The Persian Empire had an ancient culture, as old and in some ways as advanced as Greece’s. From about 550 b. c.e. until Alexander’s time, the Persian Empire was ruled by a dynasty called the Achaemenians. The first
And greatest of the Achaemenian kings was Darius I. His rule, which began in 522 B. C.E., ushered in what is known as the Achaemenian era, which continued until Alexander conquered the empire.
By the time Darius I came to power, the Persian Empire had expanded to include a vast territory of diverse populations. It stretched from what is now Turkey in the west to what is now Afghanistan and India in the east. Its northern boundary was the southern part of the former Soviet Union, and in the south it extended to Egypt and the Indian Ocean.
The Persian Empire was the largest, most powerful, and wealthiest empire in the world. The kingdom was nearly 5,000 miles wide from east to west. It encompassed a total of 15 modern countries-a new country was added almost every 10 months. It was wider than the continental United States and spanned parts of three continents.
The Persian Empire united people and kingdoms from every major civilization of the time except China. Its many regions had different traditions, laws, economic conditions, languages, and cultures, which were brought together under one ruler for the first time. At its height, the empire had about 40 million people.
Although Persia was a monarchy, its enormous size made it impossible for one person to govern it effectively. Darius I set up a system of provincial organization, dividing his lands into 20 huge districts, called satrapies. Many satrapies were large enough to constitute kingdoms in themselves. Each satrapy was ruled by a local governor, called a satrap.
Satraps were chosen mainly from the persian nobility; many were members of the Persian royal family or trusted friends. A satrap was a powerful figure who ruled over his province like a monarch. However, the kings put measures in place to keep the satraps from having too much power. For example, they put army officers in charge of the military forces stationed in the satrapy and appointed other officials to collect the taxes. Not satisfied to trust this system of shared power, the kings also sent out royal inspectors to keep an eye on the satraps and the other officials.
When Alexander conquered the empire, he allowed most of the satraps and other Persian officials to remain in positions of authority. He usually gave administrative power to the Persians and gave the Macedonians control over the military and the treasury. He also gave peasants the right to make a direct appeal to the king for the first time.
The Persian Empire became rich, in part, through the taxes the kings collected. The annual tax typically amounted to about 10 percent of the people’s resources and could be in the form of precious metals, food, or
Other commodities. Taxes were collected in different ways in different areas. Money was also collected as tribute from rulers of nearby lands in order to preserve peace.
A Tent Fit for a King
One key difference between the Macedonians and the Persians was the lavish wealth of Persian royalty. Alexander, who lived much more simply than his Persian counterparts, was amazed by the opulence of the royal tent left behind when Darius III fled from the battlefield at the Battle of Issus. It contained a golden throne and bath, gold and silver drinking cups, carpets, jewels, and other treasures. The historians Arrian (85-195 c. e.) and Quintus Curtius Rufus (40-60 c. e.) give an account of Alexander's reaction to this fantastic wealth. As related in Michael Wood's book In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, Alexander remarked, "So this is what it is like to be a king."
Another key difference was the way royalty was addressed in the two cultures. Alexander entered the tent with his close friend, Hephaestion. Darius's mother, Sisygam-bis, had been left behind when Darius fled. Seeing the two men, she assumed that Hephaestion, the taller and thus more impressive man by Persian standards, must be the king and addressed him as "Alexander." Learning of her mistake, she became afraid, possibly believing that such an insult would cost her life. Many sources, including Robin Lane Fox in his book Alexander the Great, provide Alexander's legendary reply. "Do not worry," Alexander told Sisygambis, "He, too, is Alexander."
For nearly 200 years before Alexander, the Persians held an annual festival on New Year’s Day at the spring equinox, called the Festival of the Tribute. Representatives from all parts of the empire would come to the magnificent royal palace at Persepolis for this grand occasion, many bringing gold and silver by camel. As part of a great ceremony, they would wait in their national dress until they were ushered in to see the king. They would present offerings and gifts to the king, who held court in a great hall whose ceiling was supported by 100 columns.
These revenues, along with the empire’s mineral deposits, forests, and other natural resources, made the Persian kings wealthy beyond the imagination of the Greeks or Macedonians. For centuries the kings had stored vast treasures in their palaces. Alexander had virtually all of the Perse-polis treasury melted down and recast as coins honoring local kings, beginning with Alexander himself. He set up several mints to facilitate this process, and minted coins became the standard currency throughout Greece and Persia. This helped unify the empire and put huge amounts of coined money into circulation. It also made many of Alexander’s soldiers rich. A generous leader, he often showed his appreciation for his troops’ loyalty by giving them bonuses and lavish gifts. Some of the soldiers began living like kings themselves.
World History
