The Persians

Description

During the first and second millennia BCE a swathe of nomadic peoples migrated outward from Central Asia into the Eurasian periphery. One group of these people would find themselves encamped in an unpromising, arid region just south of the Caspian Sea. From these modest and uncertain beginnings, they would go on to form one of the most powerful empires in history: the Persian Empire. In this book, Geoffrey and Brenda Parker tell the captivating story of this ancient civilization and its enduring legacy to the world. The authors examine the unique features of Persian life and trace their influence throughout the centuries. They examine the environmental difficulties the early Persians encountered and how, in overcoming them, they were able to develop a unique culture that would culminate in the massive, first empire, the Achaemenid Empire. Extending their influence into the maritime west, they fought the Greeks for mastery of the eastern Mediterranean—one of the most significant geopolitical contests of the ancient world. And the authors paint vivid portraits of Persian cities and their spectacular achievements: intricate and far-reaching roadways, an astonishing irrigation system that created desert paradises, and, above all, an extraordinary reflection of the diverse peoples that inhabited them. Informed and original, this is a history of an incomparable culture whose influence can still be seen, millennia later, in modern-day Iran and the wider Middle East. Cover The Persians Imprint Page Contents Chronology Preface: Lost and Found 1. Origins: The Land and the People 2. The Achaemenid Dynasty 3. The Achievements of the Achaemenids 4. Cyrus the Great in History and Legend 5. Persepolis: City, Throne and Power 6. Thus Spake Zarathustra: Religion and Empire 7. Paradise gained 8. Alexander of Macedon and the Hellenistic Interlude 9. Empire Revived: The Sasanids 10. Islamic Persia and Persian Islam 11. From Persepolis to Samarkand: The Persian Legacy in Central Asia 12. Paradise of Bliss: The Persian Legacy in India from the Timurids To the Mughals 13. Cyrus with Golden Caviar: The Last Dynasty Salutes the First 14. From Shahyad to Azadi: The Islamic Republic and the Ancient Legacy 15. Lost in Translation? 16. The First Superpower? Conclusion: Power and Paradise References Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index