Ancient Persian History

The two great Persian invasions of Greece, in 490 and 480-79 B.C., both repulsed by the Greeks, provide our best opportunity for understanding the interplay of religion and history in ancient Greece on a large scale. Using the Histories of Herodotus as well as other historical and archaeological sources, Jon Mikalson shows how the Greeks practiced their religion at this pivotal moment in their history.

Throughout history, walls have been constructed as part of nations’ and kingdoms’ defensive structures to keep barbarian hordes, marauding rebels, and recalcitrant tribes out of defined geographic areas. The Sasanians built an impressive wall in central Asia, one that was longer than Hadrian’s Wall and by all accounts just as effective. Throughout the centuries, the Sasanian wall has gone by several different names, but it is now known as the “Great Wall of Gorgan” due to its length and location near the city of Gorgan in the modern nation-state of Iran.

During the first half of the first millennium CE, an empire arose in Persia that extended its power and influence to Mesopotamia in the east, Arabia in the south, the Caucasus Mountains in the north, and as far east as India. This empire, known alternatively as the Sasanian Empire or Sassanid Empire, was the last of three great dynasties in Persia before the rise of Islam. In fact, many scholars consider the Sasanian Empire to be the last great empire of the ancient Near East.

In this two in one audiobook, you'll learn about the history of Persia.

Hoy en día, Persia es conocida como el país de Irán, pero hace mucho tiempo, Persia fue el hogar de varias tribus nómadas. Fue testigo del ascenso de muchos imperios y dinastías. Los asirios cayeron ante los medos, que allanaron el camino para la aparición del Imperio aqueménida, uno de los mayores imperios de la historia antigua.

Unter Kyros dem Großen entwickelt sich Persien zum ersten Großreich der Welt, es beherrschte drei Kontinente und auf seinem Höhepunkt über vierzig Prozent der Weltbevölkerung. Das Achämenidenreich erstreckte sich von Indien nach Griechenland und von der Südgrenze Russlands bis nach Ägypten und der Sahara. Es hinterließ einen unauslöschlichen Eindruck auf die Geschichte Asiens, Europas und Afrikas.

At one point in antiquity, the Achaemenid Persian Empire was the largest empire the world had ever seen, but aside from its role in the Greco-Persian Wars and its collapse at the hands of Alexander the Great, it has been mostly overlooked. When it has been studied, the historical sources have mostly been Greek, the very people the Persians sought to conquer. Needless to say, their versions were biased.

As the Eastern Roman Empire and Sasanian Empire began to expand in the region through a combination of warfare, trade, and diplomacy, a number of Arab tribes caught in the middle coalesced to form their own powerful dynasties and states, one of which was the Lakhmid Dynasty. The Lakhmid Dynasty lasted for more than 300 years, which is an incredible span of time, considering how few states at the time came close to that. The Lakhmid Dynasty was able to survive and thrive for so long by being an effective middleman and power broker in the ever-changing geopolitical landscape.

If you want to discover the captivating history of the Sarmatians and Scythians, then pay attention.... Masters of the horse, the Scythians and Sarmatians opened the Eurasian Steppe to nomadic civilizations like it had never seen before. For the first time, a group of tribes sharing a common culture called the Steppe their home, adapting themselves to its harshness.

Como maestros del caballo, los escitas y los sármatas abrieron la estepa euroasiática a civilizaciones nómadas como nunca antes se había visto. Por primera vez, un grupo de tribus que comparten una cultura común llamaron a la estepa su hogar, adaptándose a su crueldad. Nacidos en este entorno, adoptaron una forma muy particular de vivir y luego se extendió a los pueblos de Asia Central: el estilo de vida nómada pastoral.

Classical Greece is a period of only 200 years, but it is filled with exciting events that shaped the political thought of modern Western civilization. In these 200 years, the idea of democracy was born and developed, although their concept of democracy was much different than in modern times. Through the development of the polis, the ancient Greek society developed into its recognizable form of those with political rights and those without them.

Alexander of Macedon was only 33 years old when he died, leaving behind him a sprawling empire of impressive size, which encompassed dozens of different people groups, religions, cultures, customs, and - of course - problems. Naturally, Alexander is well-known as a figure, but how well do we really know him? How much of his fascinating story is true, and how much is mere legend?

Considerada como el enfrentamiento militar más importante y crucial de la antigüedad, las consecuencias nacidas tras este emocionante episodio histórico marcaron el rumbo definitivo no sólo de Grecia y Persia, sino de todo el mundo occidental. Ambas naciones, a la sazón las dos naciones más grandes de la época, se enfrascaron en una guerra colosal que empezó en el siglo V antes de Cristo, que duró más de 60 años, y que concluyó con la derrota de quien menos se esperaba: Persia.

Though Nepos largely focused on the Greco-Romans in his writings, some men accomplished so much he was willing to break this rule. Datames was a commander of armies, man of the kings of Persia and Egypt, and outwitter of plots. Follow his intricate and exciting life as he attempts to outpace the powerful men around him.

This book offers a fresh insight into the conquests of Alexander the Great by attempting to view the events of 336-323 BCE from the vantage point of the defeated.

King Xerxes I: The Life and Legacy of the Achaemenid Persian Empire’s Most Notorious Ruler looks at the life of the Persian leader and the major conflicts he led. You will learn about Xerxes like never before.

Considerada como el enfrentamiento militar más importante y crucial de la antigüedad, las consecuencias nacidas tras este emocionante episodio histórico marcaron el rumbo definitivo no sólo de Grecia y Persia, sino de todo el mundo occidental. Ambas naciones, a la sazón las dos naciones más grandes de la época, se enfrascaron en una guerra colosal que empezó en el siglo V antes de Cristo, que duró más de 60 años, y que concluyó con la derrota de quien menos se esperaba: Persia.

At one point in antiquity, the Achaemenid Persian Empire was the largest empire the world had ever seen, but aside from its role in the Greco-Persian Wars and its collapse at the hands of Alexander the Great, it has been mostly overlooked. The Battle of Gaugamela: The History of Alexander the Great’s Decisive Victory and the Destruction of the Achaemenid Persian Empire looks at one of antiquity’s most important conflicts, and the profound ramifications of Alexander’s campaign; you will learn about the battle like never before.

The action-filled movie 300 focused on Ancient Greece's epic battle of Thermopylae, in which King Leonidas led 300 Spartans into battle against Xerxes and his million-strong Persian forces. In the sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire, the action moves to the sea, covering 10 years starting with the Battle of Marathon and ending with naval engagement the Battle of Artemisium, which occurred the same day as Thermopylae. Rise of an Empire tells the story of the real men and events depicted in the movie.

While he was one of the most influential men in the ancient world, research on Cyrus the Great is simultaneously fascinating and frustrating. Of course, this reality has deepened the mystique that surrounds Cyrus even to this day, and it has elevated his status from conqueror and king to enlightened humanist monarch and ideal ruler. Whatever the underlying issues, the incredible achievements of Cyrus distinguish him as one of the greatest kings in history, and his life, conquests, reforms, and rule continue to be of great interest over 2,500 years later.