Warfare arising from distrust on one side and fear on the other. From about 230 to 266...
Persia
Persia was the center of powerful empires whose institutions and culture shaped the ancient and medieval worlds. Read how Persian influence spread far beyond the Iranian plateau.
Xerxes’s massive invasion of Greece in 480 BCE promised swift imperial victory, yet geography, coalition resistance, and...
With Cambyses II’s accession, inheritance hardened into cruel entitlement, revealing how royal succession in ancient Persia could...
Greek fears of Persian law did not arise from systematic observation of Achaemenid governance, nor from sustained...
It was during the Islamic period that Persian tile work reached its full potential. Introduction Persian Haft...
Unlike the Greeks, Xerxes viewed war as more than a simple matter of strategy. History, like poetry,...
The Ghaznavids, Seljuks, and Khwarazmians cultivated and expanded Persian culture. By Matthew A. McIntoshPublic HistorianBrewminate Introduction The...
Iran offers an incredible variety of archaeological and cultural wonders. Introduction Iran, or Persia as it was formerly known,...
He wished to throw the glory of the Marathon battle into the shade for his own rhetorical...
Persepolis was conceived by the Achaemenid monarchs as a showcase for the world. Abstract The present work...
The decision of Athens to support the Ionian rebellion greatly angered the Persians. Introduction Persia was one...
Greeks were ‘the first to endure the sight of Median clothing and of the men wearing it’....
Histories of Classical Greece tend to follow well-trod paths. Introduction The first decade of the second century...
The Mediterranean became de iure a Greek and, still more, Athenian sea. By Dr. V.L. KonstantinopoulosAncient Historian...
Abu Zayd is regarded today as perhaps the most famous potter of medieval Iran. Introduction In the...
Cyrus’ empire included terrain of all types and climes. Introduction The estimated expanse of the Achaemenid Empire at its...
The rhetoric of the Persian Wars was central to Alexander’s goal of forging panhellenic unity. Introduction In...
The Banu Musa brothers described a number of early automatic controls. Introduction The Book of Ingenious Devices (literally: “The...
Eumenes made Pergamon one of the grandest cities of Asia Minor and a cultural and intellectual center....
Exploring its use (and misuse) over the centuries as political propaganda, loot, and even fodder in the...
Cyrus conquered the Medes and established one of the largest empires of the ancient world, the Persian...
Safavid art and architecture reflected the adoption of a Shi’a identity. Introduction to the Safavid Dynasty: Rise...
Briefly introducing the Sasanian Empire through a handful of key monuments. The Royal Hunter A rider pulls...
From their earliest days of the Achaemenid Empire, the Persians introduced a number of novel concepts in...
These poets would affect the literary arts of cultures around the world and continue to inspire readers...
The first evidence of Persian literature is usually dated to c.522 BCE with the creation of the...
The text of the inscription is a statement by Darius I of Persia, written three times in...
The early Achaemenid kings may or may not have been adherents of Zoroastrianism but that religion would...
While these contributions may be understood as commonplace in the present day, they were entirely novel in...
Ancient Persian (pre-Islamic) women had almost equal rights with men and, in many instances, more freedoms and...