Persians - conquerors of Asia with the legendary shepherd prince

The ancient peoples called the Persians people with the spirit of a warrior, but the inhabitants of Persia themselves had to find themselves at the very epicenter of changes in times and power. Having gone through shocks and wars, changes in religion and culture, the Persians preserved themselves without forgetting who their ancestors were.

Orientalist Arthur Pope argued that it was Persian culture that had a significant influence on the Western world, setting the tone for many philosophical movements, sciences, and even partly religion. Where did the Persians come from? How did they manage to build such a strong power, and where did it disappear?

Ancestors of the Persians

To understand how powerful the Persian people were, just look at the map of Ancient Persia during the heyday of this state. Its vast territories occupied part of modern mainland Greece, extended to the borders of India, and covered the northern part of Libya. The ancient Persians are called insatiable conquerors for a reason. In their thirst for conquering new lands, they were not inferior to any other people.

The origins of the ancient Persians remain a mystery today. Many scientists believe that their ancestors could have been the legendary Aryan tribes. Moreover, the correctness of this assumption is also indicated by the modern name of the state into which Ancient Persia turned - Iran.

According to researchers, the name “Iran” could be formed from the word “Ariana” - “country of the Aryans”. When the ancestors of the Persians came to the Iranian plateau, famous for its fertile lands, they decided to settle in the chosen places. Despite this, many traditions of the nomadic people were preserved.

Immortal army in Ancient Persia © Alonso Vega / monkeeyo.artstation.com

Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes and their immortals

The typical weapon of the immortal was all the best that the military science of the East could offer: a 2-2.5 meter spear with a leaf-shaped tip, a wicker shield covered with leather, which allowed freedom of movement with acceptable protection, a bow with a quiver and a short sword attached to the belt. The insignia of the immortals were silver and gold “grenades” on spears - decorations on the counterweight of the weapon, but the already mentioned melophores had thickenings on the shaft in the form of a “golden apple”.

The immortals had tiaras or turbans on their heads (for commoners); the torso was protected by a scaly shell, over which they wore tunics of different colors. The color of the tunic depended on the regiment to which the immortal was assigned; among members of the nobility they were often embroidered with intricate patterns. Leg protection was usually absent.

Persian infantryman and Greek hoplite. Source: blogspot.com

The equipment of infantrymen should not only be comfortable in battle, but also perform other functions: demonstrate the power and wealth of the Shah, serve as a uniform, allowing one to distinguish affiliation with the unit, and include ceremonial and religious elements. For example, the shoes of immortals were traditionally yellow - this color was considered a “palace”, and the hilts of swords were decorated with the heads of lions and other sacred animals. The sight of these warriors made an indelible impression on eyewitnesses, but were the immortals effective in battle or were they only suitable for the role of palace guards and police?

From a tribe to a powerful Persian state

Initially, there were several scattered tribes on the territory of Persia, but later the rulers began to think about uniting them into one power. These ideas were perfectly realized by King Cyrus II, who created a large state from individual Persian lands.

Under him, a policy of conquest began; Cyrus the Great managed to conquer the territories of Media, which was then one of the largest states in the East. But these were only the first steps towards the conquest of a significant part of the world.

Persian officer / © Joan Francesc Oliveras

What was the success of the Persians? As the ancient Greek historian Herodotus says, there was no secret here. Persian warriors were distinguished by modesty in their requests, preserving the customs of their nomadic ancestors. The hardy and disciplined Persians easily won victory after victory over their neighbors, who underestimated them and could not boast the same level of military training.

Amazingly, even after becoming rulers of vast territories, having obtained untold wealth in campaigns, the Persians still valued simplicity and modesty - in morals and in life. During the coronation, the Persians had an interesting tradition.

The king who ascended the throne was required to undergo a kind of initiation ritual. To do this, he ate a handful of dried figs and drank a glass of sour milk. This is exactly how all the common people of Ancient Persia ate, and therefore the ruler emphasized his connection with ordinary people, highlighting modest needs.

Persian infantryman / © Joan Francesc Oliveras

Appearance

Cloth

The Persians' clothes were comfortable and warm enough. It had to cover the entire body, since Persia was originally located in a mountainous area. Men wore leather and fur pants, caftans, tied with a belt. During the reign of Cyrus the Great, the Median costume became official. It was sewn from wool using thin threads. The Persians also used silk, and the main colors for a long time remained dark red and purple. The wide caftan had long flaps that needed to be belted. A characteristic feature of this caftan were very wide sleeves, sometimes different in color from the main part. Median costume was available only to high ranks and courtiers. Receiving a suit as a reward was considered honorable - it was perceived as a royal reward. According to Herodotus, the Persians sought to create unique outfits, admiring the costumes of the Lydians, Babylonians and Assyrians. A sign of closeness to the king was the blue and white bandage worn on the headdress. The assumption about women's outfits is based on images painted on vases discovered on the territory of Ancient Greece. It is believed that women wore clothes of variegated colors, the characteristic feature of which was the border. Women close to the king decorated their clothes with gold and wore royal tiaras. Noble Persians allowed themselves kaftans decorated with pearls and pointed caps with beautiful patterns. The girls wore transparent capes over their dresses. Shoes or boots made of leather were chosen as footwear. Men's shoes were characterized by simplicity, while women's shoes were skillfully decorated with embroidery. The main headdress of the courtiers was the hood. It was believed that he must close his mouth, otherwise the breath would reach the king, which was extremely undesirable. The tiaras depicted multi-petaled flowers, symbolizing the sun. Only the king could wear tiaras with such a sign; an alternative option was the kidaris, which was a pointed hat. A blue and white ribbon wrapped around her. From the Egyptians, the Persians inherited the custom of wearing beards and wigs. Special attention should be paid to the warriors' costume. It underwent significant changes under Cyrus the Great. It was Cyrus who ordered that warriors be dressed in armor, which served as a kind of hybrid of the uniforms of neighboring peoples. The Persian warrior wore a shell and a helmet, and the military leaders covered it with the thinnest layer of gold and decorated it with feathers.

Uniting the Tribes

We find the first information about the ancient Persians in Assyrian texts. They say that in the 8th century BC a union of tribes was formed that occupied territories near Lake Urmia. The leaders of this newly formed people were the Achaemenids.

Initially, the Persians could not even imagine the power that they would acquire in the future. Their lands were conquered by Assyria and then passed to Media. At that time, King Cambyses I began to rule the Persian people. The Median ruler gave him one of his daughters in marriage, and this, I believe, eloquently indicates that the Persians had already become a strong tribe with which other peoples reckoned.

But perhaps the most famous representative of the Achaemenid dynasty, which was considered the ancestors of the Persian people, was Cyrus II. The ancient historian Herodotus talks about him in detail, who does not limit himself to just retelling the facts, but also mentions the legend of Cyrus.

Immortal Soldiers Location: Palace of Darius, Susa, Iran

Traditions

The ancient Persians had many customs and traditions. Here are the most important ones:

• The king's servants could commit isolated crimes. No one had the right to punish them for this, not even the king himself;
• The father did not have the right to see his child until he was 5 years old;
• Masters had no right to be angry with servants if they behaved politely, so the master’s bad mood could not be considered a reason for bad behavior towards the servant;
• Noble men could have concubines and several wives;
• Customs and instructions for conducting funeral rites were to be kept in the strictest confidence;
• In Persia there were sacrifices, but people had no right to kill a living creature for fun or out of anger;
• In Persia there were magicians who identified themselves with priests. They were not held in high esteem by the population and even by the courtiers, but many were afraid of them, so they did not touch them;
• In Persia it was forbidden to lend money;
• The Persians believed that human sins could cause illness and negatively influence fate.

The Persians had good neighborly relations. They were interested in neighboring peoples, sought to establish trade and even start families. Strangers, whom “they had never heard of in the world,” were treated with suspicion. Thus, the existence of Indian tribes became news to many, although they were in no hurry to get to know the Indians. Those whom the Persians respected were greeted with a kiss. This is how they confirmed their status to each other when they met on the street.

Prophetic dream of a Mede

According to ancient legend, the Median king Astyages, who became related to the Persian Cambyses, had a dream that a huge vine was sprouting from his daughter’s belly, which first entwined Media, and then many other Asian lands.

The Median king panicked when his daughter gave birth to a son. Secretly, he ordered his assistant to kill the boy. The mercenary, however, did not want to get his hands dirty and handed the child over to the shepherd. Demanding to do all the dirty work for him. The shepherd turned out to be a decent man and raised the baby as his own son, and named him Cyrus.

The matured Cyrus learned about the vengefulness of his grandfather, that he wanted to destroy him, and therefore in 553 BC he gathered a Persian army. Having set foot on the Median lands, Cyrus suddenly received unexpected help from the Medes themselves, who had long dreamed of getting rid of the tyrant king.

Table

In concentrated form, information about the differences between Persians and Arabs is presented in the table below. Determining the number of Persians depends on who is considered to be Persians (this is not as simple a question as it seems at first glance).

Rise of Persia

It was Cyrus who had the honor of founding the first capital of the Persian kingdom, Pasargadae. Thanks to his warlike disposition, the talents of a commander and the ability to calculate the peculiarities of warfare, the Persian ruler was able to subjugate vast territories. It turns out that the dream that Herodotus spoke about turned out to be truly prophetic.

The period of Achaemenid rule became the heyday of the Persian kingdom. Despite this, a time of decline awaited her. Life changed, and the Achaemenids were replaced by the Sassanids, who ruled in the 3rd century AD. At this time, the Persian language became widespread, penetrating the northern and eastern regions, displacing Iranian dialects.

Achaemenid gold vessels.Vth century BC. e. / © Xuan Che / flickr.com Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

How to name a Persian by color

Red color

For boys

• Foxy (foxy – fox, English);
• Ryzhik;
• Little Fox;
• Ryzhka;
• Orange;
• Orange (orange - orange, English);
• Morkovin;
• Konopushkin;
• Curry;
• Mandarin.

For girls

• Aki (autumn, Japanese);
• Mandarin duck;
• Orange;
• Akira (bright, Japanese);
• Orange;
• Ryzhka;
• Chanterelle;
• Kin (golden, Japanese);
• Golden;
• Calendula.

White color

For boys

• Shiroi (white, Japanese);
• Little squirrel;
• Hotaru (firefly, Japanese);
• Snowball;
• Usagi (hare, Japanese);
• Belek;
• Frost;
• Snow (snow – snow, English);
• Snowdrift;
• Frost.

For girls

• Sakura (cherry blossom, Japanese);
• Snowflake;
• Belyanochka;
• Snow Maiden;
• Icicle;
• Kita (north, Japanese);
• Kiku (chrysanthemum, Japanese);
• Ice cream;
• Bird cherry;
• Chamomile.

Tortoiseshell color

For boys

• Ninja;
• Turtle;
• Jonathan (nickname of the oldest turtle);
• Cherry;
• Pashka (from turtle);
• Scull;
• Carapace;
• Goliath (nickname of the largest turtle);
• Lonesome George (famous turtle);
• Shard.

For girls

• Advaita (giant tortoise);
• Turtle;
• Tortilla (“Golden Key”);
• Chika (wisdom, Japanese);
• Yasu (calm, Japanese);
• Flower;
• Elder;
• Wise;
• Vern (cartoon “Forest Brothers”);
• Crash (cartoon “Finding Nemo”).

By the way, look at the nicknames for tricolor cats.

Cream color

For boys

• Marshmallow;
• Zavarkin;
• Marshmallow;
• Toffee;
• Cocoa;
• Peanut;
• Toffee;
• Cappuccino;
• Creme brulee;
• Gingerbread.

For girls

• Marshmallow;
• Toffee;
• Nut;
• Toffee;
• Caramel;
• Kremka;
• Condensed milk;
• Vanilla;
• Ice cream;
• Halva.

Victories and defeats of the ancient Persians

The subsequent rulers of Ancient Persia - Cambyses II and Darius - became worthy followers of Cyrus. The first of them managed to conquer Egypt, making it one of the Persian provinces. Under the reign of Darius, the state was already a huge powerful power.

The king became known for his principles and laws to strengthen the borders. Darius tried in every possible way not only to expand the territory, but also to make his homeland a truly impregnable and strong power. But I want to note that the ancient Persians did not always win clear victories. For example, during the Greek campaign they had to face previously unknown resistance.

Persian horseman / © Joan Francesc Oliveras

Greece was a “tidbit” that many Persian rulers had their eyes on. Darius decided to march against the Greeks, but was defeated in many battles. Despite this, a number of Greek cities were still annexed to the lands of the Persian state. However, this did not last long.

But why did the greatest power of antiquity disappear along with its people? Oddly enough, the reason for this can be attributed to the successes of the Persians themselves. Daring conquerors, they were able to enrich themselves and create a prosperous country. In this luxury and peace, the new Persian rulers practically basked, enjoying life and forgetting about the principles of their ancestors - discipline, simplicity, modesty.

It was this moment that the peoples conquered by the ancient Persians were waiting for. A crushing blow for Persia was the appearance of the troops of Alexander the Great. He united the Greek troops and launched an attack on the once powerful power. If initially it seemed that the Persian troops would destroy the Greek commander, then subsequent events became one of the most incredible historical turns.

The army of Alexander the Great managed to break the resistance of the Persians, confidently conquering their lands. Subsequent Arab conquests also significantly changed the way of life of the Persians and their worldview. The people were forced to come to terms with the situation and undergo gradual assimilation.

Jan Brueghel the Elder “Battle of Issus”, 1602 Location: Louvre, Paris, France

Culture

The Persians were known as great conquerors and engineers, but they had to take culture from other peoples. For example, the Persian people borrowed writing from the Assyrians, and the language they used was Aramaic. Modern versions of the Persian language, called Farsi and Farsi-Kabuli (Dari), were formed thanks to the Arabic script. Religion and the book “Avesta,” which has the same great significance as the Koran or the Bible for modern peoples, played a significant role in their lives.

The Persians understood that they could not survive without water, so the sources they found had to be transferred. It was impossible to get it from rivers and lakes, so they came up with unique structures with the help of which they pumped water from the mountains. Having built underground channels, they used the elementary laws of physics, understanding the peculiarities of gravity. The water came from the foothills of Elbrus. Having a natural slope, it allowed water to flow through canals and reach the Persian Gulf. Vertical shafts were used to build canals, then tunnels were built. The total length of the tunnels could be from 20 to 40 kilometers. These are incredibly complex structures that even now are difficult to implement without knowledge of the material and technical base. The Persians had to take into account that water could erode the base, so the angle of inclination of the canals should not exceed a certain level. If the angle were too small, the water would stagnate. A competent approach allowed them to create a system in which water was abundant in an arid climate.

Architecture

The most significant achievements of the Persians are palaces and all kinds of architectural structures. A clear proof of this is Persepolis, where stone tents and huge columns were erected. It was the Persians who were the first to use glazed tiles; they decorated palaces with gold and silver, and used reliefs for decoration. Persian engineers independently invented a sewer system and built a canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. For the invasion of Greece, a pontoon bridge capable of supporting 70 thousand soldiers was used. Thus, in the matter of construction they still have no equal.

The Persian conquests allowed them to gain a lot of experience - they studied construction technology and developed engineering. That is why in the cities of Persia one can see signs of the influence of Assyria, the countries of Asia Minor and the Egyptian Empire. To build Pasargadae, craftsmen from all over the empire came to serve the king. Thanks to them, the capital became a city where one could enjoy magnificent paradisiacal parks. Many gardens and canals, luxurious cladding, numerous swimming pools - all this splendor adorned the capital. The Persians were considered landscape design geniuses, using hedges as decoration. According to the description of contemporaries, in the palace of King Xerxes one could see beautiful sculptures, and the palace itself was a huge structure. Its main hall alone had an area of ​​3,600 square meters and was called the Hall of a Hundred Columns. The staircases had elaborate bas-reliefs demonstrating the processions of the people and the settlement of states.

New faith, new power

Persia seemed to be the most powerful state in the world, and so it was for a certain time. However, a people was already forming next to her that would become no less a great conqueror than the Persians themselves.

With the beginning of the Arab conquest in the 7th century, a new religion came to the Persian lands. Zoroastrianism, previously widespread among the Persian population, began to rapidly be pushed aside. Vast territories of Persia came under different cultural influences - from Arabic to Turkic.

The decline of the ancient state of the Persians did not mean the disappearance of this people. Until the last century, the western regions of Iran were called Persia, but this name was not used among the local population. Even the ancient name “Farsi”, which was applied to Persia, was considered by the descendants of the ancient Persians to be only a historical region.

Shah Mosque (Isfahan), drawing by architect Pascal Coste, 1841. Courtyard with two ivans. The ivan on the right is topped with a small gazebo, which in many Persian mosques replaced the function of minarets.

Ivan is a vaulted room in Islamic architecture, surrounded by a wall on three sides and open on the fourth.

Religion

Throughout history, the main religion of such a people as the Persians changed periodically. The very first major religion was Zoroastrianism, which was during the Sasanian Empire. In those days, Zoroastrian temples were actively erected throughout the Empire. The priests in such temples had serious power and had a great influence on the population of the Empire.

The Umayyad era was marked by the gradual Islamization of the Persians. They were simply given the status of mawali (client) for the various Arab tribes that invaded Iran at that time. The Abbasids carried out the necessary policies to make Islam a more international religion. This led to the fact that many non-Arab tribes, including the Persians, began to convert to this religion.

Initially, the majority of Persians were Sunnis, however, a serious Shiite influence that came from Iraqi cities, which led to a serious religious reformatting of the Persians and most of them became Shiites. The Safavid dynasty made a great contribution to this, establishing Shiism as the state religion. Currently, 90% of Iran's population is Shiite. Now on the territory of Iran there is the Mausoleum of Imam Reza, one of the most famous Shiite shrines.

Persians of our time

Today the Persian population of the planet numbers about 55 million people. Most of them, of course, live in their native lands - in Iran. An indicator of Persian origin is, first of all, the language of a person.

But what is remarkable. Linguists note that many people of other nations consider themselves to be “half Persians,” namely, they consider Persian their native language. So, among them there are many Azerbaijanis, Arabs, and Mazenderans.

A Persian aristocrat riding on horseback with his servant and smoking Guku. Color lithograph by D. Dighton, 1820,

Comparison

As often happens in history, religious differences were the result of political and military confrontation between different states. In religion, it is easier to consolidate dogmas that clearly distinguish “us, our own” from “them, strangers.” This happened in the case of Persia: Shiism has a number of serious theological differences from Sunnism. Sunnis and Shiites fought with each other no less passionately than Catholics and Protestants in contemporary Europe: for example, in 1501, Persia adopted Shiism, and already in 1514 the first war began with the Sunni Ottoman Empire, which extended its influence to most Arab territories .

As for language, Persians and Arabs have nothing in common. Arabic belongs to the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family, and its closest “relative” is Hebrew, the official language of Israel. The similarity is visible even to a non-specialist. For example, the well-known Arabic greeting “salaam alaikum” and “shalom aleichem” in Hebrew are clearly consonant and are translated the same way – “peace be upon you.”

It is incorrect to talk about a single Persian language, since, according to modern ideas, it is a language group consisting of four related languages ​​(however, some linguists still consider them dialects):

• Farsi, or the Persian language itself;
• Pashto;
• Dari (together with Pashto is one of the official languages ​​of Afghanistan);
• Tajik.

The following fact is widely known: during the war in Afghanistan, the Soviet command often used Tajik fighters to communicate with local residents, since their language is almost identical to Tajik. Whether in this case Pashto, Dari and Tajik should be considered separate languages ​​or just dialects is a subject of linguistic debate. Native speakers themselves do not particularly discuss this issue, understanding each other perfectly.

Persians' desire for beauty

Of course, drastic changes, changes in power and religion significantly influenced Persian culture. And yet, many works of ancient folklore have survived to this day, becoming the property of the people. One of the most famous works of Persian poets is the collection “Kalila and Dimna”, and the styles of versification that arose in Ancient Persia are still known today - these are ghazals, rubais, beits.

Many historical monuments make you admire and admire the beauty created by the hands of ancient builders. I would include among them the Zoroastrian temples and the Muslim mosques that appeared later. In everything that is created by man, the Persians strive to show harmony and luxury, and sometimes truly incredible beauty.

Modern Persians

Today, on the world map you can no longer find a state called Persia, but this does not mean that the Persian people have become weak and inconspicuous. No, on the contrary, its modern representatives dream of a new revival of their culture. Perhaps, in a few tens or hundreds of years, the world will again learn about the powerful and great Persian kingdom, which will be reborn from the dust of centuries.

Building an Empire

Initially, the Persians were a rather heterogeneous mixture of tribes. Their ethnic formation was influenced by neighboring peoples, and the territory of Persia itself found itself at the center of trade routes, and therefore some mixing of ethnic groups.

In his writings, the Persian traveler and historian Masudi notes the following:

“There are various languages ​​such as Pahlavi, Dari, Azeri and other Persian languages.”

And such a linguistic division has survived to this day, since the Persians are not one tribe, but a whole group of peoples close in spirit, origin and culture.

Persepolis - the capital of Persia / © Ryan Teo / ryanteo.artstation.com

The history of Persia can be divided into several stages, each of which became a transitional stage to a new level of development, significantly changing the cultural and lifestyle of the Persians. The most important milestone in the formation of the people was the creation of the capital, Persepolis.

But this was only the first step towards building an entire empire. The Persian rulers realized that only by constantly strengthening cities and their borders and conquests could they achieve expansion of their possessions, which would bring prosperity to the state.