In 500 BC, Persia (modern Iran) was the most powerful state in the known world, ruling an area of more than two million square miles from the Balkans and Egypt to central Asia (nearly half of the world’s population). In 499 BC, Athens and a number of other Greek states rebelled against its empire and incredibly defeated it in the ensuing Persian Wars (390-379 BC).
The Greek historian Herodotus (d. c. 425 BC) wrote up those wars after travelling extensively around the whole region. He was as fascinated by different cultures as he was by the war itself, contrasting the Persian way of life with the Greek. For example, he said that Persians did not put up statues or temples or altars, or treat their gods as human in nature, as the Greeks did. They thought one’s birthday was the most important day of the year (a rich Persian baked and served whole, at table, an ox, horse, camel or donkey). Herodotus did express admiration for the custom which forbade even the king himself to put a man to death for a single offence: their way was to balance faults against services. They thought themselves in every way superior to everyone else in the world, and the further that people lived away from them, the more they despised them.
After prowess at fighting, the chief proof of manliness was to be the father of a large family of boys. They were educated between the ages of five and 20, and taught only three things: to ride, use the bow and speak the truth. Telling lies was worse than anything else and next, owing money (because they would be bound to lie). Every man had many wives and concubines, and they took to new pleasures very keenly (e.g. paederasty, learnt from the Greeks). Famously, they considered important decisions twice: first sober, next day drunk, or vice versa, before reaching a conclusion. (Since Muslims abhor alcohol, the Green party’s Zack Polanski will provide water, then heroin.)
Herodotus saw Persia not as an evil empire, but as a misguided one, preferring tyranny, enslavement and the rule of fear to the Greek love of freedom and the rule of law. Plus ça change?
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