not surprising eign tourists. It is a resort destination with numerous at- that he or she unknowingly neglects the much-needed tractions and all types of modern recreational facilities occasional release of physical and mental stress. A build- as well as natural resources and a tourism infrastructure. up of stress is detrimental to health and impairs both The major provinces, Gilan and Mazandaran, border the manual and mental function. It has been reported that Caspian’s impressive shorelines and are covered with doctors practicing in stressful medical professions are of- dense forests and snow-covered mountain peaks. The ten over-stressed with limited ability to work efficiently major cities are Amol, Babol, Anzali, Rasht, Calus (also (1-3). It is therefore imperative that surgeons take time Chalous) and Sari. Northern Iran has scenic villages, par- off periodically to get away and release stress. -
Central Asia Under and After Alexander
Book of abstracts of the International conference SEEN FROM OXYARTES´ ROCK: CENTRAL ASIA UNDER AND AFTER ALEXANDER Third Meeting of the Hellenistic Central Asia Research Network 14—16 November 2018 Faculty of Arts, Charles University Prague © the individual authors © Editors: Ladislav Stančo, Gunvor Lindström, Rachel Mairs, Jakub Havlík © Cover image: Tomáš Smělý – Abalon, s.r.o.; Coin image: Ladislav Stančo © Drawings: Polina Kazakova © Layout, cover and print: Abalon, s.r.o. © Published by: Charles University, Faculty of Arts, 2018 ISBN 978-80-7308-877-4 The conference is organized by the Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAR), Faculty of Arts, Charles University. Organizing cometee Prague organizing team Editors of the volume Ladislav Stančo Anna Augustinová Ladislav Stančo Gunvor Lindström Petra Cejnarová Gunvor Lindström Rachel Mairs Jakub Havlík Rachel Mairs Helena Tůmová Jakub Havlík The work was created with the financial support of NEURON – Benevolent fund for Support of Science. The work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund-Project „Creativity and Adaptability as Conditions of the Success of Europe in an Interrelated World” (No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000734). 3 Introduction The events directly connected with the campaign of Alexander the Great in Central Asia are described vividly and in detail by ancient Greek authors and have been thoroughly evaluated by modern historians. Numismatic studies have reconstructed the history of the following centuries. However, our understanding of the (mutual?) acculturation following the campaign remains limited. The aim of the conference was to discuss what actually happened in Central Asia at that time. It takes as much as possible a local point of view and ask how local people experienced these turbulent developments, and how they coped with the strange newcomers. -
The History of Parthia
1 962:151g The Parthians I. Introduction A. The Importance of the Parthians 1. The Persian Resurgence a) demonstrates continued vigor of Iranians b) unlike other Middle Eastern peoples, the Iranians maintain their identity and political power in the face of outside invasion (1) first, Greeks (2) then, Romans (3) then, Arabs (4) then, European imperialism and colonialism 2. They Were A Major Power for 470 Years: 247 BCE - 227 CE a) They destroyed the Seleucid kingdom b) They blocked Roman expansion into Mesopotamia and Armenia B. Sources of Information 1. Literary Sources Are Very Scanty a) almost nothing that is itself Parthian b) most comes from hostile or disdainful Greek and Roman writers 2. Epigraphic Material Is Limited a) Some Greek inscriptions from Parthia b) Some Parthian and Aramaic inscriptions on jewelry 3. There Is Minimal Archeological Material a) very little excavation in Iran prior to 1979 b) none at all since 1979 C. The Origins of the Parthians 1. The Name „Parthia‟ a) actually the Greek form of the Achaemenid name (Parthava) of a satrapy in northern Iran 2. The „Parni‟ a) their name for themselves b) members of a semi-nomadic Dahae confederacy north of Hyrcania, between the Caspian and Aral Seas II. The Rise of Arsacid Parthia A. The Establishment of the Parthian Kingdom 1. The Rebellion Against Seleucid Rule in 238 BCE a) led by their chieftain, Arsaces, the Parni expel Andragoras, the rebel Seleucid governor of Parthia, from his province (1) they then permanently occupy the district of Astavene (Astrabad) in the province of Parthia (2) the Seleucids were distracted and weakened at the time (a) dynastic civil war (b) Ptolemaic invasion of Babylonia 2 (3) eastern provinces in Afghanistan break away at this time under their Greek governor, Diodotus, who founds the Greek kingdom of Bactria b) Arsaces claims to be the successor of the Achaemenids B. -
Map 96 Hyrcania Compiled by E.J
Map 96 Hyrcania Compiled by E.J. Keall and M. Roaf, 1997 Introduction Portions of four natural regions dominate the map: the Caspian Sea (for its level, see the Introduction to Map 90); the flat plains east of it; the Alburz mountains; and the central desert of Iran. The region is not well-known archaeologically. The Gurgan plain has been surveyed by Kiani (1982), and the region round [Damghan] by Trinkhaus (1989); but very little research has been carried out elsewhere. Because the coastal plains south of the Caspian receive abundant rainfall, they are intensely farmed today, and were no doubt densely settled in antiquity too, as was the Gurgan plain. Otherwise, human settlement was only possible where water was available. Today, many settlements south of the Alburz mountains are dependent on the tapping of the groundwater by means of underground canals known as qanats. It is uncertain how early this technology was exploited in the region. The lower slopes of the Alburz support extensive forests and may well have contained permanent settlements, but the more elevated regions would only have been used by herders in the summer months. The lack of rainfall to the north of the Gurgan plain, as well as south of the Alburz, means that few permanent settlements existed there. The “Alexander Wall” or “Red Snake,” running for approximately 95 miles, formed the border of Hyrcania, and served as a barrier against the tribes to the north (Kiani 1982). It was probably erected in the Parthian period, but remained in use in the Sasanian period (when some of the forts along it may have been built). -
Speech of Alexander the Great, from the Campaigns of Alexander
Ancient History Sourcebook: Arrian: Speech of Alexander the Great, from The Campaigns of Alexander I observe, gentlemen, that when I would lead you on a new venture you no longer follow me with your old spirit. I have asked you to meet me that we may come to a decision together: are we, upon my advice, to go forward, or, upon yours, to turn back? If you have any complaint to make about the results of your efforts hitherto, or about myself as your commander, there is no more to say. But let me remind you: through your courage and endurance you have gained possession of Ionia, the Hellespont, both Phrygias, Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, Lydia, Caria, Lycia, Pamphylia, Phoenicia, and Egypt; the Greek part of Libya is now yours, together with much of Arabia, lowland Syria, Mesopotamia, Babylon, and Susia; Persia and Media with all the territories either formerly controlled by them or not are in your hands; you have made yourselves masters of the lands beyond the Caspian Gates, beyond the Caucasus, beyond the Tanais, of Bactria, Hyrcania, and the Hyrcanian sea; we have driven the Scythians back into the desert; and Indus and Hydaspes, Acesines and Hydraotes flow now through country which is ours. With all that accomplished, why do you hesitate to extend the power of Macedon--yourpower--to the Hyphasis and the tribes on the other side ? Are you afraid that a few natives who may still be left will offer opposition? Come, come! These natives either surrender without a blow or are caught on the run--or leave their country undefended for your taking; and when we take it, we make a present of it to those who have joined us of their own free will and fight on our side. -
Analysis of the Achaemenid Decline Based on the Theory of Political Instability David Saunders
Annals of Global History Volume 1, Issue 2, 2019, PP 17-24 ISSN 2642-8172 Analysis of the Achaemenid Decline Based on the Theory of Political Instability David Saunders Zahra Hosseinpour1*, Majid Rafiei2, Abdolreza Alishahi3, Zahra Pakzad4 1Master's degree in Executive Master of Business Administration at Tehran University, Tehran, Iran 2Graduate Master of International Relations at Isfahan University, Isfahan, Iran 3Ph.D in Political Science at Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran 4MSc International Relations at the University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran *Corresponding Author: Zahra Hosseinpour, Master's degree in Executive Master of Business Administration at Tehran University, Tehran, Iran, Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT The Achaemenids are one of the most powerful and lasting dynasties in ancient Persia, founded by Cyrus the Great. The territory of this dynasty was very wide, extending from the Sind Valley in India to the Nile in Egypt and the Benghazi area in Libya today and from the Danube River in Europe to Central Asia. In this vast state, many tribes lived in their own customs, and maintained their own state and ethnic culture. In fact, the country's most important characteristic was respect for individual and ethnic freedom and the respect for law and order, and the encouragement of indigenous arts and culture as well as the promotion of commerce and art. This authoritative and widespread government process continued to evolve to a point where the dynasty led to the collapse of this powerful dynasty. In this article, -
Map 3 Asia Occidentalis Compiled by M
Map 3 Asia Occidentalis Compiled by M. Roaf and the Project Office, 1998 Introduction Most of the territory shown only on this map consists of the deserts of Arabia, inland Iran and central Asia. Note that the areas marked with the “dry lake, wadi” symbol in inland Iran are treacherous “kavir,” a thin dry crust covering liquid mud beneath; many travelers have perished when the crust gave way beneath their feet. The only regions with significant settlement are in southern Iran (eastern Persis and Carmania) and Sistan (Drangiane). Very little archaeological fieldwork has been carried out in south-east Iran and western Afghanistan, and there are many outstanding problems concerning the historical geography of these regions between the beginning of the Achaemenid period and the end of the Sasanian. The standard works on Islamic historical geography (Schwarz 1896; Le Strange 1905) are based on written sources, and do not take into consideration any twentieth-century archaeological investigations; the same general point applies to entries in RE. The suggestions made by these scholars for the identification of ancient place names are often based on the similarity of modern and ancient ones; they are sometimes plausible, but seldom certain. In several cases it is certain that names have moved from one settlement to another. Sometimes the distances are not great: for example, Sasanian and early Islamic Darabgird is little more than four miles from modern Darab, and Sasanian and early Islamic Sirjan is about ten miles from the modern town of the same name. But in other cases the distances are greater: [Bardasir], for example, is about forty miles from modern Kerman. -
Perceptions from Beyond: Some Observations on Non-Roman Assessments of the Roman Empire from the Great Eastern Trade Routes
CHAPTER 8 Perceptions from Beyond: Some Observations on Non-Roman Assessments of the Roman Empire from the Great Eastern Trade Routes Anne Kolb and Michael A. Speidel 1 Transcontinental Connectivity Centuries of continuous warfare and successful expansion turned the Roman Empire into the single dominant power in the Mediterranean basin. Yet, although Roman warfare never fully came to an end, the countryside and the two to three thousand cities of the Empire in Italy and the provinces experi- enced many uninterrupted decades of peaceful prosperity from the beginning of the imperial era onwards. This prosperous Roman world, the orbis Romanus, owed much of its success to an extensive network of communication lines by land and sea, through which it was interconnected and accessible. The devel- opment of the imperial transport and communication infrastructure reflects both the pragmatic and systematic approaches of the Romans: Building on existing local lines of communication, the Romans took over, expanded or constructed new roads in the deployment zones and in the countries they had conquered. Thereby, they systematically and consistently linked newly acquired territory with the center. In a next step following the establishment of peace—especially under the Empire—, Roman building programs improved and further expanded traffic connections in the subjected areas incorporated into the road network in order to penetrate the territory of the empire. All ele- ments of this network by land and sea made up an estimated length of around 500.000 kilometers.1 Nevertheless, even today this network is often thought of as a closed sys- tem, covering only the Roman world.