24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture.
Taught by John W. I. Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
University of California, Santa Barbara
In its time, the Persian Empire was the largest and greatest empire the world had ever seen.
The empire arose begin…
24 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture.
Taught by John W. I. Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
University of California, Santa Barbara
In its time, the Persian Empire was the largest and greatest empire the world had ever seen.
The empire arose beginning in 559 B.C. under Cyrus the Great and lasted more than two centuries, until 330 B.C. It eventually encompassed lands stretching from Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt in the west, across Mesopotamia and Iran, through central Asia, and all the way to the Indus Valley in the east.
During its ascension, the empire developed an efficient bureaucracy, a postal service, a complex economy, and a powerful army. The Persians numbered only about one million people, yet through advanced communication networks and a policy of local tolerance, they ruled successfully over a multi-ethnic and multicultural population of at least 25 million. Despite the amazing achievements and enduring legacies of the Persians,many people associate the empire with despotism, decadence, and barbarism. Still others have attempted to paint the opposite picture, with the Persian Empire as a sort of perfect state, ruled by ideal kings. This course goes beyond simple demonetization or idealization to explore the multifaceted reality of ancient Persia’s history.
Lecture 1: In its time, the Persian Empire was the largest and greatest empire the world had seen.
From 559 to 530 B.C., under the empire’s founder, Cyrus the Great, the Persians rose from relative obscurity to conquer vast territories. By 500 B.C., when Rome was still just a small village on the banks of the Tiber River and China was still divided into warring states, the Persian Empire had unified the lands stretching from Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt in the west, across Mesopotamia and Iran, through central Asia, all the way to the Indus Valley in the east. For more than two centuries, until 330 B.C., the Persian Empire was the single greatest power anywhere on earth. In these lectures, we will explore the history and culture of the Persian Empire, drawing on recent research in the relatively new field of Achaemenid studies. We begin in this first lecture by reviewing some of the accomplishments of the Achaemenid kings and dispelling some stereotypes that have persisted about the empire since the early 19th century.
Suggested Reading:
Allen, The Persian Empire.
Harrison, Writing Ancient Persia.
Lecture 2: https://www.bitchute.com/video/tn0hjPvjkM67/
