The Jews praised the Persian emperor in scripture as a savior to whom God gave power over other kingdoms so that he would restore them to Jerusalem and allow them to rebuild their Temple. Cyrus the Great died around B. One measure of his greatness was the esteem in which he was held in later years by the Greeks, despite the bitter wars they waged against his Persian successors.
Judaism is the oldest surviving monotheistic religion, with roots dating to the second millennium B. Nothing was more important to the Jews than their faith, which was founded on the concept of a covenant between themselves and God.
They described the history of this relationship in the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. According to the Torah, God promised the lands of Canaan to his Chosen People, the Israelites, a Semitic tribe whose origins traced back to the patriarch Abraham. They founded the kingdom of Judah, and established Jerusalem as its capital sometime around B.
After Cyrus freed the Jews from exile in Babylon in B. Among ancient rulers, few were as rich as Croesus. His realm contained large deposits of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver, which he used to produce coins—a practice that had originated in Lydia and Greece a century or so before Croesus took power around B. His wealth made him the subject of legend. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Croesus met the wise Athenian ruler Solon and asked if wealth did not ensure happiness.
All rights reserved. Culture Reference. Who was Cyrus the Great? Engraving of Cyrus the Great. Cyrus governed with singular tolerance and mercy; his rule has been heralded through the ages. Judaism, saved by Cyrus. Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. King Croesus of Lydia. Yet in BCE, Darius I, also known as Darius the Great, overthrew Gaumata and solidified control of the territories of the Achaemenid Empire, beginning what would be a historic consolidation of lands.
Between c. It eventually came to control Egypt, as well. This unprecedented area of control under a single ruler stretched from the Indus Valley in the east to Thrace and Macedon on the northeastern border of Greece.
Called Cyrus the Elder by the Greeks, he founded an empire initially comprising all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East and eventually most of Southwest and Central Asia and the Caucus region, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indus River.
Control of this large territory involved a centralized government, territorial monarchs who served as proxy rulers for the emperor, and an extensive system of commerce and trade.
Cyrus, whose rule lasted between 29 and 31 years, until his death in battle in BCE, controlled the vast Achaemenid Empire through the use of regional monarchs, called satrap , who each oversaw a territory called a satrapy. The basic rule of governance was based upon the loyalty and obedience of the satrapy to the central power, the king, and compliance with tax laws.
Cyrus also connected the various regions of the empire through an innovative postal system that made use of an extensive roadway and relay stations. Cyrus the Great was recognized for achievements in human rights and politics, having influenced both Eastern and Western Civilization.
The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient clay artifact, now broken into several fragments, that has been called the oldest-known charter of universal human rights and a symbol of his humanitarian rule. The cylinder dates from the 6th century BCE, and was discovered in the ruins of Babylon in Mesopotamia, now Iraq, in The historical nature of the cylinder has been debated, with some scholars arguing that Cyrus did not make a specific decree, but rather that the cylinder articulated his general policy allowing exiles to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
In fact, the policies of Cyrus with respect to treatment of minority religions were well documented in Babylonian texts, as well as in Jewish sources.
Cyrus was known to have an overall attitude of religious tolerance throughout the empire, although it has been debated whether this was by his own implementation or a continuation of Babylonian and Assyrian policies. Darius also sponsored work on construction projects throughout the empire, focusing on improvement of the cities of Susa, Pasargadae, Persepolis, Babylon, and various municipalities in Egypt.
When Darius moved his capital from Pasargadae to Persepolis, he revolutionized the economy by placing it on a silver and gold coinage and introducing a regulated and sustainable tax system. This structure precisely tailored the taxes of each satrapy based on its projected productivity and economic potential. For example, Babylon was assessed for the highest amount of silver taxes, while Egypt owed grain in addition to silver taxes.
Persian reliefs in the city of Persepolis: Darius the Great moved the capital of the Achaemenid Empire to Persepolis c. He initiated several major architectural projects, including the construction of a palace and a treasure house. Sometime after his coronation, Darius ordered an inscription to be carved on a limestone cliff of Mount Behistun in modern Iran. The Behistun Inscription, the text of which Darius wrote, came to have great linguistic significance as a crucial clue in deciphering cuneiform script.
The inscription, which is approximately 15 meters high and 25 meters wide, includes three versions of the text in three different cuneiform languages: Old Persian, Elamite and Babylonian, which was a version of Akkadian. Researchers were able to compare the scripts and use it to help decipher ancient languages, in this way making the Behistun Inscription as valuable to cuneiform as the Rosetta Stone is to Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Behistun Inscription: A section of the Behistun Inscription on a limestone cliff of Mount Behistun in western Iran, which became a key in deciphering cuneiform script. Under the Achaemenids, trade was extensive and there was an efficient infrastructure that facilitated the exchange of commodities in the far reaches of the empire. The satrapies were linked by a 2,kilometer highway, the most impressive stretch of which was the Royal Road, from Susa to Sardis.
The relays of mounted couriers could reach the most remote areas in 15 days. Known for their innovations in language, governance, architecture and more, Sumerians are considered the creators of civilization as Iraqi president Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in early August Alarmed by these actions, fellow Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt called on the United States and other Western nations to intervene.
Hussein defied United Jerusalem is a city located in modern-day Israel and is considered by many to be one of the holiest places in the world. Jerusalem is a site of major significance for the three largest monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity, and both Israel and Palestine have Palmyra is an ancient archaeological site located in modern-day Syria. Originally founded near a fertile natural oasis, it was established sometime during the third millennium B.
Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. Cyrus the Great The Persian Empire started as a collection of semi-nomadic tribes who raised sheep, goats and cattle on the Iranian plateau. Where Is Persia? Recommended for you. Persian Gulf War. Byzantine Empire. Deconstructing History: Empire State Building. Developing the Empire State Building. Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire was a vast and powerful civilization with origins that can be traced to A. Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire was one of the mightiest and longest-lasting dynasties in world history.
Sumer Sumer was an ancient civilization founded in the Mesopotamia region of the Fertile Crescent situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city located in modern-day Israel and is considered by many to be one of the holiest places in the world.
0コメント