Ancient Persia on the map. Ancient world

What comes to mind most people when they hear the name of the state of Iran? Revolution, nuclear program, opposition to the West? Unfortunately, many people judge Iran based on the press reports of the last thirty years, but this is exactly what they say. However, any Iranian will readily tell you that his home country has a completely different story. The documented history of the state spans approximately 2,500 years, up to the modern Islamic Republic of Iran. The republic was founded in 1979 as a result of a revolution, the main inspirer of which was the conservative clergy. This is probably the world's first modern constitutional theocracy and the greatest experiment: can a country be effectively governed by religious leaders who oblige a people with the rich history of Persia to live according to the law of Allah? The Iranian character cannot be separated into its components - it combines Persian, Islamic, and Western. Moreover, Persian notes have nothing to do with Islamic culture.

In the 7th century, Persia became part of the Arab Caliphate. Since then, the heirs of the empire have been making every effort to preserve their national character and their identity.

The fight for the right to be a slave. In Iran I was a guest, and a guest here has the highest status. He is given the best place at the table and treated to the juiciest fruits. This is one of the rules of a complex system of politeness - taarof. It determines all life here. Hospitality, courtship, family relationships, political negotiations - taarof is an unwritten code that defines how people should behave with each other. This word comes from the Arabic “arafa”, which translates as “to know”, “to receive knowledge”. But the idea of ​​ta'arof—to debase oneself while exalting another—is of Persian origin, says William Beaman, a linguist-anthropologist at the University of Minnesota. He called it “the struggle for the right to be a slave of the situation,” but an exquisitely refined struggle. In Iranian society, with its complex hierarchical structure, such interaction, paradoxically, allows people to communicate on equal terms. True, sometimes Iranians get so carried away, trying to please each other (at least in appearance) and refusing offers (also in appearance) that it becomes difficult to understand what they really want. They chat casually, alternately making requests and then refusing - and so on until they comprehend all the plans of the interlocutor. Courtesy and outward sincerity while hiding true feelings are a skillful pretense! – are considered the pinnacle of taarof and a huge social achievement. “You should never show your intentions or your true self,” explains a former Iranian political prisoner now living in France. “You need to make sure you’re not putting yourself in danger.” And there are always plenty of dangers in Iran.” Conflict based on territorial grounds. Indeed, Iran's long history is replete with wars and invasions. The cause of all conflicts is territorial. Riches and a good strategic location provoked one invasion after another. Persia experienced several downfalls and revivals. Among the conquerors were Turks, Mongols and, most importantly, Arabs, inspired by the new religion - Islam. It was they who managed to finally pacify Persia in the 7th century, which became part of the Arab Caliphate. Since then, the heirs of the empire have been making every effort to preserve their national character and their identity. The hearts and spirits of these people are not so easily changed. During any invasion, the Persians managed to remain themselves, passing on traditions to the conquerors. Thus, Alexander the Great, having destroyed conquered Persia, later adopted its customs and principles of state structure. He even took a Persian woman (Roxana) as his wife and ordered thousands of his warriors to follow his example. Iranians pride themselves on getting along with strangers. They accept the customs of the invaders that they like, but they do not abandon their own. Cultural flexibility is the basis of the Persian character. In the ruins of the ancient capital, Persepolis, burned by Alexander the Great, images on stone walls have been preserved. The drawings indicate the friendly atmosphere that reigned at that time: representatives of different nations presented each other with gifts, welcomingly placing their hands on their shoulders. It seems that at that time, in an era of barbarism and cruelty, Persepolis demonstrated cosmopolitanism. The territory of today's Iran was already inhabited ten thousand years ago. The Aryans, to whom Iran owes its modern name (it comes from the word airanam, which means “country of the Aryans”), began to inhabit this region around 1500 BC. Scientists have yet to make many discoveries related to the history of the country. There are already tens of thousands of archaeological sites in Iran. At one of them, in the southeast of the country, near the city of Jiroft, work began in 2000. It appeared thanks to a flash flood on the Khalil River, which exposed thousands of ancient tombs. Excavations have been going on there for only a few seasons, but the most interesting objects have already been found. Among them is a bronze head of a goat, which is believed to be five thousand years old. Perhaps Jiroft is the center of civilization from ancient Mesopotamia.

In the 6th century BC, King Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty founded the First Persian Empire, which later became the largest and most powerful kingdom of antiquity. At its peak under Cyrus' successor Darius, the empire's possessions extended from the Mediterranean to the Indus River.

The excavations here are led by the famous archaeologist Yousef Majidzade. Some time ago he headed the department of archeology at the University of Tehran; after the revolution, he lost his job and left for France. But in recent years, he says, a lot has changed in Iran, such as a renewed interest in archaeology. And so he arrived home to explore the tombs near Jiroft. Territory of sensations. What era does the find belong to? Youssef believes these may be traces of the mythical Aratta, which existed around 2700 BC. Some researchers believe that it was in Aratta that marvelous handicrafts were created, which then found their way to Mesopotamia. But there is no evidence yet, and other scientists are skeptical. In the 6th century BC, King Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty founded the First Persian Empire, which later became the largest and most powerful kingdom of antiquity. The king was a brave, modest, kind ruler. The empire he created is called the first power where religious and cultural tolerance existed. It united more than twenty-three peoples who coexisted peacefully under a single central authority, which at first was concentrated in Pasargadae. At its peak under Cyrus' successor Darius, the empire's possessions extended from the Mediterranean to the Indus River. It turns out that Persia was the first world superpower! “We would like to return to those times,” says Saeed Leylaz, a Tehran economist and political scientist. “Over the centuries, the borders have narrowed, but the memory of the superpower and past greatness remains.” Thoughts about the grandiose achievements of the past are supported by archaeological finds. Among them is the Cyrus Cylinder, perhaps the most stunning object found in Iran. On a clay cylinder (the original is kept in London, in the British Museum) a decree is carved in cuneiform, which can be considered the first charter of human rights, and this document is almost two millennia older than the Magna Carta. The decree establishes religious and ethnic freedoms, a ban on slavery and any oppression, seizure of property by force or without compensation. And the conquered lands themselves decided whether to submit to the authority of Cyrus. “The top hat is far from the only example of how Iran has surprised the world,” said Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer who won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. “Many foreigners are amazed when they learn that sixty-five percent of our college students are girls. And when they see Iranian painting and architecture, they don’t believe their eyes! They judge us only by what they have heard over the past thirty years.”

“In addition to the Persians, many different nationalities live in Iran today,” says archaeologist Yousef. “But they all know Farsi, one of the oldest living languages ​​in the world.”

When I asked people what the world should know about them, they immediately answered: “We are not Arabs!” And they immediately added: “We are not terrorists!” The Arabs who conquered Iran are considered by many here to be something like Bedouins, who did not have their own culture other than the one they adopted from the Persians. Iranians still talk about them with such hostility, as if not fourteen centuries had passed, but a couple of months. Saving lines. To preserve themselves, the Persians continued to speak their native language. Poetry helped protect him from dissolving into foreign speech. Iranians idolize Rumi, Saadi, Omar Khayyam, Hafez. But still, the main national poet is Ferdowsi, who lived in the 10th century. When the Arabs first conquered Persia, its inhabitants could not openly express their thoughts, moreover, in their native language. Ferdowsi did it for them. The poet was a devout Muslim, but resisted Arab influence. Trying to use fewer Arabic words, over the course of thirty years he created the poetic epic “Shahnameh” (“Book of Kings”). This masterpiece of world literature describes the stories of fifty monarchies: the accession of kings to the throne, their deaths, frequent abdications of power and coups. The epic ends with the Arab conquest, described as a disaster. The tales of the Shahnameh feature warring kings and warrior heroes, the latter almost always being morally superior to the rulers they serve. These stories raise the problem of righteous people falling under the rule of the evil or incompetent. Since the Shahnameh was written, the language has been somewhat Arabized, but its basis remains Old Persian. “In addition to the Persians, many different nationalities live in Iran today: Turkmens, Arabs, Azerbaijanis, Baluchis, Kurds and others,” says archaeologist Yousef. “But they all know Farsi, one of the oldest living languages ​​in the world.” The original Shahnameh has long been lost. One of the copies is kept in the Golestan Palace Museum in Tehran and dates from around 1430. The caretaker, a pretty girl named Behnaz Tabrizi, showed it to me. The illustrations - twenty-two in total - are made with ink from stone dust mixed with the juice of flower petals. Today this book is considered one of the main relics of Iran. They say that any Iranian, educated or not, can quote Ferdowsi. Readings are held regularly - in colleges, at someone's home, or in traditional Persian teahouses. In one of these teahouses, Azari (in the south of Tehran), where the walls are painted with scenes from the Shahnameh, I listened to a reader reciting passages from the great book. Then the musicians performed traditional songs, to which the children danced. And the parents watching the dance sipped tea from elegant glasses, snacking on dates and cookies.

When the Arabs came with what they thought was a new idea of ​​worshiping a single god, the Persians had known monotheism for more than a thousand years.

One holiday. Poetry is not the only means by which the Persians managed to preserve their culture. Take, for example, Navruz - the spring holiday of the equinox, also known as the New Year. Today it is celebrated not only in Iran, but also in the republics of Central Asia and Transcaucasia. This is a thirteen-day extravaganza during which everything is closed and people walk, dance, and read poetry. The tradition of Nowruz dates back to Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of the Persians. The teachings of Zarathustra (Greek - Zoroaster) influenced many beliefs, including the main world religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. When the Arabs came with what they thought was a new idea of ​​worshiping a single god, the Persians had known monotheism for more than a thousand years. “The heavens are forcing us!” What happens to ancient Persian traditions today? Until 1979, the country was ruled by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who, hiding behind the great ideas of Cyrus, implanted the music, clothing, behavior and business interests of the West. In 1971, he tried to artificially instill national pride in people by organizing an ostentatious celebration in honor of the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire. A luxurious tent city was set up at the entrance to Persepolis, food was brought from Paris, and the guests included important people from all over the world. But the Iranians did not like the idea of ​​the Shah. In 1979, as a result of the revolution, conservative Islamists came to power who did not want to revive the Persian spirit - quite the contrary! Thus, they tried to downplay the significance of Nowruz, proposing to move the New Year to the birthday of Imam Ali, the historical leader of the Shiites, which includes the majority of Iranians. “The authorities even resorted to arrests,” my friend Ali told me. “But our holiday cannot be canceled - after all, it is more than two and a half thousand years old!” Today, reformist priests, one of the centers of power in Iran, are calling on Iranians to be Muslims without being Arabs, and also not to forget about ancient history. After the revolution, at first people perceived the revival of Islam as a cleansing from Western influence. Meanwhile, many Iranians are naturally closer to the teachings of Zoroastrianism, according to which the goal of spiritual quest is self-knowledge. And although at first the Iranians did not object to the strengthening of the role of Islam in the life of society, they were not prepared for the fact that the new order would be imposed so harshly. People never expected that religious leaders would begin to interfere in both the judicial system and everyday life. Punishments were introduced in the spirit of the Middle Ages (they have survived to this day): the guilty were stoned, hanged, their fingers and even limbs were cut off. Now the central authorities discourage some of these rituals, but in the provinces conservative mullahs adamantly observe the traditions. All this is motivated by the righteous goal of serving Allah and preparing oneself for life in paradise. “The heavens are forcing us!” – says Ali. Forward to the past. After the revolution, the doors to the West were closed for a decade. The ruling conservative clergy has minimized any manifestations of culture dating back to the pre-Islamic period (in all Muslim countries it is called jahiliyya, the era of ignorance). Zoroastrian symbols were replaced with Islamic ones, streets were renamed, and references to the Persian Empire disappeared from textbooks. At one time, people also feared for the fate of Ferdowsi’s burial place - a large mausoleum made of light stone in the suburbs of the holy city of Mashhad, with an amazing mirror pond, over which the hubbub of birds hovering around the columns can be heard. Even Persepolis was threatened to be razed to the ground. “But they realized that then the people would rebel, and they left everything in its place,” Ali said. It seems that the Islamic Revolution—the “second Arab invasion,” as it is called—only strengthened the connection with the past that it had tried so hard to eradicate. Young Iranians also keep the memory of the glorious Persian past. One of them is underground rap artist Yas, a guy with black crew-cut hair and stylish long sideburns. On his neck is a silver Fravahar - a Zoroastrian winged disk, symbolizing the exaltation of the soul through pious thoughts, words and deeds. The young man belongs to the revolution generation that grew up after 1979, which makes up more than two-thirds of the country's 70 million population. He sings about Persian poets, about ancient ancestors, about the history of Iran. Yas also criticizes his fellow citizens for only resting on the laurels of the great past. In recent years, Iranians have begun to awaken to that part of their national self-awareness that is associated with the idea that they are direct descendants of perhaps the most ancient human race. So, they told me about the recent action at the tomb of Cyrus. Approximately two thousand people bought multiple entry tickets on one day, wanting to support the restoration of the burial site. The action was unofficial - without speeches and ceremonies. But new archaeological excavations, unfortunately, are still moving slowly. “The country has a lot to worry about, and archeology is not in the first place,” says researcher Yousef Majidzadeh. However, according to him, after the discoveries near Jiroft, all the provinces became excited about excavations. Now the tiniest town dreams of telling the world its own Iranian story.

Persia existed for more than two and a half thousand years. It was once a great and powerful state with rich cultural achievements. But today not everyone knows what happened to it and where it is located today.

Today, the modern country of Persia, as in former times, is a fairly developed state economically and culturally. But let's look into the past...

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History of Persia

In the 6th century BC in the territory Middle East Persian tribes appeared. In a short period, under the leadership of King Cyrus II, they managed to achieve significant military successes. The power of the Persian army became so great that Babylon surrendered to the Persians without a fight.

Cyrus II personally participated in battles and died in one of them in 530 BC. His successor Cambyses the second led the Persian army and it successfully conquered ancient Egypt. The territories of Persia began to extend from India to the Aegean Sea. Persia held a huge amount of land under its influence for more than two hundred years until the 4th century BC. The history of this ancient country is well described on Wikipedia.

Dark times came for Persia with the campaigns Alexander the Great. The desire to avenge the sack of Athens led to large-scale battles in which Persia suffered many defeats. The entire royal family of the Achaemenids ceased to exist, and Persia was subjected to humiliating oppression by the Greeks for two long centuries.

Parthians managed to overthrow the Greeks, after which Artaxerxes became ruler. He tried to return the former greatness to the lands of ancient Persia and revived the empire.

In fact, this is the beginning of the era of the second Persian Empire. Persia existed in this format until the seventh century AD, after which its influence greatly weakened and it was absorbed Arab Caliphate.

After the advent of the Islamic period, Persia was divided into several separate lands with their own rulers, who came to power through violent means, and were at war with each other. The fragmentation allowed the Mongol invasion to easily raid and plunder Persian cities.

The country officially began to be called in 1935. For many, the name has become completely unknown and not everyone always understands what kind of state it is. But not for the Persians themselves. This decision was made in rather difficult times in order to free itself from the past trace of the Persian empire. The word Aryān itself appeared around the 6th century AD. This is what the Persians called themselves because they were Aryans or Aryans. Over time, the language changed and the name also changed to its current form.

Where is Persia

It is quite difficult to answer exactly where Persia is located on a modern map. After all, countries have constantly undergone territorial changes. At the height of its influence, Persia controlled large areas of the following modern countries:

This is an incomplete list of countries in which Persia once existed. But these days, when talking about Persia, there is most often a reference to Iran. That's what it's called now. It was on the soil of this country that the key events in the existence of the Persian state took place.

This is where the greatest cultural influence of the once great empire remains. A more detailed map of the location of ancient Persian possessions can be studied on Wikipedia.

Country today

Modern is not a scary revolutionary country with nuclear developments as it is described in many media. The interweaving of several cultures at once is concentrated here: Western, Islamic and Persian proper.

The people of Iran are very courteous and friendly towards guests. Thousands of years of invasion by different peoples have taught the native Iranians to get along with almost everyone. But behind the external friendliness lies the intention to find out in detail for what purpose the interlocutor arrived.

This behavior allowed the Iranian people to preserve their rich cultural traditions, while taking the best of each of the cultures of the alien peoples.

While under the control of the Arab Caliphate for centuries, the Iranians managed to preserve their language. Nowadays, although Islamic culture dominates in the country, the Persians continue to preserve knowledge about their ancient identity.

Today Persia is a distinctive country with a large number of ancient sights and cultural monuments.

Plan

1. Introduction

2. Historical boundaries

3. Achievements

3.1 Technology

3.2 The science

3.3 Culture

4. Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Persia - an ancient civilization

Persia is the ancient name of a country in South-West Asia, which since 1935 has been officially called Iran. Previously, both names were used, and today the name "Persia" is still used when talking about Iran.

In ancient times, Persia became the center of one of the greatest empires in history, stretching from Egypt to the Indus River. It included all previous empires - the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Hittites. The later empire of Alexander the Great included almost no territories that had not previously belonged to the Persians, and it was smaller than Persia under King Darius.

Since its inception in the 6th century. BC. before the conquest by Alexander the Great in the 4th century. BC. for two and a half centuries, Persia occupied a dominant position in the Ancient World. Greek rule lasted about a hundred years, and after its fall the Persian power was reborn under two local dynasties: the Arsacids (Parthian Kingdom) and the Sassanids (New Persian Kingdom). For more than seven centuries they kept first Rome and then Byzantium in fear, until in the 7th century. AD The Sassanid state was not conquered by Islamic conquerors.

HISTORICAL BORDERS

The lands inhabited by the ancient Persians only approximately coincide with the borders of modern Iran. In ancient times, such borders simply did not exist. There were periods when the Persian kings were the rulers of most of the then known world, at other times the main cities of the empire were in Mesopotamia, to the west of Persia proper, and it also happened that the entire territory of the kingdom was divided between warring local rulers.

A significant part of the territory of Persia is occupied by a high, arid highland (1200 m), intersected by mountain ranges with individual peaks reaching 5500 m. In the west and north are the Zagros and Elborz mountain ranges, which frame the highlands in the shape of the letter V, leaving it open to the east. The western and northern borders of the plateau approximately coincide with the current borders of Iran, but in the east it extends beyond the country, occupying part of the territory of modern Afghanistan and Pakistan. Three regions are isolated from the plateau: the coast of the Caspian Sea, the coast of the Persian Gulf and the southwestern plains, which are the eastern continuation of the Mesopotamian lowland.

Directly west of Persia lies Mesopotamia, home to the world's most ancient civilizations. The Mesopotamian states of Sumer, Babylonia and Assyria had a significant influence on the early culture of Persia. And although the Persian conquests ended almost three thousand years after the heyday of Mesopotamia, Persia in many ways became the heir to Mesopotamian civilization. Most of the most important cities of the Persian Empire were located in Mesopotamia, and Persian history is largely a continuation of Mesopotamian history.

Persia lies on the routes of the earliest migrations from Central Asia. Slowly moving west, the settlers skirted the northern tip of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan and turned south and west, where through the more accessible areas of Khorasan, southeast of the Caspian Sea, they entered the Iranian plateau south of the Alborz Mountains. Centuries later, the main trade artery ran parallel to the earlier route, connecting the Far East with the Mediterranean and ensuring the administration of the empire and the movement of troops. At the western end of the highlands it descended onto the plains of Mesopotamia. Other important routes linked the southeastern plains through rugged mountains to the highlands proper.

Off the few main roads, thousands of agricultural communities were scattered along long, narrow mountain valleys. They led a subsistence economy; due to their isolation from their neighbors, many of them remained aloof from wars and invasions, and for many centuries they carried out an important mission to preserve the continuity of culture, so characteristic of the ancient history of Persia.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Technology

Irrigation

The entire economy of ancient Persia was based on agriculture. Rainfall in the Iranian Plateau is insufficient to support extensive agriculture, so the Persians had to rely on irrigation. The few and shallow rivers of the highlands did not provide the irrigation ditches with enough water, and in the summer they dried up. Therefore, the Persians developed a unique system of underground canals. At the foot of the mountain ranges, deep wells were dug, passing through hard but porous layers of gravel to the underlying impervious clays that form the lower boundary of the aquifer. The wells collected meltwater from mountain peaks, which were covered with a thick layer of snow in winter. From these wells, underground water conduits as tall as a man broke through, with vertical shafts located at regular intervals, through which light and air were supplied to the workers. Water conduits reached the surface and served as sources of water all year round.

Artificial irrigation with the help of dams and canals, which originated and was widely used on the plains of Mesopotamia, spread to the territory of Elam, similar in natural conditions, through which several rivers flow. This region, now known as Khuzistan, is densely cut by hundreds of ancient canals. Irrigation systems reached their greatest development during the Sasanian period. Today, numerous remains of dams, bridges and aqueducts built under the Sassanids are still preserved. Since they were designed by captured Roman engineers, they closely resemble similar structures found throughout the Roman Empire.

Transport

The rivers of Iran are not navigable, but in other parts of the Achaemenid Empire water transport was well developed. So, in 520 BC. Darius I the Great reconstructed the canal between the Nile and the Red Sea. During the Achaemenid period, there was extensive construction of land roads, but paved roads were constructed mainly in swampy and mountainous areas. Significant sections of narrow, stone-paved roads built under the Sassanids are found in the west and south of Iran. The choice of location for the construction of roads was unusual for that time. They were laid not along valleys, along river banks, but along mountain ridges. Roads descended into valleys only to make it possible to cross to the other side in strategically important places, for which massive bridges were built.

Along the roads, at a distance of a day's travel from one another, post stations were built where horses were changed. There was a very efficient postal service, with postal couriers covering up to 145 km per day. The center of horse breeding since time immemorial has been the fertile region in the Zagros Mountains, located adjacent to the Trans-Asian trade route. Iranians began using camels as beasts of burden from ancient times; This “type of transport” came to Mesopotamia from Media ca. 1100 BC

Early metalwork

In addition to the colossal number of ceramic objects, products made from such durable materials as bronze, silver and gold are of exceptional importance for the study of Ancient Iran. A huge number of so-called Luristan bronzes were discovered in Luristan, in the Zagros Mountains, during illegal excavations of the graves of semi-nomadic tribes. These unique examples included weapons, horse harnesses, jewelry, as well as objects depicting scenes from religious life or ritual purposes. Until now, scientists have not come to a consensus as to who and when they were made. In particular, it was suggested that they were created in the 15th century. BC. to 7th century BC, most likely by the Kassites or Scythian-Cimmerian tribes. Bronze items continue to be found in the Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran. They differ significantly in style from the Luristan bronzes, although they both appear to belong to the same period. Bronzes from Northwestern Iran are similar to recent finds from the same region; for example, the finds of an accidentally discovered treasure in Ziviya and a wonderful golden cup found during excavations in Hasanlu Tepe are similar to each other. These items date back to the 9th–7th centuries. BC, Assyrian and Scythian influence is visible in their stylized ornaments and depictions of deities.

The science

In ancient Iran, science did not rise to the heights that it reached in neighboring Mesopotamia. The spirit of scientific and philosophical search awakened only in the Sasanian period. The most important works were translated from Greek, Latin and other languages. That's when they were born Book of Great Feats , Book of ranks , Iran countries And Book of Kings. Other works from this period survive only in later Arabic translations.

Economy

The basis of the economy of Ancient Persia was agricultural production. Trade also flourished. All the numerous capitals of the ancient Iranian kingdoms were located along the most important trade route between the Mediterranean and the Far East or on its branch towards the Persian Gulf. In all periods, the Iranians played the role of an intermediate link - they guarded this route and kept part of the goods transported along it. During excavations in Susa and Persepolis, beautiful items from Egypt were found. The reliefs of Persepolis depict representatives of all satrapies of the Achaemenid state presenting gifts to the great rulers. Since Achaemenid times, Iran has exported marble, alabaster, lead, turquoise, lapis lazuli (lapis lazuli) and carpets. The Achaemenids created fabulous reserves of gold coins minted in various satrapies. In contrast, Alexander the Great introduced a single silver coin for the entire empire. The Parthians returned to a gold currency, and during the Sasanian times silver and copper coins predominated in circulation.

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 ruled 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 of ancient Persia

The Persian king Cyrus II from the Achaemenid clan conquered Media and many other countries in a short time and had a huge and well-armed army, which began to prepare for a campaign against Babylonia. A new force appeared in Western Asia, which in a short time managed to - in just a few decades- completely change the political map of the Middle East.

Babylonia and Egypt abandoned many years of hostile policies towards each other, for the rulers of both countries were well aware of the need to prepare for war with the Persian Empire. The outbreak of war was only a matter of time.

The Persian campaign against Babylon began in 539 BC. e. Decisive battle between the Persians and Babylonians occurred near the city of Opis on the Tigris River. Cyrus won a complete victory here, soon his troops took the well-fortified city of Sippar, and the Persians captured Babylon without a fight.

After this, the Persian ruler's gaze turned to the East, where for several years he waged a grueling war with the nomadic tribes of Central Asia and where he eventually died in 530 BC. e.

Cyrus's successors, Cambyses and Darius, completed the work he had begun. in 524-523 BC e. Cambyses' campaign against Egypt took place, as a result of which Achaemenid power was established on the banks of the Nile. Ancient Egypt became one of the satrapies of the new empire. Darius continued to strengthen the eastern and western borders of the empire. Towards the end of the reign of Darius, who died in 485 BC. e., the Persian power dominated over a vast territory from the Aegean Sea in the west to India in the east and from the deserts of Central Asia in the north to the rapids of the Nile in the south. The Achaemenids (Persians) united almost the entire civilized world known to them and ruled it until the 4th century. BC e., when their power was broken and conquered by the military genius of Alexander the Great.

• Achaemen, 600s. BC.
• Theispes, 600s BC.
• Cyrus I, 640 - 580 BC.
• Cambyses I, 580 - 559 BC.
• Cyrus II the Great, 559 - 530 BC.
• Cambyses II, 530 - 522 BC.
• Bardia, 522 BC
• Darius I, 522 - 486 BC.
• Xerxes I, 485 - 465 BC.
• Artaxerxes I, 465 - 424 BC.
• Xerxes II, 424 BC
• Secudian, 424 - 423 BC.
• Darius II, 423 - 404 BC.
• Artaxerxes II, 404 - 358 BC.
• Artaxerxes III, 358 - 338 BC.
• Artaxerxes IV Arses, 338 - 336 BC.
• Darius III, 336 - 330 BC.
• Artaxerxes V Bessus, 330 - 329 BC.

Map of the Persian Empire

The Aryan tribes - the eastern branch of the Indo-Europeans - by the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. inhabited almost the entire territory of present-day Iran. Self the word "Iran" is the modern form of the name "Ariana", i.e. country of the Aryans. Initially, these were warlike tribes of semi-nomadic cattle breeders who fought on war chariots. Some of the Aryans moved to Northern India even earlier and captured it, giving rise to the Indo-Aryan culture. Other Aryan tribes, closer to the Iranians, remained nomadic in Central Asia and the northern steppes - the Scythians, Sakas, Sarmatians, etc. The Iranians themselves, having settled on the fertile lands of the Iranian Plateau, gradually abandoned their nomadic life and took up farming, adopting the skills of Mesopotamian civilization. It reached a high level already in the XI-VIII centuries. BC e. Iranian craft. His monument is the famous “Luristan bronzes” - skillfully made weapons and household items with images of mythical and real-life animals.

"Luristan Bronzes"- a cultural monument of Western Iran. It was here, in the immediate vicinity and confrontation with Assyria, that the most powerful Iranian kingdoms arose. The first of them Media has strengthened(in northwestern Iran). The Median kings took part in the destruction of Assyria. The history of their state is well known from written monuments. But Median monuments of the 7th-6th centuries. BC e. very poorly studied. Even the capital of the country, the city of Ecbatana, has not yet been found. What is known is that it was located in the vicinity of the modern city of Hamadan. Nevertheless, two Median fortresses already studied by archaeologists from the times of the fight against Assyria speak of a fairly high culture of the Medes.

In 553 BC. e. Cyrus (Kurush) II, the king of the subordinate Persian tribe from the Achaemenid clan, rebelled against the Medes. In 550 BC. e. Cyrus united the Iranians under his rule and led them to conquer the world. In 546 BC. e. he conquered Asia Minor, and in 538 BC. e. Babylon fell. The son of Cyrus, Cambyses, conquered Egypt, and under King Darius I at the turn of the 6th-5th centuries. before. n. e. Persian power reached its greatest expansion and prosperity.

Monuments of its greatness are the royal capitals excavated by archaeologists - the most famous and best researched monuments of Persian culture. The oldest of them is Pasargadae, the capital of Cyrus.

Sasanian Revival - Sasanian Empire

In 331-330. BC e. The famous conqueror Alexander the Great destroyed the Persian Empire. In retaliation for Athens, once devastated by the Persians, Greek Macedonian soldiers brutally plundered and burned Persepolis. The Achaemenid dynasty came to an end. The period of Greco-Macedonian rule over the East began, which is usually called the Hellenistic era.

For the Iranians, the conquest was a disaster. Power over all neighbors was replaced by humiliated submission to long-time enemies - the Greeks. The traditions of Iranian culture, already shaken by the desire of kings and nobles to imitate the vanquished in luxury, were now completely trampled upon. Little changed after the liberation of the country by the nomadic Iranian tribe of the Parthians. The Parthians expelled the Greeks from Iran in the 2nd century. BC e., but they themselves borrowed a lot from Greek culture. The Greek language is still used on the coins and inscriptions of their kings. Temples are still being built with numerous statues, according to Greek models, which seemed blasphemous to many Iranians. In ancient times, Zarathushtra forbade the worship of idols, commanding that an unquenchable flame be venerated as a symbol of deity and sacrifices made to it. It was the religious humiliation that was greatest, and it was not for nothing that the cities built by the Greek conquerors were later called “Dragon buildings” in Iran.

In 226 AD e. The rebel ruler of Pars, who bore the ancient royal name Ardashir (Artaxerxes), overthrew the Parthian dynasty. The second story has begun Persian Empire - Sassanid Empire, the dynasty to which the winner belonged.

The Sassanians sought to revive the culture of ancient Iran. The very history of the Achaemenid state had by that time become a vague legend. So, the society that was described in the legends of the Zoroastrian Mobed priests was put forward as an ideal. The Sassanians built, in fact, a culture that had never existed in the past, thoroughly imbued with a religious idea. This had little in common with the era of the Achaemenids, who willingly adopted the customs of the conquered tribes.

Under the Sassanids, the Iranian decisively triumphed over the Hellenic. Greek temples completely disappear, the Greek language goes out of official use. The broken statues of Zeus (who was identified with Ahura Mazda under the Parthians) are replaced by faceless altars of fire. Naqsh-i-Rustem is decorated with new reliefs and inscriptions. In the 3rd century. The second Sasanian king Shapur I ordered his victory over the Roman emperor Valerian to be carved on the rocks. On the reliefs of the kings, a bird-shaped farn is overshadowed - a sign of divine protection.

Capital of Persia became the city of Ctesiphon, built by the Parthians next to the emptying Babylon. Under the Sassanids, new palace complexes were built in Ctesiphon and huge (up to 120 hectares) royal parks were laid out. The most famous of the Sasanian palaces is Tak-i-Kisra, the palace of King Khosrow I, who ruled in the 6th century. Along with monumental reliefs, palaces were now decorated with delicate carved ornaments in lime mixture.

Under the Sassanids, the irrigation system of Iranian and Mesopotamian lands was improved. In the VI century. The country was covered by a network of carises (underground water pipelines with clay pipes), stretching up to 40 km. The cleaning of the carises was carried out through special wells dug every 10 m. The carises served for a long time and ensured the rapid development of agriculture in Iran during the Sasanian era. It was then that cotton and sugar cane began to be grown in Iran, and gardening and winemaking developed. At the same time, Iran became one of the suppliers of its own fabrics - both woolen, linen and silk.

Sasanian power was much smaller Achaemenid, covered only Iran itself, part of the lands of Central Asia, the territories of present-day Iraq, Armenia and Azerbaijan. She had to fight for a long time, first with Rome, then with the Byzantine Empire. Despite all this, the Sassanids lasted longer than the Achaemenids - more than four centuries. Ultimately, the state, exhausted by continuous wars in the West, was engulfed in a struggle for power. The Arabs took advantage of this, bringing a new faith - Islam - by force of arms. In 633-651. after a fierce war they conquered Persia. So it was over with the ancient Persian state and ancient Iranian culture.

Persia is the ancient name of a country in Southwest Asia that has been officially called Iran since 1935.

In ancient times, Persia became the center of one of the greatest empires in history, which stretched from Egypt to the Indus River. It included all previous empires - the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Hittites.

Persia arose in the 6th century BC. Until its conquest by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, it occupied a dominant position in the Ancient World. Greek rule lasted about 100 years, and after its fall, the Persian power was revived under two local dynasties: the Arsacids (Parthian Kingdom) and the Sassanids (New Persian Kingdom). For more than 7 centuries they kept first Rome and then Byzantium at bay.

It is known that the most ancient inhabitants of Iran had a different origin than the Persians and related peoples. During excavations in caves near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, human skeletons dating back to the 8th millennium BC were found. In northwestern Iran, skulls of people who lived in the 3rd millennium BC were discovered. Scientists have proposed calling the indigenous population Caspians. Finds during excavations indicate that the tribes that inhabited this region were mainly engaged in hunting, then switched to cattle breeding, which was replaced by agriculture. The main settlements were Sialk, Gey-Tepe, Gissar, the largest was Susa, which soon became the capital of the Persian state.

The historical era begins on the Iranian plateau at the end of the 4th millennium BC. The largest of the peoples who lived on the eastern borders of Mesopotamia were the Elamites, who captured the ancient city of Susa. They founded the powerful and prosperous state of Elam there. Further north lived the Kassites, barbarian tribes of horsemen. By the middle of the 2nd millennium BC they conquered Babylonia.

From the 2nd millennium BC, invasions of tribes from Central Asia began on the Iranian plateau. These were the Aryans, the Indo-Iranian tribes who gave Iran its name (“homeland of the Aryans”). One group of Aryans settled in the west of the Iranian plateau, where they founded the state of Mitanni, another group - in the south among the Kassites.

At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, a second wave of aliens rushed to the Iranian plateau. These were the Iranian tribes themselves - Sogdians, Scythians, Sakas, Parthians, Bactrians, Medes and Persians. Many of them left the highlands, and only the Medes and Persians settled in the valleys of the Zagros range. The Medes settled in the vicinity of Ecbatana (modern Hamadan). The Persians settled somewhat further south.

The Median kingdom gradually gained strength. In 612 BC, the Median king Cyaxares entered into an alliance with Babylonia, captured Nineveh and crushed the Assyrian power. However, the power of the Medes did not last longer than two generations.

Even under the Medes, the Achaemenid dynasty began to dominate Pars. In 553 BC, Cyrus II the Great, the Achaemenid ruler of Parsa, rebelled against the Median king Astyages, who was the son of Cyaxares. As a result of the uprising, a powerful alliance of Medes and Persians was created. The new power was a threat to the entire Middle East. In 546 BC, the king of Lydia, Croesus, decided to defeat the power of Cyrus. The Babylonians, Egyptians and Spartans volunteered to help him with this.

Cyrus won, who later occupied Babylonia, and by the end of his reign expanded the borders of the state from the Mediterranean Sea to the east of the Iranian Plateau. The capital was the city of Pasargadae. Cyrus's son, Cambyses, captured Egypt and proclaimed himself pharaoh.

The greatest of the Persian kings was Darius. During his reign, the northwestern part of India up to the Indus River and Armenia up to the Caucasus Mountains came under Persian rule. Darius also organized a campaign in Thrace, but the Scythians repelled his attack. During the reign of Darius, the Greeks in western Asia Minor rebelled. This uprising marked the beginning of the struggle against the Persian kingdom. It ended only a century and a half later due to the fall of the Persian kingdom under the blows of Alexander the Great.

Why Iran didn't want to be called Persia. More about this in our review.

Iranian stamp from the Pahlavi dynasty period with the laconic name “Iran”.

The stamp was issued on the occasion of the coronation of the third wife of the last Shah of Iran as shahbanu (empress) in 1967.

The stamp depicts the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his wife, Empress Farah.

In 1935, the first Iranian ruler from the Pahlavi dynasty, Reza, sent a letter to the League of Nations with a request to use the word “Iran” (Erān) for the name of his country, instead of the term “Persia”. He justified this by the fact that within his country, the word “Irani” is used to designate what is known in the world as Persia (the term comes from “country of the Aryans,” which goes back to the self-name of the Aryan tribe).

Shah Reza Pahlavi noted that “the Persians are only one of several Indo-Iranian ethnic groups in Iran. Their home region of Pars (Fars) was the center of political power in ancient times - during the Achaemenid Empire, and in the Sassanid Empire. However, during the period of the conquests of Alexander the Great, the name of the region Pars (Fars) was spread by the Greeks to designate the name of the entire country."

The Achaemenid state (existed from 550 BC to 330 BC) was officially called Aryanam Xsaoram (from ancient Persian “Aryan power”; taking into account the modern name of the country, it can also be translated as “Iran power”).

Immediately before the Arab and Islamic conquest of Persia, during the era of the rulers of the Sassanid dynasty (224-652 AD), who were fire-worshipping Zoroastrians, Persia was officially called Eranshahr, i.e. Iranian Empire.

During the period of the Turkic Qajar dynasty, which ruled the country from 1795 to 1925 od and preceded the last monarchical dynasty in Persian history - the Pahlavis, a country known in the world as Persia, however, it was still officially called Iran. Namely, “The Highest State of Iran” (Dowlat-e Eliyye-ye I ran). But in the outside world the name of the country was translated as Persia.

Under the Pahlavi dynasty (ruled from 1925 to 1979), Iran was officially called the Shahanshah State of Iran (Dowlat Shohanshohi-ye Iron (Persian: دولت شاهنشاهی ایرا), where the name uses the ancient title of the Persian rulers “shahinshah” (“king of kings”).

Since 1979, after the fall of the monarchy, the country has been officially called the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: Jomhuri-ye Eslomi-ye Iron).

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the Persians themselves began to use the term “Persia” to name their country in a number of publications and books in the new and recent historical period, under the influence of the West, as if borrowing this term back from the ancient Greeks.

Additionally:

Around the name of Iran

“When compiling a historical overview of Iran, it is necessary to take into account the fact that Iran, as a geographical concept, does not coincide with the area of ​​settlement of Iranians as an ethnographic unit, nor with the area of ​​influence of Iranian culture, nor with the area of ​​distribution of Persian, i.e. Iranian literary language . In ancient times, India and Iran were equally occupied by a people who called themselves Arians (Aryans) - arua in India, ariya or airya in ancient Iranian dialects.

In the inscriptions of King Darius, the word “Aryans” apparently refers exclusively to the population of Iran;

India and the Indians were named after the border river Sindhu, in Iranian pronunciation Hindu(Indian c generally corresponds to Iranian h), on modern maps Indus; from the Persians this name passed to the Greeks and, like most Greek names, came into use in modern geographical science.

In the Iranian scripture (Avesta), the term Hindu is used as the name of a river and speaks of the “seven Indus” (harta hindu), which fully corresponds to the Indian term sapta sindhavah. The Indian “Seven Rivers” received its name from the Indus, Kabul and the five rivers of the “Punjab” (i.e., “Five Rivers”), the Chinab with its tributaries Jhelum and Ravi, and the Setlej with its tributary the Bias.

Arias are opposed to tours(tura, adjective tuirya) and sarima (sairima); if by the latter, as is believed, we must understand the Sarmatians or Sauromatians of Greek writers, then we mean the Central Asian people, according to most scientists, related to the Iranians; it is very likely that the Turs were of the same origin and also lived in Central Asia.

In other words, the population of Iran isolated itself equally from the Indian, “Aryan” and related Central Asian peoples. The word "Iran", originally Eran, appears later and is the genitive plural of the word airya (airyanara), in the sense: (country of) the Aryans. We first meet it in the Greek form Ariane from Eratosthenes (III century BC), from whom Strabo borrowed this information.

The border of this “Ariana” or Iran was considered to be: the Indus in the east, the Hindu Kush and the mountain ranges to the west of it in the north, the Indian Ocean in the south; the western border ran from the Caspian Gate, i.e., the mountain pass east of Tehran, along the line separating Parthia from Media and Karamania (Kerman) from Persis (Fars). Obviously, the term “country of the Aryans” was understood not in an ethnographic, but exclusively in a political sense; this was the name of the country united under the rule of the Arsacid dynasty, which rebelled against the Greek conquerors; the areas that remained under Greek rule, both in the west (the Seleucid state) and in the northeast (the Greco-Bactrian kingdom) were not considered Iran.

Subsequently, under the Sassanids, a region with a Semitic population, Babylonia, where the capital of the “king of kings” was located, was not only classified as Iran, but was even considered “the heart of the Iranian region.” And now in Persia itself, Iran is understood as the state of the Shahin Shah.

The origin of the word Iran and the ethnographic term "Aryans" from which it comes were forgotten already in the Middle Ages; from the word “Iran” to designate the population of this country the term “Iranians” (Persian, Irani) was formed. Iran was most often contrasted with "Turan", a word derived from "tura" in the same way as Iran from "aria"; only later was “Turan” identified with “Turkestan,” the country of the Turks.

The words “Iran” and “Turan” received a completely different meaning in geographical science; Iran was understood as a plateau representing an internal basin and bordering in the north with the basin of the Caspian and Aral seas, in the south, west and east - with the basin of the Indian Ocean, between the Tigris and Indus; near Turan is the Aral Sea basin. The words “Turan” and “Turanians” were sometimes used in a broader sense, uniting under these terms the entire Central Asian world from the southern Russian steppes to China, and contrasting the “Turanians” not only with the “Iranians”, but with the “Aryans” in general.

The name “Aryans” again became known to Europeans in the 18th century. (not from living speech, but from the most ancient written monuments of India and Iran). After the closeness of the languages ​​of India and Iran with European languages ​​was established, Aryans (Arier, Ariens, Aryans) began to call all representatives of the linguistic group embracing the peoples “from India to Iceland.”

Subsequently, instead of this term, others were proposed: Indo-Europeans, Indo-Germans (especially in German science), Ario-Europeans, retaining the name “Aryans” only for Asian Indo-Europeans, whose ancestors actually called themselves by this name; nevertheless, the word “Aryans” is still sometimes used in science in the same sense, even in Germany.

Aryans, in the sense of "Asiatic Indo-Europeans", were divided into two branches, Indians and Iranians. Iranians in the linguistic sense began to be called, regardless of political borders, peoples united into one whole according to linguistic characteristics. When at the end of the 19th century the idea arose to compile a set of scientific material related to the field of “Iranian philology” (languages, literature and history of the Iranians), the linguistic department of this set included dialects from the easternmost of the Pamirs, Sarykol, to western Kurdish, in the eastern parts of the Asia Minor peninsula, i.e., approximately from 75 to 38 degrees east. debt, from Greenwich. In addition, the dialect of the so-called Ossetians (who call themselves Iron), living separately from others, “Iranians” in the Caucasus, west of the former Georgian military road, is considered.

The area of ​​distribution of Iranian dialects in ancient times was even more extensive, although in many cases the question of which particular peoples spoke Iranian remains controversial.

An even larger area embraced the area of ​​distribution of the main literary language of Iran, the so-called “New Persian”, formed already under Islam; it was written far beyond the borders of linguistic Iran, from Constantinople (Turkish Sultan Selim II, 1566-1574 was one of the Persian poets) to Calcutta and the cities of Chinese Turkestan. The historian of Iranian culture must take into account both this fact and the even more numerous translations from Persian and imitations of Persian models.” (From the collection “History of the Middle East”, published in Russia in 2002).