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Ancient Persia

Alexander Defeats the Persians, 331 BC

Alexander began his war against the Persians in 334 BC. At the time the Macedonian leader was twenty-two years old. At his death eleven years later, Alexander ruled the largest empire of the ancient world. His victory at the battle of Gaugamela on the Persian plains was a decisive conquest that insured the defeat of his Persian rival King Darius II...

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Persian Wars of Conquest

B.C. 550-512. Persian Empire versus Medes, Lydia, Babylon, Egypt and Scythia. The Persian Empire was the great rival of Ancient Greece during its Golden Age. It came to prominence under Cyrus the Great in 550 B.C., and lasted until it was overthrown by the Macedonians under Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.. During this period, Persia was the largest...

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Battle of Cunaxa 410 B.C.

The Achaemenid King, Darius II died in 404 B.C. and was succeeded by his eldest son, Artaxerxes II. The death of Darius had precipitated a power struggle between Artaxerxes II and his brother, 'Cyrus, the younger', the satrap of Anatolia, which culminated in the battle of Cunaxa 401 B.C. near Babylon. A description of the battle is preserved in det...

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Demons in Ancient Iranian Literature

Iran Chamber Society: A Mythological Glance at Demons in Ancient Iranian Literature The Book of Kings (Shahnameh) has it that during the rule of the legendary king of Persian, Jamshid, demons worked as engineers and architects to build bathhouses, bridges and houses. As one can understand from Firdawsi's poems, demons were like humans or those wit...

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Iran Bull Head

This dark grey limestone bull head, over six feet tall, was one of a pair of statues which flanked the entrance to the Throne Hall at Persepolis. The body of the bull, which was carved in relief on the wall of the portico, was left at the site. In preparation for its installation in the gallery, the subfloor was reinforced, and "I" beams were insta...

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PAINTED BOWL

Many of the pottery vessels from the site of Tall-i-Bakun in the plain of Persepolis show a highly sophisticated use of negative designs in conjunction with more usual painted patterns. On this bowl, two patterns alternate in rhythmic sequence. One is a painted design of anthropomorphic inspiration with a "head" flanked by upraised "arms" facing bo...

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Persepolis - Unfinished Tomb of Darius III

Showing Partly Completed Reliefs on the Facade....

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Relief of Gobryas, Head and Inscription -Darius Tomb

IRAN: Naqsh-i-Rustam - Tomb of Darius I. Relief of Gobryas, Close-up of Head and Inscription Above, Top Register....

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History of Iran: Parthian Army

The Greco-Persian wars and Alexander's victories proved that light-armed troops could not stop heavy, well-trained, and brilliantly led infantry of the type of hoplites or phalanx. These could only be encountered with heavily armed and highly professional cavalry causing disorder in the massed ranks and then attacking them on vulnerable points with...

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The Battle of Marathon, 490 B.C.

The battle of Marathon is one of history's most famous military engagements. It is also one of the earliest recorded battles. Their victory over the Persian invaders gave the fledgling Greek city states confidence in their ability to defend themselves and belief in their continued existence. The battle is therefore considered a defining moment in t...

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