Ancient Persia

Iran Persepolis - Seals and Seal Impressions

Iran Persepolis - Seals and Seal Impressions Seals and seal impressions found at the ancient site of Persepolis in Iran provide valuable insights into the administrative and economic activities of the Achaemenid Empire. These seals, typically made of stone or metal, were used to authenticate documents and goods, much like modern-day signatures. T...

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The Early Achaemenid Persian Army - Equipment

Herodotus described the equipment of the Median and Persian infantry: "They wore soft caps called tiaras, multicoloured sleeved tunics with iron scale armour looking like the scales of fish, and trousers. Instead of aspides they carried gerrha with their bows cases slung below them. They carried short spears, large bows, cane arrows and daggers han...

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Achaemenid Army

After Kuroush (Cyrus) overthrew Astayges, unifying the Median and Persian tribes, with himself at the helm, he continued to expand his empire. Though Kuroush was immortalized in the bible for his great tolerance, his military genius helped him overcome many enemies in combat. He trained his soldiers through hefty routines to condition them for comb...

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Salamis - Second Persian War

The plan to stop the Persians at Thermopylae hadn't worked, and, in the late summer of 480 BC, the Persian army was marching south towards Athens. The Greeks got together to discuss what to do....

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Encyclopedia Mythica: Persian Mythology

The beliefs and practices of the culturally and linguistically related group of ancient peoples who inhabited the Iranian Plateau and its borderlands, as well as areas of Central Asia from the Black Sea to Khotan (modern Ho-t'ien, China). Much of the information about Persian (old-Iranian) gods can be found in the religious texts from Zarathustra s...

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COLOSSAL BULL HEAD

Carved in the court style typical of the Achaemenid Empire, this highly polished stone head originally belonged to one of two guardian bulls flanking the portico of the hundred-columned Throne Hall at Persepolis. The heads of the bulls projected in the round and the bodies were carved in relief on the sidewalls of the porch; the ears and horns had ...

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IRAN: Persepolis - Tomb of Artaxerxes II

(Tomb V), Upper Register and Entablature of Lower Register....

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IRAN: Naqsh-i-Rustam - Cliff with Royal Tombs

In Foreground, the Excavated Fortification Wall....

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The Persian Wars

In the 5th century BC the vast Persian Empire attempted to conquer Greece. If the Persians had succeeded, they would have set up local tyrants, called satraps, to rule Greece and would have crushed the first stirrings of democracy in Europe. The survival of Greek culture and political ideals depended on the ability of the small, disunited Greek cit...

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Maritime Trade and Naval Power in the Achaemenid Empire

The Achaemenid Empire, one of the most influential empires in ancient history, owed much of its power and prosperity to maritime trade and naval dominance. Spanning from the Aegean Sea to the Indus River, the empire's control over key maritime routes facilitated extensive trade networks that connected distant regions. Under the rule of Cyrus the G...

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